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On 26 April 2017, the Agency for Renewable Energies in Berlin honoured the Saxon-Anhalt town of Burg for its commitment as Energy Municipality of the Month. A tenant power project in the town ensures that 230 tenants can obtain solar power to cover part of their electricity requirements directly from the roof of their apartments. "Tenant power projects are ideal for driving the energy transition locally and involving many citizens at the same time - either by participating financially in the systems or by purchasing green electricity," explains Nils Boenigk, Deputy Managing Director of the Renewable Energy Agency.
As part of the city's first tenant electricity project, the local public utility operates photovoltaic systems with a total output of 283 kilowatts peak on the roofs of ten apartment buildings belonging to a housing cooperative.
Source: www.unendlich-viel-energie.de/...regeneratives-mieterstromprojekt-in-burg...
Keywords:
Stakeholders, Stock, Renewable, Climate protection, News Blog Saxony-Anhalt, PV, Environmental policy
The successful implementation of the energy transition requires a variety of technologies that solve different tasks in the energy system. Missing components must be added and optimisation processes implemented. Technological innovations, supported by social innovations, play a central role here. Several projects are now systematically analysing the potential of individual energy technologies and the need for innovation.
The Renewable Energy Research Alliance (FVEE) will present the initial results of these structured technology assessments at its conference in Berlin on 8 and 9 November 2017. The scientists will also present the latest research findings on wind energy, photovoltaics, bioenergy and sustainable heat as well as sector coupling, storage technologies and sustainable mobility.
Innovations for the global energy transition
Over the past decades, a wide range of technical and social solutions have been developed, which now need to be implemented in a coherent way to achieve global and national goals. Despite the progress made in recent years, existing technologies must become more efficient and cost-effective. Completely new solutions even need to be developed for some problems. The reorganisation of energy systems is creating a huge future market. German companies need innovative products if they are to compete successfully and realise their potential. Research and development provide the basis for these necessary innovations.
Impetus for the development of the new energy research programme
The German government is currently preparing the 7th Energy Research Programme in a broad consultation process, which should be in line with the overarching political objectives. This requires a systematic reassessment of the various technologies and their potential contribution to the energy transition. The strategic flagship project "Trends and Perspectives in Energy Research" initiated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is providing key input. The lead project is divided into two sub-projects, which will present their key findings at the conference.
Multi-criteria evaluation of over 30 technology fields
In the "Technologies for the Energy Transition" sub-project, a consortium led by the Wuppertal Institute is assessing the research and development needs for the key technologies that are currently and will be required in the future as part of the energy transition. Using a bottom-up approach, the project analyses the technologies and lines of development available today and identifies necessary technical or economic improvements. The analytical framework comprises over 30 fields of technology from the areas of renewable energies, grids, storage, sector coupling (Power to X) and energy and resource efficiency. The researchers evaluate all fields of technology according to twelve assessment criteria and ask, among other things, about the contribution of the respective technology to climate policy and the energy industry, the positioning of German companies in the international environment and key aspects of system compatibility. The criteria include, in particular, the economic application potential, the greenhouse gas reduction effect, social acceptance and the status of research and development in an international comparison.
Methodology for prioritising energy research topics
In the parallel sub-project "Development and application of methods for prioritising topics and measures in energy research in the context of the energy transition", a top-down approach is being pursued under the leadership of the Research Centre for Energy Economics. This project analyses the technical, economic, political and social framework conditions of the energy industry. The researchers identify challenges to achieving the energy and climate targets and derive the need for action for future energy research. They are drawing up profiles of measures that also formulate recommendations for new funding formats for energy research.
Copernicus projects
In addition to the BMWi's flagship project, the annual conference will take a look at the four Kopernikus projects of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), large interdisciplinary collaborative projects in which civil society is involved alongside the scientific community. ENSURE focuses on the redesign and stabilisation of the electricity grid through decentralised generators in urban-rural units. Innovative technologies for electricity transmission are just as much a focus as information and communication technologies, which should ensure the balancing and stability of the electricity grid in the future. Among other things, P2X is working on the development of new, precious metal-free catalysts for the production of synthetic fuels. SynErgie is investigating the potential for demand-side management in the industrial sector. ENavi aims to identify the technical, organisational and social framework conditions that have a decisive influence on the success of the energy transition.
