Urban consolidation Lehen - subproject 6a and 6b: Energy efficient urban districts by means of community organizing and social measures in urban consolidation

This project is a sub project of the flagship project "Urban consolidation Lehen".

Status

Completed

Summary

Starting point / motivation

The aims of the flagship project "Stadtumbau Lehen" were to increase the total quality and value of the city district Lehen, and to increase the energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies with different demonstration projects with special focus on solar energy (thermal and PV). In all projects the aspects of a holistic view of sustainability - including ecological and social aspects - are very important. Technical and structural measures of the demonstration projects are supported by the EU program Concerto.

Contents and goals

To ensure the efficiency of measures and to increase the awareness for these themes in the sub-projects 6a (research) and 6b (transfer) the social economic measurements are worked out to support the other activities to reach the overall aims. Here basics are worked out, results from further studies are used, experiences from activities in the area are used and evaluated and all shall be documented to be a helpful material for other projects. The aim is to increase the awareness, to increase the user behaviour and the give feedback to the planers and constructors to make energy systems more user-friendly.

Methods of treatment

• Public relations communicated at neighbourhood level for energy efficiency and sustainability issues to develop appropriate information sources and media for different groups of people
• Implementation of developed concepts (in Sub 6a) for residents' participation and information specially for renovation measures
• Information and involvement of residents of the new building projects in and around the Stadtwerk Lehen with new public relation and participation concepts

Expected results / conclusions

For projects of this size with strong interventions in the urban fabric a social and organizational support is absolutely necessary. The financing of these important measures would not be possible without funding.

One risk associated with the implementation of such demonstration projects is the very high expectations of all stakeholders. Architects provide jack-of-all-trade competition projects, experts want to examine all at once, the coordination is beyond the capacity of urban planning institutes, the various requirements cannot be funded by the developers, facility managers are integrated in the process far too late and the expectations of residents and the population are only partly fulfilled. They feel right to criticize and thus often enforce excessive demands.

Energy efficiency and climate protection is indeed very important to many people, but it should happen by the way. In the thick of things is living comfort at reasonable prices. As long as operating costs are not significantly out of line, interest and willingness to change user behaviour do not exist. By increasing the efficiency of buildings logically the consumption decreases, but as comfort increases at the same time and energy savings are shrinking again.

The ongoing awareness of society for climate protection is extremely important and necessary for the future. However, the potential for influencing user behaviour in households by means of information is low. Information, education and awareness are definitely the right ways to tackle the problem. To constantly confront people in their home can be annoying for them.

Project management

Wohnbund (Wohnbund:consult)

Project or cooperation partners

SIR - Salzburger Institut für Raumordnung & Wohnen

Wohnbund:consult
Hellbrunnerstraße 3/8
A-5020 Salzburg
Tel.: +43 (662) 872 187
E-Mail: Wohnbund.sbg@aon.at
Web: www.wohnbund.at/consult
Web: www.stadtwerklehen.at

SIR Salzburger Institut für Raumordnung & Wohnen
Schillerstraße 25
A-5020 Salzburg
Tel.: +43 (662) 623 455
E-Mail: Inge.strassl@salzburg.gv.at
Web: www.sir.at
Web: www.stadtwerklehen.at