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Monitoring Energy Neighbourhoods

Commissioning management for a modern energy concept


The "Grünheide" residential neighbourhood is being built on 8 hectares in the north-west of Bielefeld's Mitte district - currently the largest in the East Westphalian metropolis with around 700 residential units. Mondas GmbH was commissioned with the complex data monitoring at an early stage.

In the northwest of Bielefeld’s Mitte district, major construction is underway. Here, on 8 hectares, the new residential quarter “Grünheide” is being built – with around 700 residential units, currently the largest in the East Westphalian metropolis of 330,000 inhabitants. The planners also set superlatives here in terms of the energy concept: The aim is to heat the majority of the buildings with 100 percent renewable energies: 398 residential units are combined to form a sustainable energy neighbourhood, and there is no gas connection at all here. Mondas was entrusted with the complex data monitoring.

The first construction phase of the Grünheide energy quarter, which will comprise 398 residential units when completed, has already been completed – and some of the units have already been occupied.

Sophisticated Supply Concept

The supply concept developed by the Bielefeld HVAC planner Reich + Hölscher is technically sophisticated and, in view of current energy market developments, particularly sustainable and future-proof: The heat is obtained from the environmental heat via four electric air heat pumps connected in cascade. The systems are housed in an energy centre from which the buildings are supplied via a low-temperature local heating network (T=45 °C).
This temperature level is perfectly sufficient for the underfloor heating systems of the well-insulated apartments built to the KfW55 and KfW45+ energy standards. Only the domestic hot water is reheated electrically to the required 65 °C on site.

According to simulations, the combination of low flow temperature and low temperature spread per heat pump results in an annual performance factor of 4.2, which is unusually high for air-source heat pumps.

Heating With Natural Resources

Energy balance heat generation and supply in the Grünheide energy quarter (source: Reich + Hölscher Ingenieurbüro)

IIn the Grünheide heating network, the widely discussed sector coupling has already been implemented.

On the roofs of the residential buildings being built, 29 photovoltaic systems with a total output of 680 kWp will be installed to produce environmentally friendly electricity for the households and to power the electric air-source heat pumps. The remaining demand is covered by certified green electricity.

In order to be able to balance electricity demand and generation, decentralized battery storage systems with a total capacity of over 428 kWh are being installed. This allows solar power surpluses during the day to be stored for power needs at night. The electrical planning was provided by the Bielefeld engineering firm Schröder & Partner.

The following graphic shows the projected energy balance for the heat supply in the neighbourhood.

Schematic diagram of the Grünheide energy concept: The energy centre (left field outlined in green) contains four air-source heat pumps connected in cascade, each with an output of 180 kW. On the building side (right field), the generated heat is used for floor heating. The electric reheating of the domestic hot water is done electrically with the power of solar electricity. Decentralized battery storage systems ensure that energy supply and demand are balanced. (Source: Reich + Hölscher Engineering Office)

Data Monitoring With mondas®

In cooperation with our long-term partner Enerquinn GmbH, Mondas designed a data monitoring system specially tailored to the Grünheide energy quarter.

With this, the consumption and generation data of heat pumps and photovoltaic systems, of battery and heat storage as well as the consumption values in the house connection stations can be recorded and analysed.

Save Costs, Optimize Operation

With the mondas® IoT platform, cost-reducing and revenue-increasing operational management of the energy plants and battery storage systems becomes possible. Is it better to use surplus solar power for heat generation or to store it temporarily and feed it into the grid later? How can residual power consumption be reduced when weather forecasts are integrated into operations management, for example to make the best use of solar power yields and minimize storage losses?

As soon as the electricity market maps grid-serving operation with a corresponding tariff, the operator of the heating grid aims for electricity-market-serving operation based on model-predictive control of the generation plants. mondas® then ensures the setpoint specifications to the control system via an interface. In operation, the software enables ecologically and economically optimized control and regulation of the complex energy system.

The mondas® IoT platform also facilitates commissioning management.

Conclusion: a Future-Proof Residential Quarter

By virtually completely turning away from fossil fuels, the Grünheide Energy neighbourhood sets an example for a new energy supply in the age of climate change and energy crisis.

The first construction phase of the residential quarter has already been completed and handed over. The energy centre is still under construction at the time of going to press. Laying of the heating network is scheduled to begin in August 2022, with completion of the entire Grünheide residential quarter planned for around 2025.

Profile Energy Quarter Bielefeld – Grünheide

Location: Bielefeld city centre/Jöllheide
Built-up area: 8 ha
Size energy quarter: 398 residential units in multi-family houses
Building energy standard: KfW40+ and KfW55

Heat demand: approx. 1,200 MWh/a
Heat network 4.0: Flow temperature T= 45 °C
Space heating: underfloor heating, T= 40 °C
Water heating: Electrical reheating to T= 65 °C

Heat generation: 4 monovalent air-source heat pumps of 180 kW each, connected in cascade
Power generation: 29 photovoltaic systems, total 680 kWp
Residual electricity purchase: Certified green electricity
Battery storage: 428 kWh storage capacity

Realization

Investor: Amandla International GmbH & Co. KG, Unna
Energy concept: Reich + Hölscher Engineering Office, Bielefeld
Electrical planning: Schröder & Partner Engineers, Bielefeld
Measurement and control: Enerquinn GmbH, Weingarten
Monitoring: Mondas GmbH, Freiburg i.Br.