Further materials
Programme of the FVEE Annual Conference:
www.fvee.de
Website of the sub-project "Technologies for the energy transition":
https://wupperinst.org/p/wi/p/s/pd/626/
About the Research Association for Renewable Energies
The Renewable Energies Research Alliance is a nationwide cooperation of research institutions. The members research and develop technologies for renewable energies, energy efficiency, energy storage and the optimised technical and socio-economic interaction of all system components. The common goal is to transform the energy supply into a sustainable energy system.
The member organisations of the FVEE
- DBFZ German Biomass Research Centre
- DLR German Aerospace Centre
- Fraunhofer ISE Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
- Fraunhofer IWES Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology
- GFZ Helmholtz Centre Potsdam German Research Centre for Geosciences
- HZB Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy
- ISFH Institute for Solar Energy Research Hameln Emmerthal
- IZES Institute for Future Energy Systems
- Jülich Research Centre
- KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
- Wuppertal Institute for climate, energy, environment
- ZAE Bavaria Bavarian Centre for Applied Energy Research
- ZSW Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research
Keywords:
Stakeholders, DE-News, Energy storage, Renewable, Climate protection, New books and studies, PV, PlusEnergy house/settlement, SDG 2030, Solar thermal, Environmental policy
The prize is awarded every two years by the German Academy for Urban Development and Regional Planning (DASL) with significant support from the Wüstenrot Foundation. Urban Development Award in the DSP 2020 competition goes to the project Quarter at the former Blumengroßmark in Berlin. With 81 applications, a particularly large number of projects were submitted for the Urban Design Award. The spectrum was very broad: urban-structural-geographical, thematic, structural-spatial. From the new town hall in the urban planning context of a small municipality to the large conversion project of a metropolitan region, the interdisciplinary jury (urban planning, architecture, open space planning, preservation of historical monuments, economics, sociology) was faced with a very difficult decision in many cases.
"The quarter at the former flower wholesale market in Berlin Kreuzberg is exemplary for a co-creative urban redevelopment that focuses on living and working together and pursues long-term sustainable development strategies in the neighbourhood. The project sets orientation and standards for socially oriented urban development supported by diverse actors and is particularly exemplary in the sense of the German Urban Development Award. [...]" emphasizes the jury chairperson Prof. Dr. Christina Simon-Philipp, HFT Stuttgart.
The Special price on the topic "Urban development revisited: Prices - Practice - Perspectives" was given to the project Urban development area Stuttgarter Straße, French Quarter in Tübingen. The special prize, which is awarded in parallel to the urban development prize, serves to highlight particularly urgent fields of action in urban development and urban planning. It was awarded on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the German Urban Development Prize to contributions that had already been recognised with prizes and awards between 1980 and 2010. The judging of the special prize was very complex, as it had to cover a span of 30 years, i.e. a generation, of the achievements of German urban planning that were considered outstanding at the time, and, in retrospect, it had to be based on robust, objective criteria that could adequately reflect the complexity of 30 years of urban planning history and 30 years of urban planning models.
"The robust urban design concept and the qualities of the public space are the hallmarks of the quarter, which exudes great liveliness. When strolling through the district, one has the certainty that it will gain in popularity and vitality as it ages," was the jury's verdict for the project. Thirty years after the competition for the French Quarter in Tübingen [urban development prize winner from the 2001 submission], the idea of parcelling proves to be a recipe for success with a high degree of suitability for everyday use and exemplary for participatory-oriented urban development in Germany.
The German Urban Development Award, which is endowed with a total of € 25,000, aims to promote forward-looking planning and urban development culture. It is awarded by the German Academy for Urban and Regional Planning (DASL) and sponsored by the Wüstenrot Foundation.
