Buildings – Districts – Cities

Innovative and sustainable energy concepts for buildings, urban districts and cities

Today, state-of-the-art innovations in construction and building services enable us to realize concepts for buildings which cover their own energy demand or even generate surplus energy. In this context, cities and municipalities play an important role as the modification of the energy systems, which ensure the reliable and efficient supply of renewable energy, can only be achieved at the local level.

Our scientists in the division “Buildings – Districts – Cities” are committed to a large number of projects, which focus particularly on energy-efficient, sustainable construction and housing. They pay special attention to networked buildings in districts and quarters in order to enhance the cost-efficient use of surplus energy (heat, electricity).

Their findings and experiences are highly esteemed, both nationally and internationally – e. g. in coordinating the concerted action in implementing the European Union’s “Energy Performance of Buildings Directive” (EPBD) or when participating in research programmes and activities of the International Energy Agency (IEA).

 

High-performance building concepts

Today, measures for saving energy and reducing the consumption of fossil fuels are of key importance. To our experts, however, these issues do not present any new challenges – they have substantially influenced the development of low-energy buildings in Germany as early as in the late 1980s.

 

Highly efficient retrofitting concepts

Apart from some encouraging examples, existing buildings generally hold the largest potential for saving energy. In the scope of several retrofitting projects we have developed efficient rehabilitation concepts, which were applied to exemplary building structures and underwent measurements during a subsequent monitoring phase.

 

Innovative concepts for urban districts

Developing concepts for energy-saving buildings also requires re-thinking the approaches to planning urban districts and their energy supply. For many years now, we have been particularly committed to the issues of planning district energy supplies, placing the main focus on optimizing the interaction of heat generation and reduced heat losses.

 

Energy-efficient cities and municipal climate protection

The Fraunhofer IBP supports municipalities and counties in the development of energy and climate protection concepts, assists in the establishment of a strategic energy management for buildings, conducts feasibility studies on the CO2 reduction potential in buildings, assists in the development of an energy master plan and deals with research questions concerning the city of the future.

 

Studies and accompanying research

Our scientists are committed to a large number of projects, which focus particularly on energy-efficient, sustainable construction and housing. We can also look back on many years of experience in accompanying research of funding programs with cross-evaluations and networking of diverse partners.