IK-EnErGie-Knoten: Interkommunaler Strom- und Wärmenetzverbund St.Ruprecht-Weiz-Gleisdorf

The energy transition requires more than the expansion of renewable technologies – it calls for systemic solutions that bring together electricity, heat, infrastructure and new cooperation models. With the project IK-EnErGie-Knoten, a prototypical supply system for the climate-neutral city of the future is being developed and demonstrated in the eastern Styrian economic region around St. Ruprecht/Raab, Weiz and Gleisdorf. The aim is to create a scalable energy hub that connects local and regional electricity and heat supply in a sector-coupled, bidirectional way and across ownership boundaries.

The starting point is an existing energy district with two independent energy suppliers: Watzl Mühle, operating photovoltaic systems and small-scale hydropower, and Nahwärme St. Ruprecht, operating photovoltaic systems and a district heating network. This infrastructure, previously connected only by an emergency power line, is being further developed into an active energy node. In doing so, the project addresses key challenges faced by many regions: the use of fluctuating electricity surpluses, the coverage of seasonal heat demands, and the legal and economic implementation of shared energy use.

To this end, EnErGie-Knoten links decentralised electricity generation, power-to-heat technologies, heat storage, digital control systems and regional energy communities into a flexible overall system. Implementation takes place in three phases: development, realisation and monitoring. Technology, operation, ownership structures and business models are optimised in an integrated approach. The project thus creates a practice-oriented model for resilient, climate-neutral and transferable energy infrastructures in Austria.