Sustainability and transformation of the energy system

The ecological crisis has been moving further up the list of pressing problems facing humanity for decades – not only because of climate change but also due to the loss of biodiversity, sinking groundwater levels, the degradation of arable land, and the pollution of the oceans. Despite all the commendable progress in the efficiency of modern technology and all the efforts made so far, such as in the German energy transition, the crisis is far from being overcome. Creative approaches and new thinking are needed, also for better use of scarce resources as part of a circular economy. The concept of sustainability points to ways to ensure that future generations can still meet their needs. However, it must be laid down for every individual issue.
The importance of sustainability in our daily lives and its practical implementation in the international community is one of the central research fields at ITAS. The Institute has developed a special integrative concept for sustainability assessment. Sustainability is also at the heart of real-world lab research, orients our research on the reorganization of economic processes toward renewable raw materials (bioeconomy), and guides ITAS’s research on new technologies and transformation paths for the energy system. ITAS also explores fundamental ethical aspects of sustainability.
Real-world lab research
Real-world lab research and development is the subject of numerous projects at ITAS and is characterized by its transdisciplinary nature. The District Future – Urban Lab, for example, was established in 2012 as one of the first real-world labs in Germany. There, in addition to the development of methods, ITAS carries out real-world lab projects, such as Energy transformation in dialogue for the participatory and sustainable design of our future energy system or Climate protection – let’s dare it together for behavioral changes in everyday life. The Karlsruhe Real-world Lab for Sustainable Climate Protection (KARLA), which implements transformation experiments in Karlsruhe with more than 30 partners, also works on this topic. A further key element is the Karlsruhe Transformation Center.
Society and energy transition
The work of ITAS aims at dynamically embedding the energy transition in social, economic, environmental and technological contexts. Thereby the perception of the society is a decisive factor. The researchers of the institute adopt a holistic perspective and involve a wide range of stakeholders. For example, they are assessing transformation pathways for sustainable regional energy systems (ENSURE), develop scenarios for the pan-European exchange of energy (eXtremOS) or for remote regions (e.g. in Mexico and Brazil) to overcome poverty. Additionally, the transformation of local energy systems by integrating wastewater and solid waste infrastructures is in the focus (RUN).
Bioeconomy
In the field of bioeconomy, ITAS evaluates the energetic and material use of agricultural and forestry residues (Energy System 2050) or products made from algae (PHOTFUEL, ABACUS). In addition to ecological, social, and economic aspects, the focus is on the sustainable use of resources and closed cycles (ALG-AD). The resilience of urban forests and their contribution to livable cities is being studied by researchers in the GreenLung project.
Sustainability assessment
The Integrative Concept of Sustainable Development (ICoS) developed at ITAS formulates three overarching sustainability goals: securing human existence, maintaining society’s productive potential, and preserving society’s options for development and action. To achieve these goals, it is important to equally consider and integrate social, ecological, and economic aspects. A particular scientific challenge is the (further) development and application of integrative assessment methods that do justice to the complexity of the application contexts (e.g., the energy system).
Projects on the topic
- ABACUS – Algae for biomass applied to the production of added value compounds
- ALG-AD – Wertschöpfung aus nährstoffreichen Abfällen durch Kombination von Algen- und anaerober Vergärungstechnologie
- Climate protection - let's dare it together!
- Collaborative project eXtremOS
- District Future - Urban Lab
- Energy transformation in dialogue
- Energy-Poverty Nexus in the Rural Areas of Ceará, Brazil
- ENSURE – New ENergy grid StructURes for the German Energiewende
- GreenLung
- Helmholtz-Initiative Energy System 2050
- Karlsruhe Real-world Lab for Sustainable Climate Protection (KARLA)
- Karlsruhe Transformation center for Sustainability and Cultural Change
- Rural Urban Nutrient Partnership (RUN)
- Solar energy system for the rural Mixteca - Puebla, Mexico
To the complete project list
Experts
- Bioeconomy and renewable energy sources:
Dr. Christine Rösch - Concept of sustainability:
Jürgen Kopfmüller - Ethics and sustainability:
Prof. Dr. Dr. Rafaela Hillerbrand - New storage technologies and energy networks:
Dr. Manuel Baumann - Power to fuels & chemicals:
Dr. Andreas Patyk - Raw materials for the energy transition and recycling:
Dr. Marcel Weil - Real-world lab research:
Dr. Oliver Parodi - Society and energy transition:
Dr. Witold-Roger Poganietz - Urban forestry and ecology:
Dr. Somidh Saha
Further contact
Jonas Moosmüller
Public relations
Tel.: +49 721 608-26796
E-mail
Publications on the topic
An interdisciplinary perspective on scaling in transitions: Connecting actors and space
2022. Environmental innovation and societal transitions, 42, 170–183. doi:10.1016/j.eist.2021.12.009
Synergies and tradeoffs in ecosystem services from urban and peri-urban forests and their implication to sustainable city design and planning
2022. Sustainable cities and society, 82, 103903. doi:10.1016/j.scs.2022.103903
Animal Feed from Microalgae Grown on Biogas Digestate as Sustainable Alternative to Imported Soybean Meal
2022. BioEnergy research. doi:10.1007/s12155-022-10397-2
Prospective assessment of energy technologies: a comprehensive approach for sustainability assessment
2022. Energy, Sustainability and Society, 12 (20), Article no: 20. doi:10.1186/s13705-022-00344-6
Domestic value added as an indicator for sustainability assessment – a case study on alternative drivetrains in the passenger car sector
2022. Proceedings of the 16th Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Dubrovnik, Kroatien, 10.-15.10.2021. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1211251/v1
Das ‚Ganze‘ im Blick behalten: Wie das Quartier Zukunft – Labor Stadt globale Fragen mit dem lokalen Leben zusammenbringt
2022
Literature Review Reveals a Global Access Inequity to Urban Green Spaces
2022. Sustainability, 14 (3), 1062. doi:10.3390/su14031062
Sonnendeck für Eidechsen
2021. Baden-Württemberg macht einfach - 17 Ideen für eine Welt von morgen, 44, RENN.süd
Comparative patent analysis for the identification of global research trends for the case of battery storage, hydrogen and bioenergy
2021. Technological forecasting and social change, 165, Art.-Nr.: 120505. doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120505
High public appreciation for the cultural ecosystem services of urban and peri‑urban forests during the COVID-19 pandemic
2021. Sustainable Cities and Society, 74, Art.-Nr.: 103240. doi:10.1016/j.scs.2021.103240
Transdisciplinary sustainability research in real-world labs: success factors and methods for change
2021. Sustainability science, 16 (2), 541–564. doi:10.1007/s11625-020-00886-8
Klimaverträgliche Energieversorgung für Deutschland – 16 Orientierungspunkte (Version 1.0, Deutsch)
2021, April 22
Mit Fakten die Welt verändern - Scientists for Future und die neue Rolle der Wissenschaft?
2021. Unterwegs zur neuen Mobilität. Perspektiven für Verkehr, Umwelt und Arbeit. Hrsg.: Manfred Flore, Uwe Kröcher und Claudia Czycholl, 277–292, Oekom Verlag
Konsumpolitiken stärken, transformative Schritte einleiten, gesellschaftliche Potenziale weiter entfalten : wpn2030-Impuls für den Staatssekretärsausschuss für nachhaltige Entwicklung „Bedeutung des nachhaltigen Konsums und Anforderungen an die Weiterentwicklung des Nationalen Programms für nachhaltigen Konsum“
2021. Geschäftsstelle Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit 2030 (wpn2030)