Solarpath Chemnitz & Erzgebirge
From historical architecture to solar capital
Review
Chemnitz has one of the largest Art Nouveau and Wilhelminian style districts, as well as magnificent Bauhaus culture and art deco buildings. After the devastating destruction of the Second World War, large areas were demolished and rebuilt ("Plattenbau") to counter the housing shortage.
After reunification, there was a partial reduction in vacant apartments due to emigration, but also extensive refurbishment.
Vision
Under the challenge of climate change and the energy transition, which have been discussed for many years and have now reached a critical point, a new building architecture is developing in Chemnitz under the term "solar building".
The aim is to make efficient use of the solar energy supply with the help of new architecture. This new building culture emerging in Chemnitz contributes to a modern cityscape and a successful energy transition in the city. It is no coincidence that Chemnitz was named Solar Capital 2022 by WirtschaftsWoche magazine.
The city of Chemnitz also received the European Energy Award (eea) in gold again in 2023. The successes to date must be used to achieve the ambitious goals of the city and the entire state.
Project partners
Chemnitz as a pioneer
Project goals
- To raise visibility and awareness of solar building culture and solar construction as an alternative energy supply for buildings.
- Present and make transparent the possibilities of solar energy supply directly with the building in order to counteract CO² emissions and climate change.
- Chemnitz/Saxony - Establish a crystallization point for modern, solar, sustainable building culture in new and existing buildings and monument protection (best practice).
- Create knowledge transfer and inspiration for solar construction and answer the question of how buildings can be supplied with solar energy for the most part.
- To raise awareness of solar building culture among schoolchildren, students, people interested in building, tourists, architects, investors, housing associations, cities and local authorities, etc. and to provide inspiration.
- Unique selling point, solar building culture for perception as part of the Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025.
- Bringing together the various ideas + players (City of Chemnitz, e-supplier, private sector, entrepreneurs).
Experience architecture, understand the future!
A stainless steel stele (approx. 30) with a short bilingual description (German/English) is located on the respective project of the various stakeholders (private, city, company) of solar-powered and retrofitted buildings. This contains a QR code that leads to a website describing the solar path and the building, such as: Living area, size and output of the solar system, system description and solar coverage.
The website also provides information for children, schoolchildren, students, people interested in building, architects, investors, etc. and information on the technical, physical and chemical relationships in appropriate language. The solar trail can be followed on various routes on foot, by public transport, bicycle, e-scooter or car, independently by school classes etc. or in the form of an official city tour. Of course, it can also be followed digitally on the website.
We would like to demonstrate the possibilities offered by the solar path with solar building culture and encourage its reproduction. The solar trail should continue to grow and develop through new projects and players in the future.