The prize is awarded to urban development projects implemented in the Federal Republic of Germany that stand out for their sustainable and innovative contributions to urban building culture and spatial development in an urban and rural context. The projects should take outstanding account of the current demands on contemporary lifestyles as well as the challenges to the design of public space, the economical use of resources and the obligations to the preservation of the local and urban landscape.
At its meeting in February 2021, the jury chaired by Prof. Dr. Christina Simon-Philipp awarded six prizes and seven commendations in addition to the urban development prize and the special prize. The urban development prize is endowed with €15,000 and the special prize with €5,000. The awards receive € 1,000 and the fourth category is commendations.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the planned festive award ceremony could not take place in a large round. Therefore, the nominations of the 15 projects were broadcast in a live stream with around 800 viewers on 23 April 2021 from the Akademie der Künste at Pariser Platz in Berlin. The specialist symposium, which was dedicated to the award theme of the Special Prize 2020 "Urban design revisited: prices - practice - perspectives". and the award ceremony are presented with documentary films of the award-winning projects on the website www.staedtebaupreis.de.
Anne Katrin Bohle, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Building and Home Affairs, emphasized in her welcoming speech:
"For 40 years, the German Urban Development Prize has been awarded for outstanding and forward-looking urban development projects in terms of design and urban structure. They not only receive outstanding public attention nationally, but are also given special consideration internationally. The BMI supports modern and sustainable building of high design quality. In this context, it is essential for us that the "project", i.e. an individual building or an ensemble of buildings, fits into innovative and integrated urban development strategies, because the high-quality design of the built environment is a decisive building block for the quality of life in our cities and communities. Baukultur stands not only for the result, i.e. an aesthetic, good building, but encompasses the entire complex process from participation and co-determination to planning, construction, use and maintenance. In this sense, we very much welcome the fact that the German Academy for Urban Development and Regional Planning, together with the Wüstenrot Foundation, is honouring good urban development projects and, in application of the principles of the New Leipzig Charter, is advancing the transformation of European cities into sustainable living spaces oriented towards the common good."
DASL President Prof. Dr. (Univ.-Florenz) Elisabeth Merk went on to explain the function of the German Urban Development Award and thanked the Wüstenrot Foundation for its support, without which the award would not be possible:
"For more than 40 years now, the German Urban Design Award has been honouring projects that bring societal and social issues to bear with outstanding design solutions in architecture and urban development. The continuity of standing up for sustainable urban development and thus encouraging others to stand up for quality has characterised the German Urban Development Prize since its beginnings. Special thanks go first and foremost to the Wüstenrot Foundation, which makes the prize financially and conceptually possible, as well as to all the committed participants and very personally to Prof. Dr. Werner Durth, who as a source of inspiration has shaped the prize over the years with his knowledge and passion."
The Managing Director of the Wüstenrot Foundation, Prof. Philip Kurzis the reason for the foundation's commitment to the German Urban Development Prize:
"We are currently facing major challenges in shaping our cities. The pandemic and its consequences have once again highlighted how important it is that we set the right course for the future - for people's quality of life, for coexistence in our society, for economic diversity and for the quality of our built environment. The German Urban Design Award honours the design of the projects as well as their contribution to a lively, diverse future for our cities. With our support, we want to strengthen the opportunities associated with the German Urban Design Award and promote building culture - the quality of our built environment - in Germany."
The results of the competition and details of the winners, the awarded and commended projects as well as the complete jury assessments can be found at www.staedtebaupreis.de.
A documentation of the German Urban Design Award 2020 will be published in the series "STADT BAUEN" by Wasmuth Verlag, probably in late autumn 2021.
