POWER

The POWER project investigates the extent to which synergies between the resource flows of different types of use in dense urban contexts can be identified and utilised in order to reduce overall resource consumption and increase the attractiveness of the urban mix of uses for the stakeholders involved. The project seeks to contribute to the preservation and development of mixed-use, resource-conserving, climate-adapted and sustainable urban neighbourhoods.

The aim is to identify mutual benefits of water coupling for increasing resource and energy efficiency based on residential and commercial uses and to specify the conditions under which it can be implemented. Thereby, positive effects are to be achieved for high-density inner-city building blocks in terms of local climate adaptation (heat island reduction through connection to green concepts), increased resilience (water retention and recirculation utilisation), energy savings (cooling, heating/waste heat utilisation, heat recovery) and reduced operating costs (reduction of resources and energy consumption). These effects are intended to promote acceptance of the urban development goals of mixed use by identifying and emphasising win-win relationships between commercial and residential functions within high-density urban spaces.

As part of the project, the Wuppertal Institute is carrying out an acceptance and barrier analysis of the two technology systems "decentralised rainwater management" and "wastewater heat utilisation in the sewer network". The findings will be integrated into the planning of specific case studies but will also serve to develop practical recommendations for action to increase the market diffusion of said technology systems.