Sol4City - Integrated solar supply concepts for climate-neutral buildings for the "city of the future"

Intelligent technology coupling to achieve high solar coverage of the buildings (multi-storey residential building) heat and electricity demand. At the end of the project, integrated energy supply concepts for multi-storey residential buildings based on high network interaction and flexibility potential, maximum surface efficiency of conversion technologies on site and high economic competitiveness are available for the broad applicability in the "City of the Future".

Short Description

Status

ongoing

Starting point / motivation

According to the European Building Directive, only nearly zero energy buildings that meet the required energy requirements from renewable energy sources at the site or in the immediate vicinity may be erected from 2021 onwards. A completely renewable, central energy supply for cities will not be possible due to a lack of space for renewable energy production. For this reason, decentralised solutions will also be needed in the city of the future that interact with existing network infrastructures in the best possible way.

Numerous research projects have shown that 100 % solar coverage of the power and heat requirements for individual buildings (mostly single-family homes) is basically feasible. However, these demonstrators were all in economic terms not nearly competitive with conventional supply solutions and were characterised much more by a high degree of self-sufficiency.

Contents and goals

In this project, the focus is on the development of economical energy supply concepts for high solar cover ratios of at least 85% of the heat demand, 100% of the cooling demand and at least 60% of the electricity requirements of multi-storey residential buildings in new buildings and comprehensive refurbishment of existing buildings. A central component of the concept development is the synergetic consideration of the interaction with network infrastructures (electricity and heat) in the sense of bidirectional flexibility.

Methods

The core of the project will be based on the combined use of available technologies (activation of thermal masses, PV and battery technologies, heat pumps) and especially in the context of the overall system new components and processes to be developed (PVT hybrid collector; sorption technology; vacuum thermal insulation; interactive control).

Expected results

At the end of the project, integrated energy supply concepts for multi-storey residential buildings based on high network interaction and flexibility potential, maximum surface efficiency of conversion technologies on site and high economic competitiveness are available for the broad applicability in the "City of the Future".

For the planned project, the competences of leading research institutes and industrial partners from Austria and Germany will be bundled into a bilateral, cooperative consortium.

Project Partners

Project management

AEE - Institute for Sustainable Technologies 

Project or cooperation partners

Austrian partners

  • Institute of Polymeric Materials and Testing Johannes Kepler Universität Linz
  • GREENoneTEC Solarindustrie GmbH
  • SONNENKRAFT GmbH
  • KIOTO Photovoltaics GmbH
  • Kreisel Electric GmbH&CoKG

German partners

  • IGTE Universität Stuttgart
  • Viessmann Werke GmbH & Co KG

Contact Address

DI Thomas Ramschak
Feldgasse 19
A-8200 Gleisdorf
Tel.: +43 (3112) 5886-225
E-mail: t.ramschak@aee.at
Web: www.aee-intec.at