Under the leadership of the Maier architectural firm in Stutensee, a concept was developed in collaboration with various partners as part of the federally funded research project “Individual Mass Production of Smart Homes” from 2000 through 2002. This concept combines the advantages of mass-producing buildings—while taking ecological and economic factors into account—with individualized planning.

Based on this concept, slightly more than 900 residential units—consisting of rooms in shared living spaces and apartments—were constructed between 2002 and 2012. All rooms are equipped with a controlled exhaust ventilation system featuring individual fresh-air inlets in the window area. For energy-efficiency reasons, all window sashes were fitted with magnetic contacts. When a window is opened, the room’s heating system switches to frost protection mode via the individual room control system.
The residential buildings were designed and constructed in accordance with the energy efficiency requirements in effect at the time. For individual construction projects, such as those in 2008–2009 and 2012–2013, KfW40 and KfW70 funding could be applied for.

According to statements made at the time by the architectural firm, energy costs could be reduced by up to 30–50% compared to conventional construction methods and designs. The following points were or are being considered:

Reduction in heat consumption through:
• compact design,
• structural measures such as 18–20 cm-thick thermal insulation on the facades and reduction of thermal bridges (thermal insulation under the foundations, connection details),
• a sophisticated heating system with wall-mounted radiators and measures to influence user behavior (window sensors),
• networked heating control with individual room controls,
• a controlled exhaust air system that minimizes ventilation losses.

Efficient energy use, e.g., through
• district heating supplied by combined heat and power (CHP) at the properties located at Nancystr. 18, 20, and Tennesseeallee 14 in Karlsruhe,
• in addition, some of the buildings were equipped with photovoltaic systems during construction.

The Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe operates several solar power systems. Four of them are located, among other places, on the student residence halls on Nancystraße in Karlsruhe. One system is located on the roof of the student cafeteria on Adenauerring in Karlsruhe and was financed in part by loans from students.
Below is some brief information about the systems:

The system, which went into operation in April 2005, was the largest private photovoltaic system in Karlsruhe at the time.
The residence hall uses the electricity generated by the system, which was installed in 2022.

The expansion of photovoltaic systems is continuing.
The electricity generated is used directly on the residence hall grounds and consumed on-site.

District Heating:
Approximately 90% of our student housing facilities use district heating. This accounts for 2,453 out of 2,712 housing units. Furthermore, new buildings are planned to use district heating whenever feasible, and we are also exploring the possibility of converting housing complexes that are not yet connected to the district heating system.

Green Electricity:
Electricity from renewable energy sources is used to power our student housing facilities. The source of this electricity is documented by certificates of origin.

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plants:
In the dormitories at Zähringerstr. 4, Karlsruhe, and Bernhardstr. 11/Rudolfstr. 20, Karlsruhe, the aging and outdated heating systems—as well as systems prone to breakdowns—were replaced in 2021. To reduce future energy consumption, a new heating system with a gas condensing boiler was installed. In addition, a combined heat and power (CHP) plant was installed at each location to supply the buildings with both heat and electricity. The electricity generated by the CHP plant is intended for direct use within the building. This ensures that the electricity generated on-site is used immediately within the building.
The renovation of the heating systems also complied with the Renewable Heat Act (EWärmeG) of the state of Baden-Württemberg. The law stipulates that at least 15% of the energy used in a heating system renovation must come from renewable sources. The electricity generated on-site is used directly in the respective building. This reduces the amount of electricity drawn from the public grid.

Windows open, heating off
For years, we have been equipping window sashes with window contacts for energy-saving reasons. The window contact used for room temperature control is concealed within the window frame. When the window is opened, the power supply is interrupted, and the heating actuator (normally closed) is de-energized so that the valve can close.
We have been using this system for years (“Open the window, turn off the heat”), and it serves to prevent unnecessary heating when a window is open. This system can be used for underfloor and wall heating systems as well as for conventional standard radiators.

Ventilation
Most dorm rooms are equipped with a controlled exhaust ventilation system featuring an individual fresh-air inlet near the window. This facilitates controlled ventilation in the rooms.

Energy performance certificates are available for all dormitory buildings. These certificates provide information on the energy efficiency of buildings and are part of the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV), which took effect in October 2007.
At the time of the evaluation, the average energy consumption figures recorded in our dormitories were 97.85 kilowatt-hours per square meter per year.

For certain products used in the dormitories, we follow a sort of “standardized parts strategy” to the extent possible. For example, the furnishings in the rooms across the various dormitories are nearly identical, despite differing procurement timeframes. Among other things, this simplifies the management of replacement parts, and products can be interchanged among the different dormitories.

We strive to apply the same approach to flooring materials, such as tiles and linoleum.

Thanks to this approach, we do not need to keep special replacement parts, furniture components, or flooring materials on hand for each residence hall; instead, we can store everything centrally and use it as needed. This allows us to reduce the material requirements for these products in new construction and renovation projects.

