This research project builds on its predecessor, IEA EBC Annex 80. In it, Austrian expertise was successfully disseminated internationally and, in return, international experience with efficient and robust cooling solutions was made available in Austria. 

Annex 80 also demonstrated the strong interdependence between the cooling of buildings and the climatic quality of urban outdoor spaces. This is the basis for the functioning of sustainable cooling solutions in buildings and vice versa. At the same time, the struggle for effective climate adaptation in cities and for urban cooling infrastructures has become a key item on the agenda of urban municipalities worldwide. Particular challenges include monitoring the success of measures and anchoring action plans in governance structures. Against this challenge, Task 5 sees great opportunities in international research cooperation at the interface between improving outdoor climate conditions and cooling buildings in cities. The project supports this with its focus on climate adaptation and decarbonisation of cities, mutual national and international knowledge transfer, a focus on concrete impact, and the transfer of results to Austrian research institutions and companies.

Due to the thematic broadness of the project, three different areas of impact were defined in advance, within which measures will be investigated:

• large – the entire city
• medium – individual city districts
• small – the immediate surroundings of the building

The project is divided into four work packages (subtasks). These are briefly described here.

Subtask A – Fundamentals

The content and objective of Subtask A is to establish a systematic knowledge base on environmental quality criteria in indoor and outdoor spaces as well as heat reduction and cooling in cities.

Subtask B – Methods

Subtask B develops and documents methods for planning and evaluating the effectiveness of technologies and measures for heat reduction and sustainable cooling in cities.

Subtask C – Solutions

Subtask C focuses on the identification, research, further development and dissemination of solutions for heat reduction in urban outdoor areas and sustainable cooling in buildings, with the aforementioned focus on the interrelationship between the two measures. The subtask covers various technologies and non-technical strategies.

Subtask D – Policy

The aim of Subtask D is to analyse current policies, strategies and governance structures in the field of heat reduction and sustainable cooling in cities. Best practices will be identified, processed and disseminated. In addition to content processing, the subtask aims to improve existing networks and maintain partnerships with city networks in order to ensure the effectiveness of the results during the project period.

Preliminary work of the project

Thematically relevant preliminary work on the research project with Austrian participation includes:

• IEA EBC Annex 62 Ventilative Cooling (2012–2018), led by Denmark (Per Heiselberg)
• IEA EBC Annex 63 Implementation of Energy Strategies in Communities (2013–2018), led by Austria (Helmut Strasser)
• IEA EBC Annex 80 Resilient Cooling of Buildings (2018–2024), led by Austria (Peter Holzer)

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom, United States of America

Peter Holzer
Institute of Building Research & Innovation
E-Mail: peter.holzer@building-research.at

Philipp Stern
Institute of Building Research & Innovation
E-Mail: philipp.stern@building-research.at