Participation of the SmartQuart team in the Essen Construction Fair
From January 6 to January 8, 2023, the Essen Construction Fair took place, where the SmartQuart project team participated with representatives from RWTH Aachen University, E.ON, and the city of Bedburg with an information booth. Interested citizens could inform themselves about the regulatory sandbox SmartQuart, the research work, and the energy transition. Despite the great interest and a high willingness to take action in sustainable building solutions of the approx. 15.000 visitors, there was also uncertainty in the decision process for renovation solutions or innovative technologies. In particular, the cost-effectiveness of the measures and the lack of specialists for consulting and implementation were repeatedly cited as obstacles. The digital urban district of SmartQuart also generated high interest due to the spatial proximity as well as the planned energy measures on existing buildings.
The survey on the energy transition developed in the project, which was promoted to booth visitors with the help of flyers and brochures, made it possible to obtain a diverse range of opinions. Additional information on the research content, sustainable building, and participation in the project were available in the Energy Forum, where Marianne Wyrwoll, Lisa von Wittenhorst, and Sarah Welter from the RWTH Aachen University held presentations.