The implementation of an innovative energy supply system at the 40,000 square meter Winterling site in Schwarzenbach/Saale is progressing. On the subject of energy efficiency, several collaborative partners, including the Institute for Water and Energy Management at Hof University of Applied Sciences (iwe), the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, the Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE), the Institute for Energy and Competition Law in the Municipal Economy (EWeRK), together with the owner gKU Winterling Immobilien and other cooperation partners, are designing proposals for the entire factory complex of the former porcelain manufacturer. The town of Schwarzenbach/Saale itself is also involved in the project.

“In our project, different forms of energy and waste heat are to be used,” said Cäcilia Scheffler, board member of gKU Winterling Immobilien GmbH, who together with Mayor Hans-Peter Baumann had invited to another project meeting in Schwarzenbach. 30 participants from a total of 13 project partners and contractors, most of them from the region, came to the Saale city. Further project steps and technical solutions for upcoming questions were discussed together.
Combining forms of energy profitably
The goal of the InEs project (Innovative Energy Supply System for a Commercial Quarter in Transition) is to profitably combine forms of energy and make all sources available on site usable.

Tour and technical presentations
After being welcomed by Mayor Baumann, the participants toured the kiln hall, the new energy center, the future heat storage room and various rental areas. The future logistics connection of the site was also inspected. After a joint lunch for those involved in the project, technical presentations on the topics relevant to the project followed.
To achieve a smart energy supply for the complex, different systems have to be technically adapted to run optimally.”
Gloria Streib, Project Coordinator ZAE Bavaria
Waste heat utilization as a decisive factor
This relates, for example, to the treatment of wastewater, in which biogas is produced by an innovative process
The potential for waste heat utilization is enormous. That’s why we’re investigating whether the building’s basement is suitable for a heat storage facility, which would allow the energy to be fed into the complex when it’s needed.”
Uwe Fickenscher, architect
In a presentation, project member Oliver Stark from Hof University of Applied Sciences showed how the simulation of the temperature curves in the heat storage system is done digitally. Photovoltaic systems on the Winterling roofs and facades are another starting point for strengthening the energy supply system. How the neighboring company Stella Keramik has been using photovoltaics to generate energy for the production process was demonstrated to the project partners in a tour by managing director Flavio Herrmann. Afterwards, the visitors were able to climb the high tower of the UTS biogas plant, which generates energy in the form of electricity and heat from the wastewater of the Lallemand yeast factory, not only for the Winterling site, under the guidance of Managing Director Michael Dietel.
In the future, various issues, especially constructional and legal ones, will have to be resolved in order to link the energy sources. In his presentation, Mr. Noack from eWerk in Berlin, a specialist lawyer, shed light on the special requirements if the gKU Winterling were to become an energy supply company.
Follow-up application for project implementation
The implementation of the initially planned energy supply into reality is to be tackled via a follow-up application from the end of 2023.
More information about the project can be found here…