It becomes clear that sustainability requires a holistic view of the cybernetic model of sector coupling:
Energy and resource independence requires the joint consideration of energy and material cycles. We combine combined heat, power and cooling with mobility, but also with the use of raw materials and resources in production.
The EU Commission's new Circular Economy Action Plan calls for products of the future to be more durable, robust, repairable and recyclable. The aim is to put a stop to waste and the throwaway mentality. Repairing instead of disposing is finally being rediscovered and will lead to significantly more resource independence.
Eco-design requirements have already saved €120 billion in energy costs in 2021. The EU Commission's draft Sustainable Products Initiative extends the requirements to many more product groups.
The task now is to create the technical prerequisites for designing the products of the future with a much longer service life so that they can also be easily repaired and recycled. This also requires free and easy access to repair and maintenance instructions and the renaissance of a spare parts market with corresponding logistics.
The era of cheap and disposable products is giving way to sustainability - one of the few positive aspects of the massive upheavals of the past two years...
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HLH reports: Digital precision meets sustainability - Atlas Copco's ECC as a lighthouse project
With the new Electronics Competence Center (ECC) in Neustadt an der Donau, Atlas Copco EPS is setting a strong example for the future of industry: energy-efficient, digitally planned and consistently sustainable. The project was awarded the BIM Prize Bavaria 2024 - and shows how modern planning and regional expertise work together perfectly.
Kelheim sets an example - sustainable district heating from a strong partnership
What began in 2009 with an initial study is now a supra-regional showcase project for ecological district heating: together with the Kelheim public utility company, Gammel Engineering's decentralized energy systems team has been able to support and play a key role in the strategic and technical development of the Kelheim district heating network over many years.
