WiThStand

Shaping the heating transition in Thuringia

Project title:
WiThStand: Heating transition in Thuringia - safely adapting & decarbonising heating systems

Funded by:
Free State of Thuringia
European Union

Project duration:
01.01.2024 - 31.12.2026

Project coordinator:
Prof. Dr. Mark Jentsch

Project partners:
University of Applied Science Nordhausen, University of Applied Science Jena

Team members involved in the project:
Dipl.-Ing. Angela Clinkscales M.Sc., Dipl.-Ing. Helge Grüter-Birgaoanu 

Project outline

 The aim of the project is to identify ways to decarbonize the heat supply with a focus on Thuringia's existing buildings and districts in order to contribute to achieving climate protection targets in the building sector. To this end, a Thuringian residential building and heating typology will first be developed in order to identify solutions for the most climate-neutral heat supply possible for existing buildings. In addition to the thermal building envelope, the building-related heat and electricity supply via technologies currently available on the market will be considered, as shown in Figure 1.

As part of the project, both residential buildings typical for Thuringia and their energy supply systems will be analyzed and modeled and suitable technical solutions are to be simulated with different input parameters. Finally, economic and ecological optima for various existing typologies will be identified by means of optimization and the results will be prepared in the form of building-type-related "climate protection roadmaps" in concrete recommendations and instructions for action for the heating transition in Thuringia.

Figure 1 - System illustration of the existing heating situation in residential buildings in Thuringia in 2019 and the possible options for decarbonization by 2045/2050 (Data source: Situation in Thüringen: BDEW (2019), Wie heizt Thüringen 2019? Regionalbericht Studie zum Heizungsmarkt)