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EnOB: Research promotion and programme

Buildings account for more than 40% of the primary energy consumed in Germany, whereby the potential for energy savings in the medium term is enormous. In addition to regulatory provisions such as the stricter energy efficiency requirements stipulated in the German Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) and financial incentives such as broad-based support programmes (e.g. KfW programmes), Germany is also promoting systematic, goal-driven accompanying research and development activities in the area of energy-optimised construction. For a number of years now, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology has been supporting a large range of projects as part of the Energy-Optimised Construction (EnOB) research initiative.

The results from the ongoing EnOB research projects show that new materials and systems approaches can facilitate and speed up the use of energy-efficient technologies in buildings. In combination with new developments in fundamental research, further new solution approaches can be expected, for example for multifunctional facades, renewable energy-based heating and cooling systems, zero-energy buildings, etc. In general, new materials and systems have to be developed and then brought up to market readiness and implemented as part of pilot projects. Sophisticated planning instruments, new materials and complex control systems are necessary here. The ultimate goal is to achieve new, integrated concepts for buildings, building energy technology as well as for electricity and heating grids.

Key research areas

Future research work will concentrate on the following areas in particular: 

  1. Innovative concepts and new technologies are to be implemented in demonstration projects in order to test their efficiency, their suitability for daily use and their future marketability.
  2. An emphasis is to be set on promising materials, components and systems that enable innovations in building construction and building technical equipment. This includes further improving the energy properties of building envelopes (e.g. vacuum insulation), optimised utilisation of solar energy via facades and windows (e.g. controllable and self-controlling glazing, light-directing structures for optimal use of daylight) and innovative concepts for generating and distributing heat (low-exergy systems for heating and cooling, decentralised heating pumps, advanced heat pump technology, passive and hybrid air conditioning systems).
  3. The grid-connected heating and cooling of buildings is to be developed further, with local and district heating generated from CHP systems (also including model tests with fuel cells) as well as from industrial waste heat, environmental energy and biomass. This also includes the modernisation and adaptation of older grids, as well as testing innovative structures (e.g. mobile district heating and remote cooling).
  4. The development and testing of promising technologies for short-term and longer-term heating and cooling storage for heating and air conditioning (e.g. thermal underground storage, latent heat storage and thermochemical storage methods).
  5. The optimisation of suitable measurement and control technology for the efficient operation of systems using modern communication technologies. This includes further developing the methods and instruments for optimising the energy used in the "complete building system" during the planning phase, commissioning and operational management.
  6. The transfer of technologies and methods for use in renovating old buildings (e.g. standardised construction solutions, adapted building services equipment and special construction materials).
  7. The transfer of the research and development results for use in training and further educating specialist designers, architects and tradesmen.

Support for your project?

Your research activities and planning and construction projects may qualify for funding within the EnOB research initiative if they fulfil certain conditions.

Type and extent of support

Once individual approval has been given, projects are financially supported in the form of non-repayable subsidies. Private persons are excluded from the support measures. The amount of funding depends on the eligible costs and, in terms of the funding rate, takes into account the amount of support permitted in accordance with the EU Commission’s common framework for state R&D support. Note: There is no legal entitlement to be granted subsidies.

Costs eligible for funding for demonstration projects are:

  • Additional costs for integrated planning
  • Costs for external scientific and technical consultation
  • Investments for the pilot use of new technologies
  • Costs for measurement technology required for research purposes
  • Additional costs for operation-optimisation measures in individual cases
  • Administration costs for the support project

Support procedure

Project Management Jülich provides advice for applicants and judges the projects submitted, acting on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. Selection takes place as part of a two-stage procedure. In the first stage, a project outline concept is drawn up that should broadly have the following structure:

  • Short description: definition of tasks and relevance to support concept
  • Presentation of results regarding the current state of technology (after research)
  • Identification of possible applications
  • Estimate of total costs

Project Management Jülich will evaluate this outline concept and, if approval is judged likely, recommend that a formal application be submitted (second stage). 

The ‘easy’ electronic application system can be used here. Templates for creating outline concepts are available at: http://www.kp.dlr.de/profi/easy/skizze/

Contact

Project Management Jülich, which is based at the Jülich Research Centre, implements the support concept on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. It provides technical and administrative advice for both the ministry and applicants. In addition, Project Management Jülich provides guidance to the recipients of subsidies for current projects, checks documentation and monitors the application of project results after the project has been completed.

Projektträger Jülich

Geschäftsbereich ERG
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
52425 Jülich

Tel. 02461 / 61-3363
Fax 02461 / 61-3131

http://www.fz-juelich.de/ptj/energieoptimiertes-bauen

Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (BMWi)

Bereich Energieforschung
http://www.bmwi.de/BMWi/Navigation/Energie/Energieforschung/foerderschwerpunkte.html


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