In cooperation with Mainz Stadtwerke and the Mainz Foundation for Climate Protection and Energy Efficiency (Mainzer Stiftung für Klimaschutz und Energieeffizienz), students at Mainz University of Applied Sciences have developed a mobile tiny house in an eco-friendly timber design. The showroom on wheels offers property owners, students, and others interested in technology practical insights into modern solutions for the energy-efficient refurbishment of buildings. The interdisciplinary project is being overseen by Thomas Giel, Professor of Sustainable Building Energy Systems at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, and was launched by Prof. Dr. Gunter Schaumann, former Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Mainz Foundation for Climate Protection and Energy Efficiency.
One key element of the Energy House is the specially developed energy consultancy program. This enables interested parties to carry out a mobile analysis of their building to better understand and optimize energy consumption. It identifies which system technology is suitable to improve energy efficiency. In addition, the program can simulate various renovation measures, such as additional insulation or window replacement, to show their direct impact on energy consumption.
The Energy House also showcases various energy systems, including a heat pump, a split air conditioning unit, a balcony power system, ventilation systems, and innovative heating solutions such as infrared heating mirrors. This gives homeowners practical insights into modern building technologies, while students and trainees can have fun exploring the relationship between technology and energy consumption. Energy consultants can use the tiny house as an interactive consulting tool to demonstrate tangible savings opportunities to their customers.
“The Mainz Energy House is an interdisciplinary project in which students from the Schools of Engineering and Business at Mainz University of Applied Sciences are working together to drive forward the energy transition in Mainz and the surrounding region. This innovative concept will make sustainable solutions tangible and accessible to everyone,” says Prof. Dr. Susanne Weissman, President of Mainz University of Applied Sciences.
“In times of climate change and the need to make our energy supply sustainable, it is more important than ever to actively involve the public in the process and keep them well informed. In the future, the Energy House will serve as a platform to provide clear information on the heat transition and suitable technologies,” explained Ms. Janina Steinkrüger, Director of Environmental Affairs for the City of Mainz. “The city administration plans to use the Energy House for information events in the future, for example as part of municipal heat planning. I also welcome the interdisciplinary cooperation between all those involved, which has led to this great result.”
“As the Mainzer Stadtwerke Group, we are active in many areas of the energy and heating transition, ranging from the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources to eco-friendly district heating,” said Kerstin Stumpf, CEO of Mainzer Stadtwerke. Together with Janina Steinkrüger, Director of Environmental Affairs in Mainz, she is also on the board of the Mainz Foundation for Climate Protection and Energy Efficiency. “We were very happy to support this project financially with our foundation because the Mainz Energy House is a kind of energy transition you can touch: Here, visitors have the opportunity to vividly experience the extensive possibilities to supply buildings with eco-friendly electricity and heat.”
Grand opening of the house by representatives of Mainz University of Applied Sciences, the city, and Mainz Stadtwerke. Photo: Sven-Helge Czichy | Hochschule Mainz
“The Mainz Energy House is a good introduction to possible technical solutions for heating and ventilating a residential building. A model shows very clearly how a heat pump works. The energy advice provided by the Consumer Protection Agency (Verbraucherzentrale) can be the next step in discussing individual solutions for your own home in detail. We look forward to continuing our good cooperation with the city and the Office of Environmental Affairs of Mainz,” says Hans Weinreuter, Head of the Energy and Building Department at the Rhineland-Palatinate Consumer Protection Agency.
The Mainz Energy House is open to visitors daily on November 4, 5, 6, and 7 from 12 to 4 pm.
Location: At the LUX Pavillion of Mainz University of Applied Sciences | Ludwigsstr. 2 | Mainz
