Seville 05/06/2013.
One of the projects ACCIONA Infrastructure is currently working at is TestCell, which aims to demonstrate advanced passive and active technologies in different building components like, facades, roofs, floor, indoor partitions, to improve Building’s Energy Efficiency and IAC but also its design viability in terms of integration, construction time and costs.
Within the activities of this project, a building test container ”TestCell” was specifically designed and constructed by ACCIONA Infrastructure to monitor the energy performance of the new technologies under study, aiming at optimizing their performance, solving the difficulties to be integrated in existing buildings. When the development of new technology is addressed within a research project, it is required to perform previous tests at the design phase before their implementation on ”real” existing buildings.
Due to its location in Sevilla, in the south of Spain, Test Cell is specially indicated to test passive and activetechnologies in hot climate conditions, and day-night/ season technology functional adjustments.
The building consists of two separated laboratories, around 30m2 surface each, and its main dimensions are 6m x 6m wide x 7 m high approximately. The main structure made in steel leads to an easily assembling and disassembling of building components (facades, roofs, foundations, indoor partitions…) and testing can be adapted as time requirements for each technology.
Due to its characteristics, TestCell will make it possible to identify the energy efficiency and pay-back real times, the risks and difficulties to overcome on the design and construction process or the industrialization of new architectural possibilities, among other issues.
The use is very simple. A steel frame is built and once the slabs and the envelope had been added the different technologies to test are implemented.
For example, during 2012 different technologies were tested such as Natural Stone ventilated façade, Electric radiant floor, Hybrid ventilation solar device
In 2013 it has served to test different double façades designs for the JSEED Project “Japan-Spain Energy Efficient Development for Ultra-Low Energy Buildings”.
