COOL-KIT - Modular solutions for integration of cooling in buildings of the founders' period (Gründerzeit)

The project COOL-KIT develops demonstrates and structures system solutions for the cooling of buildings, with a focus on the founders' period (Gründerzeit). Buildings from this period (approx. built 1850 to 1910) characterise the centres of many European cities and contain high-quality public and private functions. Climate change, densification and sealing are increasingly causing extreme summer situations in these central urban locations and are rapidly enhancing the need for overheating protection and active building cooling. Due to the lack of overarching approaches to cool this important group of buildings, the increasing use of inefficient individual cooling systems (mostly single split units) becomes an energy-related, acoustic and architectural burden. The cooling systems developed in the project are based on different cooling sources (ground, air, microgrids) and various active cooling techniques and components (activated intermediate ceilings, fan coils, radiators). Passive approaches such as shading or night ventilation are investigated as complementary measures. Predictive control technology ensures optimal control and the use of PV electricity a sustainable operation. Cooling system and operation designs are developed, taking into account the accessible synergies with the heating operation. Cooling ceilings are used to reduce heating system temperatures to increase the year-round efficiency and reduce district heating requirements. Selected system configurations are implemented in several buildings of the participating universities. Testing of different predictive control approaches will be performed on the test buildings using a digital twin, based on an IoT platform, followed by comprehensive energy and comfort related, economic, ecological and operational evaluations. The experience gained simulation studies, as well as market and stakeholder analyses lead to a modularly structured bundle of interdisciplinarily evaluated system solutions, the COOL-KIT. BIM models of the system concepts also enable subsequent projects to be configured in a technically and economically targeted manner with little processing effort.