Accompanying research ENERGIEWENDEBAUEN: Energy transition in neighborhoods

Linking theoretical and practical findings in order to leverage synergies and generate impetus for policymakers, funding bodies, and industry – that was the objective of the project “Accompanying Research ENERGIEWENDEBAUEN – Module for district energy systems.” Based on questionnaires, thematically clustered discussions and workshops, results from funded projects related to the energy transition in districts were bundled, systematically evaluated and prepared for various target groups. The meta-analysis focused on research projects in the field of ENERGIEWENDEBAUEN with a focus on district energy systems

The experiences from the projects were supplemented with our own model-based evaluations. Optimization calculations were carried out for different district types, technology combinations and price scenarios and combined with detailed simulations for individual thematic focal points.

Districts make a decisive contribution to the transformation of our energy system:

• Decentralized energy generation: They enable the use of renewable energies such as solar and wind power at the local level.
• Energy efficiency: Through the implementation of innovative energy concepts and technologies, energy consumption can be optimized and energy efficiency increased on a neighborhood level.
• Social innovation: Districts offer space for community projects and initiatives that raise awareness of sustainable energy use and actively involve citizens.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy's ENERGIEWENDEBAUEN funding cluster includes a large number of projects and real-world laboratories that design, develop, implement, test and research such innovative energy concepts at the district level. In order to make the approaches and technologies developed implementable on a broader level and thus contribute to both the achievement of climate targets and the creation of a sustainable energy system, the results were collected and systematically evaluated in the project “Accompanying Research ENERGIEWENDEBAUEN – Module for district energy systems”.

The diverse results of the project were compiled in the form of short papers:

• Klimaneutrale Wärmeversorgung im Quartier – Konzepte im Vergleich (Methoden und Annahmen)
• Klimaneutrale Wärmeversorgung im Quartier – Konzepte im Vergleich (Grundlegende Entscheidungen)
• Metaanalyse: Auswertungen zum Projektfragebogen 2023
• Dezentrale vs. zentrale Wärmeversorgung im Quartier
• Herausforderungen aus Rahmenszenarien der Energiewende für die Planung zukünftiger Quartierskonzepte
• Expertenbefragung in Quartiersprojekten: 10 Thesen zu den Themen Energiemarkt, Versorgung und Wärmeplanung
• Metaanalyse: Auswertungen zum Fragebogen 2021
• Kommunale Wärmeplanung: Erkenntnisbericht
• Abwärmenutzung: Ein Impulspapier mit 8 Thesen zur Nutzung von Abwärmepotentialen für die Quartiersversorgung

• E.ON Energy Research Center, Lehrstuhl für Gebäude- und Raumklimatechnik, RWTH, Aachen
• Institut für ökologische Wirtschaftsforschung IÖW, Berlin