The company Colocation IX GmbH is building a new data center in Bremen, and has decided upon the use of a new innovative cooling technology: Instead of traditional air conditioning to remove the waste heat from the servers, integral wells and geothermal probes are to provide energy-effi cient cooling in summer and heating energy for use in winter. The company is working together with the University of Bremen and the company Geo-En GmbH, which has expertise in integral wells. These alternatives to electrically driven compressor cooling will protect the environment through energy savings, help relieve the power grids, and at the same time ensure a decentralized and fail-safe cooling supply. The project has been funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research to the tune of €280,000. The co-payment share for ColocationIX GmbH amounts to €315,000.
One of the important parts of the final conference of ‘nordwest2050’ has been the scientific exchange sessions in the House of Science and the Industryclub Bremen. Contributions were based upon a call for papers from October 2013. The scientific committee received almost 100 abstracts where 36 were chosen for oral presentations and 15 for poster presentations (see overview tables below).
Four main topics were discussed in parallel workshops:
• Analysing Impacts and Assessing Vulnerabilities
• Designing and Testing Solutions for Regional Climate Adaptation and Resilience
• Implementing Climate Adaptation and Paths to a Resilient Future
• Resilience for Business: Climate Adaptation Challenge and Strategies of Sectors and Companies
Rather than focusing on climate-protection measures, the Bremen Cargo Distribution Center (GVZ Bremen) has identified measures for adaptation to climate change. In 2011 and 2012 the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL), together with the Bremen University of Applied Science, carried out a comprehensive empirical investigation of the effects of climate change on the logistics sector of the Metropolitan Region Bremen-Oldenburg in the Northwest. The results clearly show that the expected impacts of climate change could mean a new challenge, both for the GVZ and for individual companies at the Center.
Der Biolandhof Freese testet verschiedene Anpassungsoptionen für die Landwirtschaft, insbesondere für die Bereiche des Ackerfruchtanbaus und Feingemüses. Der Anbau von Freilandkulturen wird durch den Klimawandel immer schwieriger. Um Gemüsekulturen besser vor extremen Wetterereignissen wie Hitzeperioden oder Starkregen zu schützen, testet der Biolandhof Freese (1) eine neue Gewächshauseindeckung, die durch ihre besondere Permissivität freilandähnliche Lichtverhältnisse im geschützten Anbau ermöglichen soll. Gleichzeitig sucht der Betrieb nach resistenten, klimaangepassten Gemüsesorten, die sowohl im Freiland als auch unter dem Schutz von (der neuartigen) Folie auf ihre besonderen Eigenschaften untersucht werden sollen. Im Bereich des Getreideanbaus versucht der Biolandhof (2) eine alte Roggensorte – den Urroggen – zu kultivieren und durch die Vermarktung des Brotes (3) für das Thema Klimawandel und Anpassung zu sensibilisieren.
Bakenhus Biofleisch GmbH is an organic meat processor and marketer which obtains its meat from its own and from other organic farms. All products – beef, pork, lamb and poultry – are produced according to the strict guidelines of organic food associations and in the traditions of the trade. Thus, Bakenhus Biofleisch GmbH is certified under the Naturland, Bioland and Demeter guidelines. Climate adaptation possibilities in the butcher’s trade are being developed in the context of the nordwest2050 Research Project.
A farmer and turkey raiser in Varrel (Oldenburg, Germany) has set up an absorption cooling plant on his farm which provides the necessary air-conditioning for his stall on hot summer days with the help of the waste heat from a biogas plant. The biogas plant itself is fueled partially by turkey manure, and the waste heat from the cogeneration plant linked to the biogas facility is used to operate an absorption cooling plant. The absorption cooling experts from the companies SolarNext AG and Meyer Kühlanlagen, together with the University of Bremen are working on implementation. The project has been subsidized to the tune of €185,000 by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research. The farmer’s self-payment share amounted to €45,000.
Die Etablierung eines Bewusstseins für Klimawandelprozesse und die notwendigen Änderungen für eine klimaangepasste Agrar- und Ernährungswirtschaft setzen eine Kommunikation und Interaktion auf Wirtschaftsclusterebene voraus, um Austausch- und Kooperationsbündnisse durch gezielte Netzwerkbildung zu initiieren. Das Agrar- und Ernährungsforum Oldenburger Münsterland (aef) stellt als Zusammenschluss von 75 Unternehmen aus der Agrar- und Ernährungswirtschaft eine Schnittstelle zwischen Wissenschaft und Praxis dar. In enger Zusammenarbeit mit der Universität Oldenburg wurden aus wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen und praxisorientierten Bedarfen Schlüsselthemen für regionale Klimaanpassungsmaßnahmen erarbeitet.