In the new building of the Center for Reliability Analytics (CRA), new sources of waste heat are being created, among other things, by the test stands. Surplus heat could be optimally used in the neighbouring mechanical engineering building (L1|01). This building is not only close to the architecture building examined in phase II, but also has significant similarities. Both buildings were constructed using the heavy construction method with almost identical primary structures and have comparable qualities with regard to their thermal envelope. The architecture building is currently being renovated based on the findings from Phase II. These results should also be incorporated into a possible renovation of the mechanical engineering building. The repetitive building areas there also make it easier to transfer the results of a spatially limited demonstrator to the entire building and to other similar buildings. In addition, the basement of L1|01 offers sufficient space to integrate a buffer storage to decouple the primary and secondary sides and increase energy flexibility.

In phase II, the added value of remotely controllable thermostats on radiators was investigated in terms of energy flexibility. The aim was to control energy consumption flexibly and to react to fluctuating energy production. In phase III, smart, self-learning thermostats and radiator fans will also be used. This step-by-step renovation strategy makes it possible to analyse the extent to which interim solutions could be more advantageous compared to a later general renovation – especially with regard to the remaining CO₂ budget until 2045.

Use of renewable heat sources

The construction of the new CRA building nearby makes it possible to install a solar thermal roof system that will cover most of the heat demand during the transition phase. In winter, a heat pump will provide the heat supply, using three geothermal probes as a heat source that were drilled as part of the SKEWS research project. Excess solar heat in summer is fed into these geothermal probes to regenerate the subsoil.

In addition, electrical high-temperature testing machines in the CRA building produce waste heat that is available year-round and is to be used both to cover heating needs and to feed into the geothermal probes. As a further source of waste heat, a data centre will be installed in the CRA in the course of the project, the heat from which will be dissipated via a hot water cooling system. This will ensure a waste heat temperature of 45 °C, which can almost completely cover the CRA's heating needs. In addition, excess waste heat is to be integrated into the heating supply concept of the mechanical engineering building and the regeneration of the geothermal probes. When combining the various heat sources, the focus will be on coordinating the different temperature levels and the temporal availability to ensure efficient and sustainable use.