Flooring
The Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe has been using linoleum flooring in many of its residence halls for decades. Today, this flooring is installed in over 1,600 residence hall units in Karlsruhe and Pforzheim. According to the manufacturer, the flooring consists of approximately 73% renewable raw materials. The raw materials used include, among others, wood flour, jute, and linseed oil. Other components are mineral fillers and recycled materials.
The information on the material composition and the product’s environmental footprint is based on the manufacturer’s specifications and the corresponding product documentation.

The flooring meets our high performance standards and has been in use for decades.

Lighting
As part of new construction and renovation projects, we plan to install LED lighting in the residence halls. Separately, the student residence halls owned by the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe will be gradually converted to LED lighting.

Bedding
We provide our tenants with bedding free of charge for the duration of their stay. International students, in particular, frequently take advantage of this offer. At the end of their tenancy, tenants can return the bedding to us; it is then washed by a dry-cleaning company and, upon request, made available to the next tenant.

When our tenants wonder which mode of transportation is best for getting to their destination, there are several options available in our dormitories or in the immediate vicinity. Some of our residence halls are very conveniently located near the respective universities, which are easily accessible by public transportation and often within walking distance. Of course, the semester ticket—which students can use at a discounted rate—is a great benefit here, allowing them to leave their own cars at home from time to time.

For students without their own bicycles, the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe has also entered into a partnership with kvv-nextbike, which guarantees students discounted access to rental bicycles. kvv-nextbike bicycles can be found at many of our residence halls; in some cases, the bike rack is located right outside the front door.

This provides residents, among others, with additional options for using bicycles.

Of course, there are also parking spaces for your own bicycle in our properties. Covered bicycle parking spaces are provided in nearly all residence halls. In addition to bicycle sheds or bicycle basements, affordable bicycle lockers for individual storage may also be available.

We sort through bicycles left behind by former tenants and store them for a while. After a certain period of time—as we’ve been doing for years—we hold a bicycle auction where these found bicycles go under the hammer. The bicycle auction usually takes place at the start of the semester near the cafeteria on Adenauerring and is always very popular, since you can pick up a bargain or two there! The bicycles are also donated, including to the City Youth Committee of Karlsruhe.

If you do need to use a car, car-sharing services are also available. Various dormitories have car-sharing stations, which are frequently used.

Overall, we thus offer various options for more emission-free mobility.

Potential tenants can already check our website to find out how far the residence halls are from key locations, such as the nearest transit stop, the KIT South Campus, or downtown. When signing the lease, they are often reminded once again of Karlsruhe’s generally very well-developed, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly street network and the relatively short distances, which mean that having a personal car in the residence hall is not absolutely necessary.

The dormitory administration itself has several company bicycles, which are used very regularly.

As a manager of 20 student residences in Karlsruhe and Pforzheim, our top priority is still being able to offer needs-based living spaces at socially acceptable rents. One of our aspects here is that tenants save as much energy as possible or avoid wasting it as much as possible.

With the information and notes listed below, we want to raise awareness of this topic. Among other things, adjusted behavior can keep rising rents within limits.

Care should be taken to:

- Switch off the interior lighting when leaving a room, kitchen or apartment.

- Defrost the freezer compartments of the refrigerators regularly. This not only extends their service life, but also reduces the energy required for cooling immensely. This is certainly easier to implement, especially in the cooler seasons.

- Place a suitable lid on the saucepan while cooking and use the stovetop that matches the size of the pot. In most cases, you can shorten the cooking process and use the residual heat to finish cooking.

- Use the baking attachment of the toaster for baking 1 – 2 rolls or buy them fresh at the baker.

- Do not preheat the oven. Many old recipes still state that the oven must be preheated. This is actually no longer necessary with the current quality of electric stoves.

- To “shock the air” in living and sanitary rooms - even in winter - i.e. to open the windows fully for a short time (approx. 10-15 minutes) instead of leaving the windows tilted open for a longer period of time. Of course, you should switch off the heating when airing.

- Completely close the window. The handle should be pointing all the way down.

- Do not cover the radiators with furniture or curtains, so that there is optimal circulation and rapid room heating.

- Completely switch off TVs, laptops and tablets; do not not put them in standby mode. When not in use, the energy consumption can be significantly reduced by switching it off completely, which is definitely worthwhile for many devices over a longer period of time. Even a charger connected to an outlet, to which no device is connected, still consumes electricity.

- Wash at a cooler temperature. Today's detergents are able to deliver very good washing results even at 30 degrees, so that washing programs at 60 or 90 degrees are often not necessary. If you can use a drying room, this form of drying would be preferable to using a dryer.

Proper Waste Sorting in Our Dormitories: It’s That Easy!
To raise awareness among tenants about proper waste sorting, a video with information on how to sort waste correctly was posted online in the fall of 2024.

FLIP THE SWITCH!

On September 1st, 2022, Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW) started an energy saving campaign called "Flip the Switch". The aim is to motivate students, especially the tenants in the dormitories, to save energy.

With FLIP THE SWITCH, DSW has put together many good tips on how to save energy in everyday life.

You can read more on FLIP THE SWITCH .