Innsbruck witnesses to its experience in the SINFONIA project

Picture: Standort Agentur Tirol

 

Partners from the pilot city Innsbruck have published an article in a local newspaper on 1 May 2017 to witness to their participation in the SINFONIA project and encourage other cities in Austria and abroad to engage in sustainable and smart urban development. In Innsbruck, several buildings built between 1940 and 1970, including social housing and public buildings, are being renovated in the framework of the SINFONIA project. The objective? To reduce energy demand by 40 to 50% in selected districts of the city and cut greenhouse gases emissions by 20% by 2019. On top of this, the city is developing innovative solutions to foster sustainable mobility and increase the share of renewable energy sources by 30% in electricity and heat production.

 

To achieve these ambitious goals, Innsbruck is considering new state-of-the-art technologies such as solar thermal energy, combined heat and power, heat/cold battery storage systems and industrial waste heat recovery through heat pumps. In the wastewater treatment plant, waste heat is already recovered and used to dry the wood residues feeding the newly installed biomass gasification plant. Together, the waste water treatment plant and biomass gasification generate heat for the Olympic swimming pool and a nearby restaurant. Energy surpluses are transformed into electricity in a cogeneration plant and distributed to households. Additionally, Innsbruck intends to equip one district of the city with a “Smart Grid” to connect residents with decentralised electricity production plants with the help of battery storage systems.

 

Improving the quality of life and well-being of its citizens is a priority for the city of Innsbruck. In the 145 dwellings refurbished by Neue Heimat Tirol, a parking space in the underground garage is now dedicated to a shared electric car, which each resident of the building can rent when needed. Furthermore, in the renovation project carried out in the school Angergasse, a new ventilation system and additional shadowing options have been set up to improve indoor air quality and comfort for pupils and teachers. By 2050, further projects will be implemented in the city to achieve energy autonomy in the Tirol region and make of Innsbruck one of the leading Smart Cities in Europe.

 

For more information, the article published in the Tiroler Tageszeitung is available for download here.

RENEWABLE ENERGIES
2017-06-02