Decarbonising an historic Vienna apartment block

The houses at Geblergasse 11 and 13 were built in the 1860s, just a few minutes away from the bustling city centre of Vienna. However, behind their white facades and orange windows lies the starting point for the pilot project ‘Smart Block Geblergasse.’ This project aims to integrate sustainable solar and geothermal systems, establishing a decentralised low-temperature heat energy network within a block of buildings. 

According to European Commission figures, around 75 per cent of European buildings waste much of their energy. Since an estimated 85 to 95 per cent of existing buildings will still be standing in 2050, they will need to be upgraded. An improved construction approach in the EU could influence 42 per cent of our final energy consumption and around 35 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.

The Austrian neighbourhood is one of six in Europe where the EU-funded Prolight project is investigating how to bring together innovative retrofitting technologies, new sustainable business approaches, and guidance from local citizens.