Tag: Germany

Morbach, Germany

Energiepark, Morbach, Germany

  • Target: Energy self-sufficient by 2020
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Wind farms, solar power, biogas plants and micro district heating systems using wood-pellets.
  • Implementation: Morbach is a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. It has set itself the ambitious target of energy self-sufficiency based on renewable energy by 2020. To reach this goal, it has conducted research into the topic. Over 10 years the electricity and heat demand of all municipal buildings has been monitored to identify potentials for energy saving measures. Besides that, a Material and Energy Flow Analysis for the municipality has been carried out and an Action Plan for the coming years is in progress. Recently, 14 wind power plants (28 MW), 7 MWp photovoltaic, 2 biogas plants and micro district heating systems with wood-pellets provide the municipality with 20% renewables. To expand the use of renewables Morbach is making use of municipal funding for further energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. For that purpose new wind power plants, new photovoltaic installations and another micro district heating system are at the planning stage. It has created the Energy Landscape, a new tourist attraction which has been visited by more than 20,000 people from 70 countries around the world.
  • Population: 10,481 (2017)
  • Area: 122.20 km2(47.18 sq mi)
  • Link: (In German) https://www.energielandschaft.de/index.php
Energiepark, Morbach, Germany

Munich, Germany

Munich, Germany

  • Target: 100 % of electricity demand from renewable energy sources by 2025.
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Geothermal, hydropower, biomass and wind energy.
  • Implementation: The city of Munich in Germany today already produces 2.9 billion kWh per year from renewable sources, exceeding the demand of all private households. By 2025, the current share of 39% is projected to increase to 100% equalling to 7.5 billion kWh/year and requiring investments of roughly 9 billion €. While projects in Munich and its hinterland are prioritized, the electricity will be produced by power plants located in Germany and across Europe. Complimentary to the 100% target, the city plans to also supply 100% of long-distance heating from renewable sources. The energy will be harvested from geothermal energy as well as biomass and wind power. The city's goal is based on a longstanding history of introducing policies to increase the share of renewable energy. Back in 1982, the city council asked the administration to push the use of renewable energy. In 2007, it was decided that the share of renewable energy was to be increased by 5% until 2020. As it became clear that this goal could be outdone, the 100 % target was set. Throughout the process, citizens, city planners and craftsmen have influenced the development which has increased public support of the policy. A crucial aspect that made the fast advancement of renewable energy possible is the fact that Munich’s public utilities are entirely in public hands which enabled the city council to pursue their ambitious plan.
  • Population: 1,456,039 (2017)
  • Area: 310.43 km2 (119.86 sq mi)
  • Link: https://munichnow.com/munich-aims-for-100-green-energy-by-2025/
Munich, Germany

Niestetal, Germany

Kirche Niestetal Heiligenrode, Germany

  • Target: Carbon neutral by 2034, and 100% renewable by 2050.
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Solar, biomass, wind, geothermal and hydropower energy.
  • Implementation: The municipality of Niestetal is located in the district of Kassel in the state of Hesse, Germany. In 2012, a decision was made by the state to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050. Four years earlier in 2008, motivated by the climate crisis, the people of Niestetal decided to commit to replacing all of their energy use with renewable resources. They would primarily source solar energy, and additionally biomass, wind, geothermal, and a small amount of hydropower. The target became the focus of the municipality's Integrated Climate Protection Plan launched in 2009. The plan contained around 20 measures that various community stakeholders can implement in order to reach the municipality's declared goal to become carbon neutral by 2034.
    Key to Niestetal's 100% renewable plan is to adopt high efficiency construction standards. With the support of public incentives that help bring down up front costs, five percent of the community's homes underwent energy efficiency retrofits from 2011-2013. Homeowners reportedly reduced their home energy requirement by 20-30% and their investment in the energy upgrades paid back within 5-6 years. Niestetal is utilizing the renewable energy expertise of several local companies and institutions,which include the University of Kassel, the energy research network deENet, and the international solar photovoltaic inverter and monitoring company SMA. SMA provides about 3000 local jobs, which helps add to the local value chain created by the renewable energy transition. Niestetal is one of four municipalities making up the German section of the Energy Region program, an EU funded cooperation between several European countries to further sustainable development of renewable energy.
  • Population: 11,030 (2017)
  • Area: 22.15 km2 (8.55 sq mi)
  • Link: (In German) https://www.niestetal.de/gv_niestetal/Bauen%20&%20Klimaschutz/Klimaschutz/Klimaschutzkonzept/integriertes%20klimaschutzkonzept%20fr%20die%20gemeinde%20niestetal.pdf
Kirche Niestetal Heiligenrode, Germany

