Real lab and demonstrator eHUB
Chair of Design and Urban Development
Project description Real lab and demonstrator eHUB
Acronym eHUB
Coordination LOEWE Centre emergenCITY Office
Project content
The mission eHUB is part of the LOEWE Center emergenCITY. At its core is the former Solar Decathlon House from 2009, which will henceforth be used under its new name eHUB as a living lab and demonstrator. After 1.5 years, the renovation—planned and carried out by the Department of Design and Urban Development with the involvement of students from Faculty 15—has been completed.

With the structural refurbishment, technical upgrades, and subsequent operation, key questions of crisis preparedness for the scenario of a prolonged, large-scale power outage are being explored.

In eHUB, the focus is on testing technical solutions that will enable owners of photovoltaic systems to quickly establish an autonomous emergency mode in the event of a crisis. At the same time, concepts are being developed to use buildings like the Solar Decathlon House to meet the needs of all citizens. The house will be regularly open to the public as part of its role as a demonstrator, making research tangible and accessible.

However, the mission is not only about dealing with the crisis itself, but also about preparing for it. To this end, the Department of Design and Urban Development is developing a serious game in which the player becomes a resident of the eHUB and is confronted with the challenges of a power outage. The goal of eHUBgaming is to communicate knowledge about the blackout crisis scenario. In 2023, the game will be extensively tested and subsequently evaluated.
Participants Chair of Design and Urban Development
Duration 2020-2023
Funding LOEWE
Project website https://www.emergencity.de/missions/ehub/