Projects and References

Life cycle assessments are generally relatively complex and, depending on the objective and scope of study, call for a high level of expertise. Our collaboration with Institut cyclos-HTP has resulted in an important milestone on the way to calculating the carbon footprint (CF) of packaging quickly and efficiently. The application, called PACFAST (Packaging Carbon Footprint Fast and Standardised), uses an automatically generated file in CHI-RA that contains relevant packaging specifications for calculating the carbon footprint of the packaging in question.

The aim of the project is to improve the building energy performance, the life cycle balance and the quality of indoor environments by using micro-structured optical components for daylighting and electrical lighting applications.

This project shows that local, close-to-body air-conditioning measures can be more energy efficient and more comfortable than conventional air-heating.

In pursuit of safeguarding the values of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra (Jordan) given the challenges of rapid societal and climatic change, the Academy of Conservation and Care for the Environment 2024 (ACCE) aims to foster national and international knowledge exchange among post graduate students and young professionals. ACCE is building a platform for emerging young professionals to come together and participate in workshops at the intersection of natural and cultural heritage environments, by learning from and working with the communities entrusted with their care.

To support the sustainable conservation of the cultural heritage site of Petra, the Fraunhofer IBP together with local stakeholders, is developing a concept for a local education and training program.

In order to contend with extreme and imminent climate change, and to sustain cultural cohesion in the inhospitable environments that may result, we need to learn how to adapt and live with extremes by embracing climatically appropriate architecture and infrastructure. Combining the sciences and the arts, The Consortium for Climate-Adapted Architectural Heritage forecasts future climates in terms of geographically-based climate analogs – elucidating the future climate of any given location by identifying places that currently have the anticipated climate conditions – helping communities to adapt to climate change through preemptive modification of the built environment.

The HiPIE laboratory enables the conditioning of the environmental conditions acoustics, lighting, room climate and air quality on a room area of approx. 45 sqm.

Effective disinfection technologies have been an important topic not only since the Covid-19 pandemic but have increasingly been in the public spotlight since then. The basic idea of this project was to further develop a glass coated with titanium dioxide (TiO2), which generates reactive oxygen species through a photocatalytic process and thus reduces the viral and bacterial load, into a practically applicable transparent virus protection element. Fraunhofer IBP, in collaboration with Fraunhofer IGB and other project partners, has developed a product-oriented prototype that increases this effect through edge coupling UV-A radiation via LEDs and laser microstructuring. The virus protection glass can improve hygiene at sales counters, in kitchens, in refrigerators or in the medical field.

Micro-optical components for daylight utilization and sun shading can significantly improve energy efficiency, life cycle assessment and quality of life in buildings. A structure for vertical façades has already been pre-developed in dimensions suitable for building applications that directs daylight to areas deep inside a building without glare. This is currently being tested in demonstration buildings. Research is being carried out into new structures for effective sun shading in skylights.

The adequate consideration of occupant behavior and the intuitive and robust operability of the building services systems are of key importance for energy-efficient building operation.