The jury for the German Urban Design Award 2020 consisted of:
- Jury Chair Prof. Dr. Christina Simon-Philipp, Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences
- Prof. Undine Giseke, Technical University Berlin
- Prof. Dr. Markus Harzenetter, State Office for Monument Preservation Hesse, Wiesbaden
- Dr. Stefan Krämer, Wüstenrot Foundation, Ludwigsburg
- Prof. Dr. (Univ. Florence) Elisabeth Merk, President DASL, Munich
- Dipl.-Ing. Jórunn Ragnarsdóttir, LRO Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei, Stuttgart
- Dipl.-Ing. Verena Schmidt, Teleinternetcafe Architecture and Urbanism, Berlin
- Permanent guest for the Scientific Advisory Board Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Durth, Darmstadt
The results in detail
The jury reviewed and evaluated 139 projects, 58 of which received a special prize. Particularly noteworthy in the anniversary year 2020 was the exceptionally high quality of the entries submitted. After narrowing down the "shortlist" to 35 projects, these were each visited on site by a jury member between the beginning of December 2020 and the end of January 2021. The responsible actors of the projects were interviewed by zoom or outside. Despite the difficult conditions caused by the pandemic, the jury was able to get to know the projects very well.
From the "shortlist", the jury awarded one project the urban development prize and one the special prize, six projects (including two in the special prize) received an award and eight projects were awarded a commendation.
German Urban Development Award 2020
Laureate
Berlin| Quarter at the former flower market
Award
Bremen | Waller Sand
Heilbronn | Neckarbogen urban district - First building block of a new urban landscape
Regenburg | Jewish Community Center with Synagogue
Tirschenreuth | Place of learning - revitalization of the historic Fronfeste
Commendations
Anklam | Hanseatic City of Anklam- Return to the vertical city
Castle | City Landscape Castle
Frankfurt am Main | Riederwald-Siedlung, Friedrich-List-Strasse
Maitenbeth | Maitenbeth Town Hall
Munich | City Quarter on Leopoldstrasse
Special Award 2020 "Urban Design Revisited: Prizes - Practice - Perspectives"
Laureate
Tübingen, 2001| Urban development area Stuttgarter Straße, French Quarter
Award
Hochheim am Main, 1983 | Planning consultation and initiative planning for the regeneration of the old town as well as renewal measures realized so far
Cologne, 1982 | Replacement housing and block redevelopment on the site of the former Stollwerck chocolate factory in the Severinsviertel redevelopment area
Commendations
Munich, 2008 | Jewish Center
Ulm, 2006 | New Centre Ulm - Urban Redevelopment in the Citizens' Discourse
Link
https://staedtebaupreis.de/
Source: DASL-PM of 23.4.2021
Keywords:
Awards, DE-News, Movies < 4 Min, Barracks conversion, News Blog Baden-Württemberg, News Blog Berlin, Mix of uses, Quarters, Urban production
Photovoltaic systems are already a financially rewarding investment for homeowners today. Coupled with a solar power storage system, the profit will increase even more in the future. This is because storage systems are on the verge of becoming economically viable. This is the result of calculations by the Solar Cluster Baden-Württemberg.
In the last twelve months, the costs for storage batteries for PV systems have fallen by an average of more than 10 %. "In the first quarter of 2017, they were in some cases only around 1150 euros per kWh of storage capacity," says Carsten Tschamber from Solar Cluster. The limit below which the small storage systems bring in more than they cost when used for 20 years is around 1000 euros, assuming a small increase in electricity prices. If you subtract the KfW subsidy, which decreases every six months, the first storage products already reach economic viability with good planning. By the end of the subsidy in 2018, the batteries could become up to 20 % cheaper - a purchase would then be worthwhile for the consumer even without government subsidies.
The cost of solar electricity from new PV systems on residential buildings has now fallen to as low as 8 Ct/kWh - household customers pay more than three times that for grid electricity. That is why it is worthwhile for them to consume as much of it as possible themselves. Solar batteries help to double self-consumption from 30 to 35 to up to 70 %.
Source: Post from 23.5.2017 on www.geb-info.de (no longer online, as of January 2021)
Keywords:
Construction and operating costs, DE-News, Energy storage, Renewable, Funding, Electricity storage, Ecology
