EnBue - Energy transition in the FH-Kooperativ office

Project background

The project is dedicated to the overarching question of how existing commercial properties should be gradually modernized in order to minimize the energy consumption of the property while maintaining the same quality of use

a) and to maximize the self-consumption of regeneratively generated energy by shifting electricity consumption over time,

b) to contribute to grid stability and an increased share of renewable energies in the German electricity mix by shifting the timing of electricity consumption and feed-in,

c) and to support the broad electrification of the German energy system.

The overarching motivation for the project lies in the need to drive forward the national energy transition. The operation of buildings continues to generate high emissions. The building sector accounts for almost 40% of final energy demand in Germany. Heat generation in existing buildings offers a major lever for achieving the national climate protection targets. Building refurbishments and modernizations such as the efficiency of the building envelope, the use of energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology and the integration of renewable energies can achieve significant savings. This sum of systems needs to be networked and harmonized with the requirements of the electricity market and grid stability.

Project objective

One aim of the project is to make recommendations for a gradual development path for commercial properties towards becoming active market participants. In addition to the physical changes to the buildings, the modernization of the technical building systems and the electrification of the vehicle fleet will also be considered. To this end, a simulation environment is created that makes it possible to view the building as part of a higher-level energy system and to draw conclusions from this. The recommendations for the modernization stages are also developed taking into account existing funding opportunities and the above-mentioned economic aspects of financing and refinancing. The results obtained will also be tested in a field trial on an existing commercial property and implemented if necessary.

Project procedure

• Definition of energetic flexibility and derived energy system components
• Development of modular models for use in solvers to optimize operating strategies
• Application and evaluation of the models in the real laboratory
• Recommendations for funding programs and the adaptation of legal framework conditions
• Recommendations for modernization paths for commercial properties

Innovation

The innovation and at the same time the challenge in this project is, among other things, to consistently transfer and supplement the existing scientific methods from individual sub-areas into a complete approach. A holistic approach enables a more comprehensive use of synergies between the sectors. For this reason, the project considers all of the following three sectors: the electricity and heat supply of buildings as well as the possibilities offered by the integration of electromobility. Active interaction with the energy market is also being sought. Another important innovation of the project is the use of the physical properties of the building envelope associated with sector coupling and the consideration of usage patterns of the property.