Video (2014) Development concept for the "Franklin" conversion quarter
Published
15 min., published: 5.2.2014
Out of the iterative planning process for the Benjamin Franklin Village, the office Tegnestuen Vandkunsten from Denmark emerged for urban planning and architecture. In this video, the planners show their ideas and concepts for further development.
Neues Berlin and Berliner Stadtwerke expand cooperation
Photo: Berliner Stadtwerke/Mathias_Voelzke
Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft Neues Berlin and Berliner Stadtwerke have agreed on another joint tenant power project. Six solar power systems with an output of around 500 kilowatts are being built in the Mühlengrund housing estate in Hohenschönhausen. Tenants of more than 1,100 apartments will soon be able to benefit from green electricity from their own roofs.
The solar plants, which together cover 4,000 m², are being erected on a total of 23 six-storey buildings between Falkenberger Chaussee, Rüdickenstraße and Am Breiten Luch, near the Hohenschönhausen S-Bahn station. They will enable around 420,000 kilowatt hours of green electricity to be harvested per year and around 235 tonnes of the greenhouse gas CO2 save.
"We are very pleased that Neues Berlin has already started the third project with us, which is also quite large by Berlin standards," says Dr. Kerstin Busch, Managing Director of Berliner Stadtwerke, who points out that there is further potential for expansion in the Mühlengrund residential complex. "Although we are calling for improvements in the current EEG draft - for example, with regard to the obligation to tender or the supply of tenant electricity to neighbouring buildings - we see that tenant electricity can currently still succeed under certain conditions and in close communication with the residents and the cooperative, even under difficult conditions."
"Together with Berliner Stadtwerke GmbH, we have implemented environmentally friendly supply projects based on renewable energies on our roofs in a very short time and without much effort. We are looking forward to further projects like the one in Mühlengrund to give even more tenants the opportunity to benefit from tenant electricity. During the cooperation, it quickly became apparent that both sides are pursuing the goal of making an ecological and social contribution to our city with the greatest interest," says Thomas Fleck, member of the board at Neues Berlin.
In 2019, Berliner Stadtwerke and the housing cooperative Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft Neues Berlin have already successfully implemented a tenant electricity project in the residential complex Malchow floodplain in Hohenschönhausen. Since then, around 640 households have been able to obtain cheap green electricity from their own roofs. To this end, a total of five solar power systems with a total capacity of 224 kilowatts were installed on four buildings belonging to the cooperative. This year, Berliner Stadtwerke added an existing solar power system on the Neues Berlin building Degnerbogen converted to an intelligent tenant power system - a smart model for owners of PV systems that will fall out of the EEG subsidy in the future.
For Berliner Stadtwerke, the implementation of local green electricity projects is an important milestone in enabling a climate-friendly and affordable supply for all residents. To this end, solar power systems are being installed in residential areas and on public buildings, among other things, in order to generate clean electricity where it can be consumed. In addition to this local system expansion, Berliner Stadtwerke offers a range of solar energy services with its berlinStrom tariff municipal green electricity throughout the city. Today, Berlin's only public energy supplier counts more than 19,000 green electricity households among its environmentally conscious customer base.
Photovoltaic modules can generate climate-friendly electricity for decades
Old modules must be disposed of properly
New BSW information paper provides information on dispensing points and important safety instructions
One advantage of photovoltaics is that they can supply electricity for decades if installed and components are selected correctly. If photovoltaic modules are no longer used to generate solar power due to damage or age, they must be disposed of properly in accordance with the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG). After all, they contain valuable raw materials.
"The recycling of solar modules is technically feasible today. Specialised waste management companies can recycle old modules in such a way that the raw materials they contain can be fed almost completely into a production process as secondary raw materials," says Carsten Körnig, Managing Director of the German Solar Industry Association (BSW). "It is therefore important that discarded modules are channelled into the materials cycle. Owners of photovoltaic systems, installers and operators of collection centres can find out where old modules can be handed in and what needs to be considered in our new information sheet."
For example, modules from private households can be disposed of free of charge at designated collection points such as recycling centres or the take-back centres of manufacturers and distributors. "As an electrical voltage is generated when light falls on the active cell layer in photovoltaic modules, it is important to handle dismantled modules for disposal with care," says Körnig. For example, module cables should be secured, modules should be carefully stacked and, if necessary, provided with edge protection. "The solar-active side of the module should always face downwards when stacking, and open contacts and damaged backsheets should be insulated before removal."
More than 1.7 million photovoltaic systems are in operation in Germany. Under normal conditions, a photovoltaic module can reliably supply climate-friendly electricity for at least 25 years, and usually much longer. The industry association therefore does not expect to see a large number of old modules for a good ten years.
The Climate Action Programme 2030 presented by the Climate Cabinet on 20 September 2019 also includes new rules for the heating supply of buildings. One measure is the replacement premium for old oil and gas heating systems. According to the information programme sponsored by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Environment, this is the state's way of The future of old buildings will cover up to 40 % of the costs if a more climate-friendly system with a proportion of renewable energy is used when a boiler is replaced. The installation of oil-only heating systems is to be completely banned from 2026.
121 flats on 12,500 m² of floor space and a further 3,500 m² of commercial space are currently being built in London, Dalston Lane. This is currently the largest solid timber building in the world. 3,500 m³ of cross-laminated timber are being used across nine storeys. Architect: Andrew Waugh.
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