SDE21 – Wuppertal project

The research project addresses the international competition "Solar Decathlon Europe 21", in which university teams worldwide compete in 10 disciplines on highly efficient buildings that are powered exclusively by renewable energies. Not only the built, so-called demonstration units in Wuppertal 2022 will be evaluated, but also for the first time the overall concept for the redensification of urban space. The aim is to develop sustainable, future-proof and holistic approaches to urban redensification within the framework of the competition specifications, taking into account sustainability, energy efficiency and responsible resource management. In addition to design and construction parameters, energy concepts, financing models and mobility concepts also play an important role.

During the process, the demonstration unit will be planned in close cooperation with industry, teaching and research and constantly tested for its feasibility and economic viability. In the process, solutions are to be found as to how additions made of recyclable constructions can be mass-produced and become a future and marketable model of urban redensification through regenerative energy supply, sustainable mobility and innovative financing models.

The 10 disciplines of the competition Architecture, Engineering & Construction, Energy Performance, Affordability & Viability, Communication & Education, Sustainability, Comfort, Building Function, Urban Mobility and Innovation will be addressed in detail and in a future-oriented way. Each discipline will be accompanied by a team or project from teaching and research and their results will be combined into an overall concept within an iterative process. In addition, the competition is defined in terms of schedule by several deliverables and internally divided into different work packages.

The project aims at energy efficiency in refurbishments and sustainable construction in existing buildings. Through the required cost optimization, the economic potentials will be systematically developed. Specifically, the demonstration unit will serve to test the results developed from teaching and research in a real laboratory during the competition phase. Furthermore, the implementation of the solution approaches in built reality will strengthen and consolidate cooperation and transfer between actors from industry, trade, research and teaching and thus create the best conditions for market feasibility.