The Living Lab Sonnenplatz in Großschönau, Austria, serves as a key demonstration site for the HYPERGRYD project. With 25 buildings equipped with monitoring infrastructure, including residential, commercial, and public buildings, the lab provides a comprehensive dataset for analyzing energy consumption and production patterns.
The district heating system at Sonnenplatz integrates various renewable technologies, including biomass boilers, solar thermal collectors, and heat pumps. Advanced ICT tools have been tested at the site, including:
- Peer-to-peer energy trading simulations (GSY)
- IoT-based energy management for optimized demand-side response (KTH)
- Exergoeconomic modeling for optimizing district heating efficiency (GET)
- Integrated energy planning across different networks (ENCO)
These tools were evaluated through interactive workshops with local stakeholders, ensuring their applicability in real-world scenarios.
Conclusions from the HYPERGRYD Workshops
The HYPERGRYD project conducted two workshops that played a crucial role in validating the developed tools. The key conclusions drawn from these sessions include:
- Private households prioritize reliability and affordability over technical complexities. Solutions need to be simple and cost-effective to encourage adoption
- Municipalities require financial models and technical support to implement energy-efficient solutions while balancing economic and environmental objectives
- DHC operators recognize the value of optimization tools, but technical and economic feasibility remain key concerns
- Electric grid operators face challenges with integrating decentralized renewables, necessitating improved regulatory frameworks for dynamic pricing and demand-side flexibility
The results from these workshops will inform the final development of HYPERGRYD’s tools, ensuring they meet the practical needs of diverse stakeholders. The ongoing collaboration with municipalities, grid operators, and energy communities will help pave the way for a more integrated and sustainable energy future.
Outlook
The presented approaches emphasize the potential of digital planning tools for a more efficient and sustainable energy infrastructure. Moving forward, the focus will be on the practical implementation and evaluation of the developed tools.
In addition, R2M Solutions is working on a scientific paper evaluating the economic impact of replacing the current biomass boiler at LiL Sonnenplatz with a large electricity-driven heat pump and storage system. The main objective is to assess whether, given the current electricity prices, such an investment would be economically viable and achieve a reasonable payback period.
Furthermore, ENCO is developing a scenario analysis using the SAInt software to assess the optimal expansion strategy for the district heating network at Sonnenplatz. This scenario, detailed in a dedicated report, evaluates different pipeline sizing strategies and their impact on network efficiency and energy demand management. The results will guide decision-making on future network extensions and their integration with other energy systems.
Stay tuned for more updates on the HYPERGRYD project!
Written by Manuela Binder by Sonnenplatz Großschönau
