IWIQ real-world laboratory launched

The project launch marks the start of the IWIQ real-world laboratory, an innovative pilot project for the implementation of integrated water and heat recovery systems in existing buildings in Berlin. The aim is to increase resource efficiency, reduce drinking water consumption, and make energy-efficient renovation more sustainable through gray water recycling (GWR) including heat recovery (WRG) tested in the real-world laboratory. The project focuses on the technical implementation of GWR+WRG in energy-efficient renovation in several properties, incorporating modern digital tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) to optimize planning and implementation processes.

Funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy, and Public Enterprises, Senator Franziska Giffey launched the project on August 25 at the EINS start-up center at the Technical University of Berlin. The real-world laboratory pursues a multidisciplinary approach in which technical innovations, regulatory adjustments, and social acceptance go hand in hand. Particular attention is paid to the standardization of modular systems and data-supported control concepts that enable efficient, fully automated use. In addition, education and participation formats are being developed to actively involve stakeholders—from owners to administrators—and create acceptance for the technology.

inter 3 is responsible for the accompanying scientific research to systematically evaluate the technical, economic, and social impacts of the project. The real-world laboratory thus offers a unique opportunity to test innovative solution concepts in urban areas under real conditions and to significantly accelerate the transfer of knowledge for sustainable urban water and heat supply. The aim is to establish Berlin as a pioneering urban real-world laboratory for sustainable transformation and to lay the foundations for scalable application in other neighborhoods.