Saving energy with university impulses Info evening by TransferHub of Ostfalia and TU Braunschweig

How can companies save energy and which innovations from universities can support them? The joint TransferHub of the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and Technische Universität Braunschweig invited companies from the region to this topic on 21 March in the Mensa of the Studierendenwerk. The focus was on saving energy in the area of heating and cooling optimisation. With a tour of the modified cooling system, the Mensa became a practical example of energy efficiency.

Around 20 representatives of regional companies accepted the invitation to the event “Energiesparpotenzial in Betrieben heben – mit Innovationen aus den Hochschulen“ (Raising energy-saving potential in companies – with innovations from universities). The energy experts were David Burzynski, one of the founders of the Braunschweig start-up Coldsense Technologies, and Professor Henning Zindler from the Faculty of Supply Engineering at Ostfalia University.

Cold storage AI for Mensa

David Burzynski presented a sensor system that controls the defrosting of cold rooms individually and thus saves electricity and energy. The use of different sensors, coupled with artificial intelligence, makes it possible for cold rooms to be defrosted only when it is actually necessary. The participants were able to see how the system from Coldsense Technologies works in daily operation during a tour of the Mensa’s cooling system. The sensor technology is already being used there, thus saving energy.

Anke Bergmann, in the TransferHub team on the side of TU Braunschweig, is pleased with the energy-saving potential that has been demonstrated: “With Coldsense, we have been able to present a TU Braunschweig start-up that has received an EXIST start-up grant from the Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection. And, more importantly: the technology developed by Coldsense is already being used to help save energy on campus.”

A village wants to become self-sufficient

Henning Zindler, Professor of Energy Technology/Energy Management at the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences in Wolfenbüttel, presented the “ReBoot” project. Together with other researchers, he developed a concept for supplying energy to the village of Neuerkerode. The aim of the concept is to create an energy supply there that is as self-sufficient and regenerative as possible. For example, by having biogas plants produce only as much or as little energy as is actually needed. The scientists focused on the electricity, heat and mobility sectors in the project.

Afterwards, the participants took the opportunity to exchange ideas. The TransferHub team hopes to initiate new collaborations through local contact. Gabriele Stiller from the Ostfalia University: “We want to create space for science and industry to meet. When it comes to concrete cooperation projects, we are happy to get involved to research framework conditions such as funding opportunities.”