Efficient concept for the LuisenForum Wiesbaden: 70 percent less CO2 thanks to ENGIE Deutschland

Cologne - 54 stores and specialty stores on 20,000 square meters and in an attractive city center location - the LuisenForum Wiesbaden is one of the most popular shopping and retail centers in the region. The owner is M&G Real Estate. The global real estate investment manager wants to align the LuisenForum for the future and make it more environmentally friendly in order to meet customers' increasing demands in terms of sustainability aspects, ESG (Environmental Social Governance) criteria and EU taxonomy. For this purpose, M&G relies on the expertise of ENGIE Deutschland: Germany's leading specialist for technology, energy and service has been responsible for the supply of utility energy (heating, cooling and electricity) since June 2022 and for the next 15 years. The ENGIE experts are relying on a two-stage concept, as Michael Worgitzki, Head of Sales Energy Solutions and responsible for the project, explains: "We are looking forward to accompanying the LuisenForum on its way to a climate-friendly future. We achieve this by reducing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency in the first step, and then supplying heating, cooling and electricity at this reduced consumption level in the second step."

Environmentally friendly despite inner-city location

The LuisenForum's inner-city location presented a particular challenge; this directly ruled out several technical approaches due to a lack of feasibility. Nevertheless, ENGIE Deutschland succeeded in developing a concept that meets high sustainability requirements. To achieve this, the team focuses on optimizing plant operation, for example by adapting the static and dynamic control loops and by retrofitting a "bad point control" to control the heating and cooling systems according to demand. In addition, completely new, efficient plant technology is being installed in the LuisenForum - from boiler systems and CHP units to chillers, a buffer storage tank and a solar thermal system on the roof of the energy center. The conversion of the refrigeration technology will start in the winter of 2022, followed by the heating technology in the summer of 2023. From then on, ENGIE Deutschland will supply green electricity for the heating and cooling systems as required. The result of all these measures is impressive: Thanks to ENGIE Deutschland, the LuisenForum is saving 71 percent of CO2 emissions compared to the previous building technology; this results in around 1,800 tons less CO2 per year. The customer benefits from the fact that, as part of the contracting agreement, ENGIE Deutschland invests, finances and bears responsibility for the results. "The project shows what high efficiency increases and CO2 savings are possible for existing buildings - even for challenging properties in the city center. The LuisenForum thus serves as a role model for thousands of similar properties in Germany," emphasizes Michael Worgitzki.

Sustainably positioned: Thanks to a contracting agreement with ENGIE Germany, the LuisenForum Wiesbaden is reducing its CO2 emissions by more than 70 percent compared to its previous technology.