Our communities

GENTE’s communities are the project’s heart and soul. Their role is to enable the demonstration of solutions for new types of technologies and services in different technical, environmental and market contexts. They are the innovative people who enable GENTE’s ideas to become reality!

illustration of local energy communities showing buildings, trees, people waving at each other, a charging electric car, a person riding a bicycle, and a heatpump

CELL Living Lab

The Collaborative Energy Living Lab (CELL) drives innovation for cyber-physical energy systems in Switzerland. It provides a testbed for digital energy applications and power systems integration. In CELL, we develop and validate modern solutions for clean energy systems. 

CELL combines traditional power systems and microgrids competence with applied research in information and communication technology. CELL has grown out of the successful Living Lab ‘iHomeLab’ on the Hochschule Luzern (HSLU) campus. The CELL concept is a modular, scalable living lab that combines facilities, expertise and partnerships across the university footprint.

CELL uses the Campus Ecosystem including an innovation park and other existing communities, such as Luzern Sued (Nidfeld and Mattenhof) and Am Aawasser, as real-life living labs for developing, testing and showcasing advanced technology and systems. CELL offers modular services to business, research and community partners.

The Am Aawasser community is the key demonstration site for GENTE in Switzerland. Some stats for this site are shown here.

Number of people
~ 40 to 90
Number of buildings
3
Local energy resources
PV, Hydroelectric, Heat pumps, Batteries, EV charging & shared EVs, EMS
Date created
2020
three apartment buildings on the edge of a flowing river with blue sky and mountain peaks behind
top down view of three buildings with photovoltaic panels covering all three roofs
View of two of the buildings at the Am Aawasser site showing the PV panels on the roof of the hydroelectric turbine room

HSB Living Lab

HSB Living Lab constitutes a journey towards the housing of the future. The concept of a living lab for conducting research on a sustainable housing environment was born in 2010 and has now become a reality. In close collaboration between people, researchers and the business community, we create the housing of the future in the third generation Living Lab. HSB Living Lab is a world-unique arena where we develop new ways to build and shape the housing of the future.

Students and researchers in the lab in order to test innovations and technical solutions intended for next-generation housing. Up to 40 people live in 29 flats equipped with measuring stations and sensors inside a dynamic building whose walls, façades and furnishings will be developed as the research progresses. HSB Living Lab is a cooperative project run by 12 collaborators and constitutes a unique arena for creating the sustainable housing environments of tomorrow. Owners are Chalmers, HSB and Johanneberg Science Park. Partners are Tengbom, Peab, Akademiska Hus, Tieto, Electrolux, Bengt Dahlgren, Göteborg Energi, Elfa, Vedum.

Number of people
40
Number of buildings
1
Local energy resources
PV, EV Heat pumps Hydrogen District heating Battery/hot water storage BEMS
Date created
2010
exterior of a modern building with mature tree
outside facade of a modern building covered in solar panels
outside facade of modern bulding with windows and solar panels

Troya Cooperative

Troya was established in May 2017 as the first energy cooperative of their region in Türkiye. It was founded by eight people who were concerned about the planet and wanted to promote a transition towards a more sustainable use of natural resources. Troya is a member of Rescoop.eu and leader of Türkiye’s Energy Cooperative network.

Number of people
27
Number of buildings
24
Local energy resources
Solar PV
Date created
May 2017
eleven people facing the camera
residential building with photovoltaic panels on the roof
a group of people seated on chairs in a circle

Our partners

GENTE brings together an international consortium of highly qualified partners comprising need owners, citizens, scientific partners, technology providers, living labs, and demo sites.

Troya Renewable Energy Cooperative
Reengen
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK)

Sweden

Spain

Switzerland

Türkiye