University helps state theater save energy

Cultural institutions have the character of lighthouses in many respects - climate friendliness has so far only been a limited part of this. An older theater complex such as the Staatstheater Kassel is more like a black box, where it is initially unclear where the vast amounts of energy flow and where it can be saved - from the stage technology to the building structure and the workplaces to the mobility behavior of the audience.

Cooperation with the Solarcampus

The cooperation with the award-winning Solarcampus project study program at the University of Kassel has proven to be a decisive building block for measurable energy-saving success: For two years, Solarcampus students analyzed the energy "black box" Staatstheater Kassel and made their findings available. At the end of the cooperation, the participants have now presented the current results and successes at a press conference. These include practical suggestions for reducing CO2 and saving money and energy, such as reducing the oversized connected load of the district heating. Another problem is hot water circulation, where heat losses are around four times as high as the total hot water requirement, as Prof. Dr. Klaus Vajen from the University of Kassel explains. "Unfortunately, the technical improvements found are not unusual for a building of this size." Prof. Dr. Heike Wetzel from the Faculty of Economics adds: "The cooperation with the State Theatre was really very good and it was an extremely interesting experience, especially for the students".

According to studies at comparable cultural institutions, the largest proportion of a theater's total emissions is caused by the audience's travel to and from the theater. With this in mind, students at the Solarcampus have also produced a detailed mobility study, for which they surveyed over 1,000 theatergoers and which, among other things, provides important data for creating a mobility concept that is as climate-friendly as possible for the opera's replacement venue, which will open in autumn 2025.