As part of its activities in the CSSC Lab project, Lake Constance Foundation has identified six CSSC technologies, which are particularly suitable for small and medium sized cities in the Danube Region. In this blog article, we will talk you through different types of CSSC technologies and the selection process of the six “model solutions”, most relevant for the Danube Region.

Before describing the model solutions, let us remember that one of the main goals of the CSSC Lab project is to make CSSC technologies more accessible at municipal level and to make it easier for municipal representatives to choose the solutions most appropriate for their specific local context.

This is why Lake Constance Foundation initially developed a matrix, linking common CSSC technologies with representative city types in the Danube region. The combination of the two - the city type and the technologies - referred to as “model cases”, form the backbone of the model solutions.

Based on the model cases, six model solutions, considered most appropriate for small and medium-sized municipalities in the project area, were selected. How did Lake Constance Foundation manage to filter the different cases to arrive at the 6 model solutions? This was done by conducting surveys and expert interviews, scoring each case according to its innovative character, availability, transferability and feasibility in the respective partner countries.

This left us with six model solutions:

1. Heat pumps
2. Electric cars
3. Batteries
4. Latent heat storages in combination with photovoltaic systems
5. Sensible heat storages in combination with photovoltaic systems
6. Fuel cells combined with solar systems or heat pumps

What is especially important to note is that the model solutions are both innovative and ambitious, while equally being easy to implement and adapted to the specific local context. In addition, they are considered transferable within the partner region, which also maximises their potential impact.

Information on the individual technologies is compiled in the form of factsheets, which will be prepared by Lake Constance Foundation in the upcoming months. Combined with an online tool, the factsheets will serve as a guideline for different city actors to understand what criteria needs to be met for a given CSSC solution and to identify the approach best suited to their context. It helps them make an informed decision, taking into account a range of factors including technical details, efficiency and state of the art. To find out more about the factsheets, keep following our page!