Open Access

Sven Leonhardt, Tobias Teich, Mirko Bodach

• The lighthouse project “ZED (Zwickauer Energiewende Demonstrieren/ Demonstrating Zwickau’s Energy Transition)” demonstrates how energy transition in existing buildings can work under everyday conditions in a socially and environmentally compatible, secure and affordable manner with the help of technical and social innovations. Through the intelligent interaction of thermal and electrical components as well as information technology networking in an integrated electric-thermal wide area synchronous grid for year-round sector coupling, the goals of the funding initiative “Solar Construction/Energy Efficient City” are to be achieved, in particular the increase of energy efficiency, reduction of energy consumption (sufficiency) and decarbonisation. In the systemic, transdisciplinary approach of ZED, the networking of participants and their services as well as the participation of residents are crucial to ensure acceptance and awareness for the innovative solutions. Local knowledge and relevance to everyday life can thus be used in the sense of user-oriented technology development so that these solutions are transferable.