Laboratory environment with heating and energy systems

Energy systems for buildings

Innovative building energy systems – intelligently connected, solar-powered and ready for a climate-neutral future.

Solar systems technology

Research for climate-friendly heat and power supply in buildings

The energy transition begins in buildings. At ISFH, we conduct research on intelligently coupled heating and power systems that can sustainably, solar-assisted, and economically meet the energy needs of single-family homes, multi-family buildings, neighborhoods, and public facilities.

The core of the Building energy systems research area lies in the collaboration between the two groups Thermal energy systems and Electrical energy systems, which together develop cross-sectoral solutions for the building technologies of tomorrow.

Thermal energy systems

This group develops and investigates regenerative heating concepts that operate with high efficiency by combining central and decentralized components, utilizing sustainable heat sources such as PVT collectors and geothermal systems, and applying optimized operation strategies. Key research topics include:

• Heat distribution in multi-family buildings
• Domestic hot water supply using flow-through systems
• Local district heating for residential neighborhoods
• HiL system testing & simulations using TRNSYS

Electrical energy systems

The focus here is on the intelligent coupling of electricity and heat—for example, photovoltaic systems, battery storage, and heat pumps as integrated supply systems. Activities include:

• Developing monitoring solutions for laboratory and field use
• Simulating supply options for buildings and neighborhoods
• Developing and testing control strategies
• Validating solutions in lab and real-world environments

Our goal / vision

The building energy systems of the future are interconnected, cross-sectoral, and user-oriented. We combine applied research with practical implementation—from component development to full system integration in real buildings.