NewsFH Upper Austria, Wels Campus

Wels students optimise the energy consumption of buildings in Savannah, USA

The town of Savannah in the US state of Georgia maintains close contacts with Wels. Now the exchange of knowledge and students between the Faculty of Engineering and the Georgia Institute of Technology is being intensified. At the moment three students of Renewable Energy Engineering, Ingrid Schwarcz, Daniela Bachner and Matthias Watzak-Helmer, are in Savannah to optimise the energy use of municipal buildings as part of their Bachelor and Master studies.

The Wels students are working both on ongoing and one-off projects for the Sustainable Development coordinator Garrison Marr. The energy consumption of municipal buildings is to be assessed and possibilities for improvement found. On the basis of available measurement data Ingrid Schwarcz (46) from Linz has identified the buildings which require most energy. Daniela Bachner (24) from Göstling/Ybbs (Lower Austria) and Matthias Watzak-Helmer(27) from Pischlsdorf/Leitha (Lower Austria) are analysing these buildings more closely in order to introduce energy-saving alternatives to existing facilities. Bachner is concentrating on energy-efficient renovation of the outer structure of the buildings whilst Watzak-Helmer is attempting to improve the efficiency of the technologies inside the buildings and draw up individual instruction manuals. 

 

Energy Saving Fair in Savannah

The results  are to be presented at the Clean Energy Conference in Savannah in November, the equivalent of the Wels Energy Fair.

 

Financial Support from the Marshall Plan

The projects are supported by the Georgia Institute of Technology through lectures on the subject of Energy Assessments and by the provision of measuring equipment. The exchange is financed by the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation which is a special type of financial support for Austro-American research projects in the academic field. The Wels Strom GmbH is also providing support.

 

Savannah is an energy leader

Savannah is one of the leading towns in the USA with regard to energy. Complete areas of the town are revitalised and only energy-efficient buildings erected there, certificated in accordance with the ‘Earthcraft-Standard’. Special funding programmes ensure the apartments are affordable for everyone. ‘These projects are the main work of the Housing Department because we help with quality assurance of the new buildings with impermeability testing of building outer structures and of the air-conditioning as well as energy-efficient building technology and electrical appliances for use inside the buildings,’explains Ingrid Schwarz.

 

Matthias Watzak-Helmer, Daniela Bachner und Ingrid Schwarcz with the Georgia Institute of Technology mascot.

Ingrid Schwarcz, Daniela Bachner und Matthias Watzak-Helmer with their supervising professors of Georgia Institute of Technology.