Osnabrück District, Germany

Schloss Fürstenau, Osnabrück, Germany

  • Target: 100% renewable and to save up to 88% of today’s emissions.
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Wind energy
  • Implementation: Located in the North-West of Germany, the region of Osnabrück has played an important role in Germany's energy transition. In the region, renewable energy production, energy efficiency and a sustainable economy have become intrinsic aspects to day-to-day decision-making by its inhabitants. The commitment is reflected in the more than 8,000 renewable energy plants that have been installed right across the region. These have benefited from a rural landscape with abundant natural resources, boosted by a robust economy and modern agriculture. Indeed, renewable energy and energy efficiency represent long-term strategies for sustainable development, climate protection and regional value creation in the region. The 100% renewable energy target dates back to 2010 and has since been part of municipal policy-making. To date, there are more than 50 different projects, planning or research endeavours being conducted and coordinated at the local “Energy and Climate Protection Department“. There are many activities targeting private households and the building sector. By 2013, new developing areas had been outlined as part of updated renewable energy policies and the integration of climate targets.
  • Population: 356,140 (2017)
  • Area: 2,122 km2 (819 sq mi)
  • Link: Klimaschutzkonzepte und Statistiken
Schloss Fürstenau, Osnabrück, Germany

Pellworm, Germany

Pellworm, Germany

  • Target: 100% renewable electricity
  • Status: Achieved
  • RES: Wind power, solar farm.
  • Implementation: Pellworm is the third largest North Frisian island and relies on tourism and agriculture. About 50 farms engage in livestock. 70 percent of the land is used as grassland .  A 28 km long and eight meter-high dyke protects the island from the North Sea. For more than 30 years, the island of Pellworm has been a pioneer in the renewable energy field. At the end of the 70s, the first small wind-energy systems were tested here. After 1983, a 300 kW solar power station appeared, complemented by three 25 kW wind-energy units. The electricity produced was used to supply a health resort. Since then, the plant has been upgraded and enlarged several times and today it serves the E.ON group for the testing of ‘smart grids’ and modern storage technologies.  In the second half of the 90s, the Association of Ecological Economies, the Municipality and the electricity provider Schleswag set up an energy concept that enabled Pellworm to become energy self-sufficient. A public wind-park company was founded in order to use electricity production as a source of income. The municipality opened an energy office. A biogas assessment led to the installation of a public biogas unit, local heating from which supplies the health centre. A round-table meeting brought together all operators and parties interested and involved in the energy sector and initiated further development of the energy concept.
  • Population: 1,136 (2016)
  • Area: 37.44 km2 (14.46 sq mi)
  • Link: Smartregion Pellworm
Pellworm, Germany

Watch "Pellworm: Germany's green energy island" by AFP News Agency

Rhein – Hunsrück, Germany

Schönburg Castle, Flaggenwiese, Rhein-Hunsrück, Germany

  • Target: 100% renewable energy by 2020 based on local sources
  • Status: Achieved
  • RES: Hydropower, wind power, solar photovoltaics, and biomass.
  • Implementation: The District of Rhein-Hunsrück is located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in southwestern Germany. When the District set the target to entirely switch its energy system to one based on efficiency and local, renewable sources by 2020, it was in part due to the need to cease energy imports which was costing the district millions each year.

