Category Education Winner Center for Environmental Systems Research, University of Kassel (Germany/Hungary) Project SOLANOVA Video Video Center for Environmental Systems Research (ram) www.solanova.eu

The SOLANOVA project concentrates on an integrated, solar-based and eco-efficient renovation of large residential buildings and heat supply systems. So it attends to the important field of old building sanitation with sustainable concepts. The aim is to develop ecological and socially acceptable renovation concepts in which old, badly isolated buildings are transformed into modern low energy buildings. The theoretical concept was tested exemplarily in a flat in Hungary. The heat demand could be lowered by 80 %. For the rest solar energy has been used. Through the integration of solar technology the scientists from Kassel want to show the great potential of solar energy in alliance with low energy buildings.

The results of the comprehensive physical and socio-scientific monitoring before and after the sanitation are collected in a guideline that can be used for further projects in this field. Remarkable is also the strong international cooperation on which this project is based on. The scientists have worked together with the University of Budapest and with an Austrian company. The international, scientific and primarily practicable approach of SOLANOVA convinces in every aspect and provides therefore an important contribution to the education of specialized staff for sustainable building sanitation.