As part of the MSc (CE) Renewable Energy Systems, students recently visited the Plus-Energy Office High-Rise of TU Wien at the Getreidemarkt campus. The guided tour was led by Prof. Thomas Bednar, who provided in-depth insights into the building’s concept, design principles, and integrated building systems.

Originally constructed in the 1970s, the building was comprehensively renovated and transformed into a pioneering example of sustainable urban refurbishment. Today, it operates with the ambition of generating more energy over the course of a year than is required for its operation, demonstrating how ambitious energy targets can be achieved even within existing building structures.

During the visit, students explored the interplay between building physics, energy-efficient building services, and on-site renewable energy generation. Prof. Bednar explained how the optimized building envelope, façade-integrated photovoltaic systems, and highly efficient heating, cooling, and ventilation concepts contribute to the building’s positive energy balance. The role of monitoring and intelligent system control was also highlighted, illustrating how different technical systems interact in practice.

Beyond its function as an office building, the Plus-Energy Office High-Rise serves as an important research and demonstration project for innovative refurbishment strategies and sustainable building technologies.

The visit offered students the opportunity to experience these concepts directly on campus and to connect theoretical knowledge from the programme with a real-world case study. We would like to thank Prof. Thomas Bednar for the insightful tour and for sharing his expertise with the participants.