Nevertheless, students could visit the Living Lab virtually through guided visits which are part of our MOOC course "LOW3-Living Zero!", and many other online materials could be made available for analyzing the LOW3 concepts and technologies as inspiring starting point for looking into a more sustainable future.
Again students worked during 3 days on "Sustainable Lifestyle Scenarios 2030" including technological, environmental and socioeconomic forecasting as a result of the presented projects and generated discussions.
The
first day was dedicated to Innovation through the presentation and
analysis of research projects in the three main focus areas of Housing, Energy and Lifestyle.
HOUSING: Students got known to the innovative concepts of UPC's nearly zero energy buildings, exploring and analyzing the technological concepts of the LOW3 prototype house in the fields of solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, HVAC, bioclimatic building management and energy monitoring systems, energy storage and circularity.
A forecasting exercise, projecting the analyzed technologies to 2030
allowed to enter fully into the discussion about the relationships
between housing, energy and sustainability.
ENERGY: Students got introduced into the results of the R4E - Roadmaps for Energy project (www.roadmapsforenergy.eu), getting known to the developed energy roadmaps for European partner cities in the field of Smart Buildings and Smart Urban Spaces and Smart Mobility in order to discuss energy transition of society in the coming decades.
LIFESTYLE: Students got introduced to a holistic transition to sustainability through the international Sustainable Lifestyle Accelerator project 2018-2020 (www.suslifespain.blogspot.com, www.suslife.info), where UPC collaborates with international partners from 7 counties under the lead of the Wuppertal Institute in the reduction of the environmental impact of private households.
The second day was dedicated to co-creation, applying the R4E methodology of complexity maps and roadmapping for the generation of innovative product or service concepts for a “more sustainable urban life in 2030”.
A guest lecture by Michael Lettenmeier from Aalto University (Finland) and director of D-MAT, gave to students valuable insights on resource consumption, resource acountabilty and pathways for 1.5º lifestyles which would allow living within the planetary boundaries.
Finally, students co-created in dynamic group sessions through a story telling approach concepts for “a more sustainable urban life in 2030” with fruitful follow-up discussions, fostering the creative potential of these future “game changers” of InnoEnergy.
This seventh
collaboration with the MSc Program RENE of KIC InnoEnergy confirms
again that the LOW3 Living Lab offers a valuable contribution to engineer students’
education through its holistic approach to sustainability, bringing together in one place the important topics of Housing, Energy and Lifestyle.
