Decarbonization of the energy supply of the building stock

The aim of the project is to decarbonise the heat supply of existing buildings and thus eliminate the use of fossil natural gas. For this purpose, cold local heating networks are designed bidirectionally and solar heat from the summer is stored seasonally in the ground and used in winter.

The “Bundes-Klimaschutzgesetz” envisages a reduction of CO2 emissions in the building sector by around 45% compared to 2019. By 2045, the entire building stock must be nearly climate-neutral. Achieving these goals requires a shift away from fossil fuels for energy supply (decarbonisation).

The energy-efficient use of heat pumps in existing buildings is a key step in this process. With bidirectional 5^th generation district heating and cooling networks, heat pumps can also be used energy-efficiently in winter because of the seasonal storage of solar heat in the ground. Buildings that cannot supply themselves with sufficient solar heat are co-supplied by other buildings. In addition, the flexibility of the system is used by increasing the use of heat pumps when a lot of renewable electricity is fed into the grid and the electricity price is low as a result. In this way, they serve the system, i.e. they support the integration of renewable energies.

By taking into account the experiences from projects on bkNs in new buildings, methods for identifying cost-efficient structures and control strategies are being developed in the project. The methods will be developed on the basis of an existing residential area, which is to become a flagship project for the implementation of bkNs.

Students have the opportunity to work on the project as part of their theses (Bachelor's, Master's) and as assistant students. If you are interested, please contact the project team.