    In 2010, only 65% of Rhein-Hunsrück’s electricity was sourced from renewable energy. But by 2012, the District had become a renewable electricity exporter. Some of the surplus is used for running electric heat pumps, for methane created from excess wind and solar electricity, and for charging electric battery and fuel cell powered vehicles.

    The energy transition in Rhein-Hunsrück took place between 1999 and 2009. It first began with building efficiency improvements, which soon resulted in cost savings of 1.13 million euros. To lower local building energy use, the District implemented passive solar principles and heat pumps connected to ground heat collectors. Technologies made use of abundant local renewable resources such as wood pellet heating, biomass-based district heating, and rooftop PV. By 2009, 269,000 tons of CO2 emissions had been avoided through use of renewable electricity, heat and biofuels, and 12.3 million euros had been saved by avoided import costs for coal, natural gas and mineral oil. In 2010, Rhein-Hunsrück created its first zero-emissions school. Connected to the local district heating grid, the school is fueled with wood chips and a combined heat and power (CHP) unit that utilizes oil from regional rapeseed. By 2010, a total of 93 kW of PV were installed creating 33% more power than the facility consumes.

    Rhein-Hunsrück has invested a total of 7.5 million euros in district heating networks. The systems feed around 10 million m³ of biogas into the natural gas grid each year and save the District the equivalent of 660,500 liters of fossil fuel oil a year. Between 2011-2031, the investment is expected to bring the added value of at least 10.5 million euros due to fuel delivery costs staying within the region. By 2050, the aim is to reach a cost savings of 250 million euros.

    Rhein-Hunsrück makes use of Germany’s Feed-In Tariff law (Renewable Sources Act), and has simple permitting processes in place to ensure that rooftop solar installation is a relatively sound and easy investment. To show its own commitment, the District has installed PV on all public administration buildings. From 2007-2011, total capacity on public buildings jumped ten-fold from 35 kW to 366 kW. To increase community buy-in to the energy transition, educational facilities have been created where young people can learn about renewable energy and ecological stewardship. A public relations campaign focuses on public information, with attention given to making citizens aware of the community and financial benefits in participating in the energy transition.
  • Population: 102,938 (2017)
  • Area: 990.70 km2(382.51 sq mi)
  • Link: (In German) https://www.kreis-sim.de/Klimaschutz/Ziele-Motto-und-Konzept
Schönburg Castle, Flaggenwiese, Rhein-Hunsrück, Germany

Rietberg, Germany

Rietberg, Germany

  • Target: Energy self – sufficiency within the electricity sector by 2030
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Biogas plant, geothermal energy system and solar tracker.
  • Implementation: In 2011, the town of Rietberg in Germany compiled a communal climate protection concept together with the public to outline a wide range of renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy saving initiatives. The city council also decided to fix the goal of achieving energy self–sufficiency within the electricity sector by 2030. To reach the target, the town has implemented several RE projects. The flagship of Rietberg is the unique “Klimapark Rietberg”. The Information- and Technology-Park exhibits several renewable energy facilities, like a walk-in biogas plant, a geothermal energy system and a solar tracker. Klimapark Rietberg is located in an old horticultural area and has involved 18 project partners from various business, science and environmental organizations. In 2013, Klimapark was awarded  the 'Place of Progress' from Nordrhein-Westfalen and UN-Decade Project of Education for Sustainable Development.
  • Population: 29,444 (2016)
  • Area: 110.37 km2 (42.61 sq mi)
  • Link: (In German) https://www.rietberg.de/rathaus/klimaschutz-energie
Rietberg, Germany

