Increasing numbers of people live in cities – in Germany it is now roughly three quarters of the population. This trend is repeated around the world. Municipalities are facing tricky challenges, especially as living and working are merging increasingly in a service-based economy, hence producing new mobility concepts and requirements. Not only must they provide adequate housing at affordable prices, they also need to adhere to the strict requirements of climate protection.
Energy efficiency for districts
Here, energy-efficient districts are a solution for the cities of the future. They take the interactions between various energy consumers into account as the constituent parts of a city merge. For instance, suitably planned residential districts are able to exploit substantial energy-saving potential in a number of sectors – for instance mobility, comfortable living, inter-generational cohabitation, energy supply, waste management and environmental protection. Implementing barrier-free living for an entire district can reduce workload and expenses, for example. It is also energy-efficient to install one local heating solution for many different residential units instead of maintaining individual systems.
Expertise in energy-efficient urban refurbishment
The challenge in Germany is to redesign current urban systems while still preserving the building fabric. Systematic district refurbishment and sustained urban development are complex processes. After all, the many and varied interests of stakeholders like homeowners, tenants, the housing industry, trade and commerce, energy providers, urban developers, the transport industry and others all need to brought together within one set of energy policies. dena is the right partner for this task. Drawing on its substantial expertise, dena can play a key role in communicating know-how, mediating between the stakeholders and in the concise development of cross-sectoral energy concepts.
Urbanisation promotes climate protection
The energy-efficient re(design) of urban districts is an important aspect in the sustainable development of entire cities that use their resources to produce the smallest possible carbon footprint.
In order to achieve a noticeable reduction in CO2,emissions in city energy systems, it is imperative to consider and to interconnect varied fields of action, among them building, energy, transport, water and waste management and their superordinate planning and organisation. The purpose of the Eco-Cities project is to collect initial practical experience from the various pilot cities and hence to create a foundation upon which to build recommended courses of action for the Chinese Ministry of Construction.
