SmartQuart

SmartQuart is the first initiative launched by German Federal Minister Peter Altmaier and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy under the "Field Tests of the Energy Transition" program. The project implements cutting-edge energy technologies at an industrial scale within real-world settings, aiming to address the urgent need for energy efficiency and conservation in the face of accelerating climate change. While major strides are being made in electricity generation and distribution, a truly comprehensive energy transition must also integrate sectors like mobility, industry, and especially heat supply.

SmartQuart seeks to explore and evaluate pathways toward sustainable, self-sufficient energy systems through the field testing of three distinct districts. These include:

• Bedburg, a rural residential quarter;
• Kaisersesch, which combines residential areas with industrial facilities and integrates hydrogen infrastructure;
• Essen, representing an urban city district.

Together, these three areas typify the range of district types found across Germany, making them ideal models for scaling and transferring solutions to other regions. One of the project's core aims is to enhance local energy consumption and alleviate pressure on higher-level power grids through inter-district connectivity. This effort depends on robust information and communication infrastructure capable of managing large-scale data flows.

The project also investigates urban planning parameters and building-level energy supply systems to inform the creation of blueprints for sustainable energy design in future districts. A distinctive strength of SmartQuart is its inclusive approach—bringing together all key stakeholders: residents, municipalities, urban planners, energy providers, grid operators, and policymakers.

My Role in the SmartQuart Project

As a member of the SmartQuart research team, I contribute to the technological and analytical development of the Bedburg district, focusing on several core areas:

• Model Predictive Control (MPC): Continuing the development of a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP)-based MPC system tailored for the energy management of Bedburg. This includes creating simulation models, processing real-time energy monitoring data, applying machine learning for forecasting, and analyzing a variety of operational scenarios.
• Indoor Air Quality Monitoring: Implementing an indoor air quality monitoring system using LoRaWAN sensors. The data collected is visualized through user-friendly web dashboards, enhancing transparency and awareness for residents.
• Scalability and Reference District Identification: Conducting analysis using open-source data to identify comparable reference districts. This work supports the broader goal of adapting and scaling SmartQuart solutions to other neighborhoods across Germany.