Institut Wohnen und Umwelt (IWU)

The Institut Wohnen und Umwelt GmbH (Institute for Housing and Environment), in short IWU, is a non-university, non-profit research institute based in Darmstadt / Germany. The institution's research endeavours encompass interdisciplinary basic and applied studies, with a focus on housing markets and policy, along with energy efficiency and climate action within the building sector.

The IWU has gained renown for its contributions to the realm of innovative building concepts for renovations and the construction of new buildings. These include low / nearly zero energy, passive and plus-energy houses. A particular focus of its research activities is on the identification and overcoming of both technical and non-technical obstacles. Its work also includes scientific support for demonstration projects as well as well as the dissemination of knowledge regarding realistic energy balances, renovation costs and user acceptance. This encompasses the evaluation and optimisation of individual buildings, as well as the modelling of building stocks. Research and evaluation projects are carried out in cooperation with various relevant stakeholders, including housing associations, associations and federal offices.

The implementation of research results is achieved through the utilisation of practice-oriented concepts, guidelines and instruments.

At EU level, IWU has already participated in projects such as TABULA / EPISCOPE, AFTER and RentalCal.