Saerbeck, Germany

Solar module, Bioenergiepark Saerbeck, Germany

  • Target: 100% renewable energy and climate-neutral by 2030
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Solar power, wind power and biogas.
  • Implementation: Saerbeck is a municipality in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, north-west Germany. In 2008, its council decided to switch its entire energy supply to renewable energies in order to become climate-neutral by 2030. Since then it has achieved a range of climate protection milestones: In 2009, it won the German Solarprize. It was awarded the “NRW-Climate Community of the Future” by the State, functioning as a role model in the realm of climate protection and climate adaptation.
    To reach its 100% target, Saerbeck has developed an “Integrated Climate Protection and Climate Adaption Concept". Part of the Concept are three central flagship projects that have already been widely implemented. The first flagship project “Saerbeck’s Sunny Sites” focuses on investigating the potentials of energy efficiency improvements and renewables application in private and industrial buildings. The second flagship project “Saerbeckian Insights – Renewables Made Transparent” developed a glass-heating system supplying a local heating network that conveys the concept of renewables in an educative manner. The third project “Steinfurtian Material Flows – The Circle is Closing” represents the conversion of a former ammunition depot to a bio-energypark based on PV, wind and biogas plants.
    All of these achievements  of the Climate Community-Project of Saerbeck could not have been realized without the strong support of the town's clubs and organizations, local churches, schools and educational facilities, and last but not least its citizens. Citizens and community both benefit from the security of renewable energy supply, financial participation and local added value.
  • Population: 7,149 (2016)
  • Area: 58.98 km2(22.77 sq mi)
  • Link: (In German)  https://www.klimakommune-saerbeck.de/
Solar module, Bioenergiepark Saerbeck, Germany
  • Installation of solar modules in Bioenergypark Saerbeck, Germany © Tameer Gunnar Eden/Eifeler Presse Agentur/epa CC BY 3.0

Schleswig-Holstein (State), Germany

Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

  • Target: 100% renewable energy
  • Status: Achieved - 100% electricity supply from renewable energy in 2014.
  • RES: Wind power, solar power and biomass.
  • Implementation: The German Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein is located in the North of Germany at the border with Denmark. It was the first German federal state to achieve the 100% RE goal. It  boosted its share in renewable energy within only eight years by 70%, starting from around 30% in wind energy in 2006. Today, Schleswig- Holstein covers its entire electricity demand with an energy mix from wind, solar power and biomass. It began in 2010 when the state’s energy policy formulated a target comprising a significantly higher share of renewable energy than 100% until 2020. In 2012, it was even announced that renewable energy would cover the annual gross electricity consumption of Schleswig-Holstein by a minimum of 300% in 2025. This was based on a potential assessment commissioned by the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry for Energy Transition, Agriculture, Environment and Rural Areas. By meeting this ambitious target, Schleswig-Holstein would not only account for 8% of Germany’s total annual electricity demand, but could also become an important exporter of green electricity. So far, concrete plans have been made in order to reach the 300% target, including the significant expansion of wind energy up to 10.5 GW on-shore and 2.6 GW off-shore. At the same time, solar power will be doubled up to 2.9 GW, while biomass-based energy production is only marginally increased.
  • Population: 2,881,926 (2016)
  • Area: 15,763.18 km2(6,086.20 sq mi)
  • Link: (In german) http://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/Fachinhalte/K/klimaschutz/Downloads/Energiekonzept_2010.%20pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1
Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Sontra, Germany

Sontra, Germany

  • Target: 100% RE
  • Status: In progress - In 2011, 40% of the energy demand was from RE, with 242 RE installations integrated into the grid.
  • RES: Windpower, solar power, and EV-charging stations.
  • Implementation: The city of Sontra is located in the German state of Hessen. The city intends to produce its energy locally and ideally as close as possible to its consumers. It is focusing on electro mobility as part of its energy plan by establishing new EV-charging stations. A large photovoltaic plant was built at a new industrial park and new wind turbines were built with the participation of the local population. The key motivation for city to deploy RE technologies has been regional value creation, which plays an important role in influencing political action. In Sontra, the regional commitment to the transformation of the energy systems is a priority to counteract global climate change in an active and exemplary way.
  • Population: 7,856 (2017)
  • Area: 111.29 km2(42.97 sq mi)
Sontra, Germany