Sustainable living: Cologne-Ehrenfeld uses wastewater heat for energy
Sustainable living: Cologne-Ehrenfeld uses wastewater heat for energy
Innovative use of energy in Cologne: Wastewater as a heat source for a new living concept
In Cologne, an ambitious residential project is being developed that is not only environmentally friendly, but could also serve as a prime example of future urban energy concepts. The Lück residential area uses urban wastewater as a heat source and shows how technical innovations can contribute to reducing energy consumption.
where and when does it happen?
The Lück district is located in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, more precisely on Subelrather Straße. The WVM Group started building here in 2023 to create 216 apartments and large day care.
Who is involved?
In addition to the WVM Group,cooperation partners in this pioneering project are also Naturstrom AG and Uhrig Energie GmbH. Together these companies work on making the heat supply of the new district sustainably and efficiently.
Why is this project important?
The relevance of the project lies in its ability to address the challenges of the heat transition. By using wastewater as a central energy source, the initiative not only reduces the dependence on fossil fuels, but also sets a sign of the feasibility of environmentally friendly heating techniques in urban areas. Minister Ina Scharrenbach emphasizes the importance of courage in the design of sustainable solutions and emphasizes public living space funding, which supports this project with 12.6 million euros.
How does the heat supply work?
The most innovative element of the energy concept is a central heat pump that wins waste heat from the urban wastewater. The heat exchanger, which is responsible for heat generation, was strategically placed under the outer canal road. This has the advantage that even in winter energy levels of ten to twelve degrees Celsius are achieved, which enables efficient use of the heat pumps.
Technical details and advantages of the system:
- A buffer memory with a volume of 20 cubic meters stores the produced heat and feeds the neighborhood -owned heat network.
- installed directly on the roofs of the buildings, photovoltaic systems with 99 kilowatt peak enable additional access to solar power.
- The heating supply takes place via decentralized stations that are optimized for the respective residential units, which minimizes energy consumption.
The Lück project is not only a step towards sustainable construction, but also shows how innovative heating concepts can be successfully implemented in urban areas. It also acts as an example of other construction projects that want to recognize and use the potential of the urban heat transition.
outlook:
The experiences and results that are gained from this project could have far -reaching effects on future urban developments. In view of the progressive climatic changes, research and development work in this area is of enormous importance for the goals of energy efficiency and climate protection in Germany.