Reallabor IW3 (including subprojects)

The IW³ living lab (Reallabor Integrierte WärmeWende Wilhelmsburg) is an integrative concept that takes a holistic view on the underlying idea of transforming an urban heating system. Different partners with different perspectives work together on the generation side, the system integration and the market side. All of these sub-aspects are interlinked in the project for an integrated knowledge gain.

Due to the complexity of this overall view, the project is divided into the three projects IWu – Geothermische Nutzung des urbanen Untergrunds ("Integrated heat utilisation of the subsoil"), IWs – Sytemintegration ("Integrated heating system") and IWm – Integrierte Wärmemarkt ("Integrated heat market"). Together, they form a true "Living Lab of the Energy Transition" in the interaction of partners and work packages.

The IW3 living lab develops and implements a concept for the construction and operation of a synergetic-regenerative energy district. A central component of the supply concept is the establishment of a renewable heat supply via a local district heating. The intelligent coupling of the heat, electricity and mobility sectors provides the foundation for an energy-efficient and CO2-neutral supply of the district of Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg in the long term.

Essential components of the sector-coupled grids such as the "Energieberg" with wind energy and photovoltaic power generation, CHP and biomass power plants, as well as the "Energiebunker" as short-term heat storage are already in place. A virtual power plant links the existing heat generation plants and creates optimised plant operation and schedules based on heat sales and demand forecasts.

The concept pursued with the living lab includes various construction measures to establish a sustainable, sector-coupled and affordable energy supply. First of all, the two existing district heating systems are to be interconnected via a coupling point to enable optimal utilisation of the existing generation park and the large buffer storage in the bunker. To expand renewable heat generation in the base load, the concept includes the construction and connection of a geothermal plant with an expected heat output of 6 MW. A heat pump will complement the geothermal plant to increase the temperature level of the geothermal heat to the necessary supply temperature in the district heating system.

All producers, consumers and customers are connected via an intelligent district heating system. The operational planning is carried out by a newly developed heat marketplace based on cascaded and smart markets. An additional part of the project is the development of a registry for heating and cooling guarantees of origin that allows producers to offer heat in different qualities to the customer.

The CC4E is involved in the sub-projects IWm and IWs as a partner. 

Additional information is available on the project page.