Characterization and technologies

The vacating of approx. 510 ha of former military areas poses both great challenges and extensive prospects to the city of Mannheim. One chance for this conversion area is to promote the city of Mannheim as an important location for economy, technology, and mobility. Under management by the business development of the city of Mannheim and the “Metropol-Region-Rhein-Neckar” association (MRN) the Benjamin Franklin barracks will be transferred to a high-tech mixed use area focusing on the integrated application of renewable energies and their efficient consumption. For this purpose central themes regarding the near future such as energy efficiency and sustainable mobility need to be included in current stages of planning and design of conversion area use. These considerations will be carried out in participative processes and will be partially supported through public funds. Throughout the entire region barracks are being renovated or demolished and replaced with new construction. Several large and medium-sized corporations are participating by utilizing the newest technologies of power and heat generation partly for the first time. Especially the storage and consumption of seasonal energies will be paramount (Heat store 1.4 GWh storage medium water, “Energiehügel”, hybrid collectors).

Objectives and research questions

The large-scale project falls under the superordinate climate protection concept Mannheim 2020, which stipulates the following actions:

• The reduction of traffic related CO₂ emissions by 17%.

• The inclusion of all mobility sectors such as electromobility and alternative drive technologies, public transport, alternative means of mobility (e.g. car sharing) as well as combination of various transport systems.

• Development of concepts for noise and emission free transport systems for individual, freight and delivery traffic as well as public transport

The following fields of action and research questions are derived for ENsource:

• Integrated mobility: Sustainable residential and mobility concepts including integrated transfer systems focusing on “Blue Village Franklin”. Possible site for innovative and emission reduced logistics.

• Energy efficiency: Energetic model development for buildings and quarters with particular consideration of the former barracks area.

• Energy production and grids: Quarter related energy production and assessment of possible sites for energy production in consideration of various energy sources.

• Optimized system integration of large surface solar heat and the existing district heating network while including different types of heat stores.

Technologies: Large surface solar heat, seasonal storage, electromobility

Energy management: System integration of decentralized renewable energies into district heating network, inclusion of mobile energy stores

Business models: Operator models between decentralized and centralized grids

Foto: Luftbild Kay Sommer

Contact

Prof. Dr. Matthias Rädle

m.raedle@hs-mannheim.de