META BUILD held its 4th Plenary Meeting on April 22–23, 2026, in San Sebastián, kindly hosted by TECNALIA at its facilities.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming not only our daily lives but also the way we plan, design, and use the buildings around us. 

In the race towards a decarbonised building sector, AI is proving to be a powerful tool to accelerate the shift towards zero-emission buildings, helping architects and engineers develop smarter, more sustainable projects. 

The general conference brought together 785 participants (670 onsite and 115 online) from 68 countries, with a strong representation of scientists, researchers, and experts working on the sustainable development of energy, water, and environmental systems. The audience also included academics, industry professionals, and policymakers, reflecting the interdisciplinary scope of the event.

Within the META BUILD project, partner ENDEF is developing a hybrid solar air panel capable of simultaneously generating electricity and hot air. These panels, known as PVT (photovoltaic-thermal), maximize the energy produced per square meter and help reduce both electricity and heating consumption in buildings. In addition to incorporating the latest photovoltaic technologies, ENDEF has developed an optimized design that facilitates integration into the most common roof typologies. 

ZENITH’s Contribution to META BUILD at the 2025 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for Living Environment 

At the 2025 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for Living Environment, held in Venice from June 11–13, 2025, ZENITH, a key partner in the META BUILD project, presented a groundbreaking approach to smart home heating.

Local governments together on energy transition 

How can residents be guaranteed stable access to electricity? How can green energy be effectively implemented, and how can cities strategically plan their energy transition? These and many other questions were addressed at the Meeting of Municipal Power Engineers 2025, held on May 30 in Gdynia, where the META BUILD project was presented alongside other initiatives in which the city is actively involved.

The META BUILD project -"Powering the METAmorphosis of BUILDings towards a decarbonised and sustainable energy system" - was presented during the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Energy Agency of Plovdiv, held on 29–30 April 2025. 

From 1 to 3 April 2025, the META BUILD consortium gathered in Bolzano, Italy, for its third plenary meeting, hosted by Eurac Research. This was the second time partners met in person, marking a milestone: after one year of project implementation, it was the perfect moment to reflect on achievements, share challenges, and define the next steps towards decarbonising Europe’s building sector. 

META BUILD Showcased in Croatia: From Klima-Forum 2025 to the Renovation of FSB Zagreb 

The Klima-forum 2025 and INTER-KLIMA 2025 Conference, Croatia’s largest professional gathering dedicated to heating, cooling, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technologies, took place in Vodice from March 26–28, 2025. 

INTRODUCTION

Internal workshop on Open Energy Services for Buildings and End-Users Workshop

Following the first co-creation workshop on stakeholder engagement, META BUILD and WeForming came together once again - this time with the added participation of EVELIXIA, a sister Horizon Europe project.

The primary activity of our Front Runner #2, the Croatian pilot, led by HEP Toplinarstvo, with key partners Gradsko Stambeno Gospodarstvo Velika Gorica Doo (GSG),

From one of Germany’s largest paper factories to a metal processing plant for the beauty industry in Spain: how can heat pumps recover excess heat?