• Ongoing Projects
• Development of diffusion and communication strategies for intelligent building technologies

Intelligent building technologies can significantly reduce energy consumption in residential buildings. This is possible, for example, through demand-driven generation of heat for heating and hot water through building automation.

Third pillar of the energy transition

Alongside structural measures (insulation) and the decarbonization of energy sources (replacing crude oil and natural gas with renewable sources), intelligent building technologies are regarded as the third pillar of the energy transition in the building sector.

It is of great importance for the German climate policy goals in this sector (reduction of greenhouse gases by 66 percent by 2030), because this objective cannot be achieved in the short term by refurbished buildings and renewable energies only.

Despite many successful examples of the use of intelligent building technologies, however, it is clear that there are numerous reservations and obstacles to its use. These can be, for example, fears about the lack of economic efficiency of the systems, insufficient data protection, or even the complexity and performance of the product and service offerings.

Reducing obstacles for the use of technology

Together with housing companies and tenants, the DiKoMo project analyzes the causes of these obstacles and develops diffusion and communication strategies that support decisions on the use of intelligent building technology.

In addition, intermediaries (associations of the housing industry and energy consultants) are to be involved, whose advice influences the selection of measures to reduce greenhouse gases in residential buildings. With the help of the diffusion and communication strategies, further significant contributions to emission reduction are to be mobilized in the housing industry.

Since the different stakeholders each have their own information needs, the findings will be prepared in different formats.

These are, for example:

• Workshops with housing companies, tenants and technology providers,
• guidelines on the technolgy,
• film clips on the use of state of the art products and services
• as well as qualification and further education formats of the participating associations.

The DiKoMo project is being carried out jointly by the research partners Borderstep Institute for Innovation and Sustainability and the Berlin Institute for Social Rearch (BIS). Associated partners are also the Bundesverband deutscher Wohnungs- und Immobilienunternehmen (GdW) e.V. and the Deutsche Energieberater-Netzwerk (DEN) e.V. In addition, several housing companies as well as associations and network partners are participating in the project.