Grid-Friendly Power Grid Operation in the Context of Inner-City Redensification
RoofKIT represents a comprehensive concept for the energy-efficient renovation and expansion of existing buildings. PVT collectors serve as the heat source for a heat pump while simultaneously supplying solar power to the building. However, such rooftop installations interact with a city’s existing power grid infrastructure. These aspects will be investigated experimentally by connecting the RoofKIT building unit to KIT’s Energy Lab, a real-world laboratory. This will enable the development of viable solutions for energy management at both the building and grid levels. The experiments are conducted with actual residents in the building unit and involve the injection of power signals simulated from a Karlsruhe neighborhood.
Schematic of the energy supply system of the RoofKIT living lab. ©bst
Facts
| Funder: | Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs, and Spatial Development (BBSR, Germany) |
| Program: | Zukunft Bau – Innovation Program |
| Total budget: | €341,051 |
| Grant amount: | €341,051 |
| Project duration: | 2025–2027 |
| KIT researchers: |
Prof. Andreas Wagner, Frederic Linde – Chair of Building Science and Technology ; Dr. Luigi Spatafora – Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics |
Making Room for the Renewable Energy Transition
The European Green Deal and the RED III Directive set ambitious targets: by 2030, the EU must double its renewable energy capacity. Limited land availability and low public acceptance are key obstacles. Renewable energy projects must coexist with agriculture, nature conservation, and urban development. Many regions face lengthy permitting processes, spatial constraints, and social resistance to large wind and solar farms. Only about 5.2% of EU territory is classified as suitable for solar and wind energy, so innovative planning is needed to accelerate deployment, reduce environmental conflicts, and boost public support. The MAK-RES project analyzes European case studies, identifies policy instruments, spatial planning tools, and stakeholder engagement methods, and derives recommendations: map barriers to renewable energy siting, devise policies for integrating renewables with existing land uses, and identify best-practice examples of citizen and stakeholder participation.
Levels of the planning and permitting processes for wind energy under a formal procedure in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Facts
| Funder: | ESPON (Luxembourg, LU) |
| Program: | Climate Neutral Territories |
| Total budget: | €120,000 |
| Grant amount: | €12,000 |
| KIT’s role: | Project contractor |
| Project duration: | 2025–2026 |
| KIT researchers: | Dr. Peter Zeile – Chair of Urban Housing and Development |
Project partners
Danish Presidency of the European Council (2025), ÖIR GmbH (AT), Idea Consult (BE), Aalborg University (DK), University of Tartu (EST), University of Lisbon (PT), University of Valencia (ESP).
A Facade Heating and Cooling Unit for the Systematic Retrofit of Existing Buildings
fronTherm enables the simultaneous renovation of a building’s envelope and heating system. The concept is based on facade modules that contain a heat pump, a condenser surface on the inside for heat dissipation directly to the wall, and an evaporator surface on the outside facing the ambient air (heating mode). Facades with suitable exposure are also equipped with PV. In cooling mode, the condenser surface becomes the evaporator surface, and vice versa. Our tasks include selecting suitable facade typologies based on an analysis of multifamily buildings in the German housing stock. For the selected facade typologies, we will then address various design, construction, and building physics issues.
Visualization of the fronTherm facade system with PV for an apartment building. ©bst
Facts
| Funder: | Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE, Germany) |
| Program: | Energy Transition Construction |
| Total budget: | > €2,200,000 |
| Grant amount: | €261,975 (KIT) |
| Role of KIT | Project partner |
| Project duration: | 2024–2027 |
| KIT researchers: | Prof. Andreas Wagner, Petra Mann, Larissa Kaul – Chair of Building Science and Technology |
Project partners
Consolar (project lead), University of Stuttgart – IGTE, ME Housing Administration.