FlexBlue: Making cooling supply systems more flexible

"FlexBlue" aims to bring together all relevant players in the flexibilization value added chain in the cooling sector in order to jointly develop high-performance and application-oriented solutions for the flexibilization of cooling supply systems. This is to be achieved both by the project partners and through public events and workshops. The specific goals are

1. Construction of two demonstrators in real operating environments to prove the technical functionality as well as the economic and ecological feasibility of partially decarbonized and flexibly controllable cooling supply systems
2. Clarification of operational interfaces to create transparency and recommendations for the planning, commissioning and operation of partially decarbonized and flexible cooling supply systems
3. Knowledge transfer and activation of stakeholders to convert existing cooling supply systems with regard to decarbonization and flexibilization or to optimize new systems accordingly
4. Development of scalable and cost-effective methods and schemes for cooling applications in various fields of application that are easy to implement

With "FlexBlue", the project partners are supporting the German government's goals of achieving climate neutrality and decarbonization – by addressing the expansion of renewable energies in the heating and cooling sector. By integrating energy storage and flexibility technologies, they aim to increase security of supply and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Their work focuses on the flexibility potential of the cooling sector, which accounts for 94 TWh/a of final energy consumption in Germany. Specifically, the aim is to identify existing obstacles along the entire flexibilization value chain in the cooling sector in order to enable broad implementation in practice.

The know-how developed in "FlexBlue" is intended to directly benefit the players in the refrigeration sector – e.g. as part of the "FlexBlue.Connect" series of events. Knowledge transfer, activation and networking play an important role in the research work: The project partners want to motivate and empower people to convert existing refrigeration supply systems or optimize the planning of new systems accordingly.

• Institut für neue Energie-Systeme der Technischen Hochschule Ingolstadt
• Institut für Automation und angewandte Informatik des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie (KIT)
• FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik
• RÜTGERS GmbH & Co. KG
• kraftBoxx GmbH
• SK Verbundenergie AG

January 2024 to December 2026