Our Infrastructure
Test, validate, and scale your energy innovation in a real-world environment
Open Thor Living Lab is a full-scale, connected energy ecosystem where companies can test, validate, and derisk technologies across buildings, grids, mobility, heating, solar, and data — under real operational conditions, not simulations.
Here, you can move beyond prototypes and controlled environments to real-world performance validation in a fully connected energy system.
Whether you are developing a proof-of-concept, running a pilot project, or collaborating in an R&D programme, our infrastructure is designed to support innovation from early testing to pre-deployment.
Across all activities, you can rely on the expertise of our research partner EnergyVille, ensuring strong scientific backing and applied innovation support.
Our Test Infrastructure
Construction & renovation
A comprehensive test environment for next-generation building and renovation technologies:
- Three-storey office building equipped for advanced construction technology testing
- Open construction plots for plug-and-play experimental buildings and modular construction
- Three residential renovation typologies, built using historical materials and techniques for retrofit strategy development
- Technical backbone connecting 7 buildings via an underground energy distribution corridor
- Two identical residential houses with replaceable façades and simulated (virtual) occupants
- Robotics Lab for construction automation and robotics testing
- Outdoor Construction Lab for real-world experimentation
- Residential neighbourhood with 33 houses for large-scale urban energy studies
District heating & cooling
Testing future district energy systems:
- District heating network connecting office and event buildings
- Dedicated test and demonstration area with 4 outdoor and 2 indoor test locations (under construction)
E-mobility & charging
Supporting the transition to electrified mobility:
- EV charging zone with 10+ individual chargers and integrated battery storage
- DC network infrastructure for advanced DC fast-charging experimentation
Solar Energy
A versatile outdoor solar innovation environment:
- Solar test field featuring canopy installations, vertical PV walls, agrivoltaics (agri-PV), and building-integrated PV (BIPV) in façades and shading systems
Energy hubs & grids
A flexible platform for testing next-generation electricity systems:
- AC/DC demonstration area with a DC microgrid including 4 outdoor and 2 indoor test locations (under construction)
- DC network connecting the demonstration area with the Construction Zone and Solar Test Field (under construction)
- Dedicated PV/BIPV test field for solar technologies and system integration
Data & monitoring
Enabling smart, data-driven energy systems:
- Central Data Platform connected to all Living Lab test locations
- Real-time data collection, analytics, and visualisation capabilities
Collaboration & Support
Every infrastructure component in our Living Lab is designed to be used in collaboration with industry, research organisations, and public partners. In addition to physical test facilities, we provide access to multidisciplinary expertise through EnergyVille to support design, testing, validation, and scaling.
