Upper Franconia Climate Lab launches: University of Bayreuth collaborates with local authorities on climate-neutral buildings

With the ‘Upper Franconia Climate Laboratory’ project, the University of Bayreuth is launching a new research initiative on 1 September 2026 to develop climate-neutral energy concepts for public buildings. At the kick-off meeting on 9 September, representatives from academia, local authorities and the industry will come together to officially launch the collaboration on the project.

The project is being funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection (StMUV) with around 575,000 euros. Bavaria’s Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber emphasises: “The Climate Lab tests new energy concepts, bringing together research, administration and implementation at local authority level. It is crucial to explore new avenues and find simple solutions to complex problems. Easing the burden on local authorities is our top priority. The Upper Franconia Climate Lab project addresses precisely this.”

In collaboration with the local authorities of Bayreuth and Eggolsheim, the University of Bayreuth is developing and investigating innovative solutions for the energy supply of public non-residential buildings, such as schools, administrative buildings or multi-purpose halls. The aim is to develop practical concepts for climate-friendly energy supply that can be replicated in other local authorities.

The Centre for Energy Technology (ZET) at the University of Bayreuth is carrying out the scientific work. The focus is on the simulation and operational monitoring of modern energy systems. With the help of innovative optimisation methods, different technical variants and operational strategies can be quickly compared and evaluated. This enables the most efficient solutions to be identified and uncertainties to be reduced as early as the planning phase.

“Local authorities face the challenge of operating their buildings in a way that is both climate-friendly and cost-effective. With the Upper Franconia Climate Laboratory, we are creating a scientifically sound platform on which we can analyse, evaluate and further develop various supply and system concepts together with our partners,” says Dr Florian Heberle, Managing Director of the Centre for Energy Technology at the University of Bayreuth. “Our aim is to develop concrete and transferable solutions for the energy transition at a local level, thereby providing local authorities with a sound basis for decision-making regarding future investments.”

The use cases examined in the project include the Bayreuth State Vocational School, whose energy system comprises an innovative ice energy storage system combined with a heat pump, and a district heating project in Eggolsheim, which supplies, amongst other things, a school and a multi-purpose hall. The insights gained from these projects are to be made available as best-practice examples for other local authorities.

The Climate Lab is supported by the ‘POTTENZIAL’ project, which is funded by the Upper Franconia Foundation. The focus here is on the further energy-efficiency development of the Pottenstein school camp. In addition to the technical implementation of innovative energy solutions, digital educational programmes are being developed here to illustrate to pupils the effects of energy consumption, user behaviour and climate protection using real operational data.

A key component of the Climate Lab is the transfer of knowledge to the region. The project findings are channelled into the dialogue between local authorities, businesses, academia and other stakeholders via the RegioCOP cooperation platform.  The platform is largely shaped by the Chair of Urban and Regional Development held by Prof. Dr Manfred Miosga at the University of Bayreuth and supports the networking of regional stakeholders in the fields of climate protection, sustainability and energy supply. Through workshops, specialist events and networking opportunities, the aim is to ensure that local decision-makers and climate protection managers in particular benefit from the insights gained.

With the Upper Franconia Climate Lab, the University of Bayreuth is strengthening its activities in the field of sustainable energy systems and, together with its partners, is contributing to the implementation of the energy transition in the region.