SolHOOD / Solar energy neighborhoods – Optimal design and operation of heat, cold and electricity supply on the neighborhood scale

In this project, we develop smart planning methods and control strategies for solar neighbourhoods, in order to make optimal use of solar energy, storage solutions, and the interconnection of buildings via electrical and thermal grids. A focus is on the winter heat supply, and alternatives to air/water and geothermal heat pump systems. Exploiting synergies and sector coupling at the neighbourhood scale shall allow to reduce the carbon-intensive winter electricity demand and to provide a high load and production flexibility towards the electricity grid.

The technical approach is to develop efficient computational models that allow a) to compare a large number of system variants in the design phase with regard to different objective functions (costs, emissions, grid flexibility) and b) to realise model-predictive control strategies on a neighbourhood scale.