In 2015, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy approved 939 new projects totalling 548 million euros. In the previous year, the figure was 695 projects with 373 million euros in funding. The majority of the funds were channelled into wind energy, photovoltaics, energy efficiency in buildings and cities, energy storage and grid infrastructure. The EnArgus information system and the BMWi's research portals (see column on the right) provide a detailed insight into the projects and the funds utilised. For energy efficiency in buildings and cities, the volume of funding for newly approved projects in 2015 totalled 73.48 million euros (13% ).
According to a new study, the world is still a long way from achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Sweden is in the best position, according to the report published by the Bertelsmann Stiftung and others. The study compared 149 countries. Sweden is closest to the goals, followed by Denmark and Norway. Germany came in sixth place. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are intended to help combat extreme poverty, climate change and discrimination by 2030.
The study was produced in collaboration with the renowned economist and UN special advisor Jeffrey Sachs and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). It was presented at a United Nations sustainability conference in New York on 20 July and handed over to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
"I am certain that the SDG Index from SDSN and the Bertelsmann Stiftung will make a valuable contribution to making the world a more peaceful, just and sustainable place."
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 23.4.2021 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 development 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 development history and 30 years of urban development 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.
Anne Katrin Bohle has been State Secretary for Construction at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Housing since March 2019.
Until the German EU-The "Leipzig Charter" is to be further developed into the "Leipzig Charter 2.0" for the EU Council Presidency in 2020. The "Leipzig Charter", which is little known even among experts, invokes the values of "citizens' co-determination and self-determination, calls for social integration, the creation and use of public space, a strengthening of city centres and a mix of uses". And the "idea of the "European City" explicitly opposes one-sided and monotonous urban development. Against exclusion and isolation of individual city districts, against the ruthless enforcement of individual interests."
Heliatek, the world's leading provider of organic solar energy solutions, announces that its award-winning technology has been certified by TÜV Rheinland as having a carbon footprint of less than 16 kg CO2e/m2 in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). For a sustainable future in the face of ever increasing climate change, the planet's growing energy needs must be met by environmentally friendly low carbon energy sources. Heliatek has developed industrial grade organic solar films that are suitable for almost any building surface and help to significantly avoid greenhouse gas emissions.
After less than 3 months, the organic solar films studied already save the CO2e (CO2 equivalent) produced during the entire life cycle, from production to disposal. "We can proudly announce that we offer one of the most environmentally friendly ways to generate electricity and significantly avoid greenhouse gas emissions. The unique composition of our organic solar films without toxic materials and with PET based protective films makes even the disposal of the modules at the end of their life easy and at the same time environmentally conscious," says Guido van Tartwijk, CEO of Heliatek.
In order to compare the carbon footprint with other solar technologies, all results must be converted into g CO2e/kWh. This value takes into account the lifetime electricity generation for a given location. For Southern Europe, HeliaSol® has a carbon footprint of only 5-7 g CO2e/kWh (7-9 g CO2e/kWh in Central Europe) and thus already significantly undercuts all current solar technologies.
Fig.: Heliatek
Global Carbon Footprint of HeliaSol®
Standard modules based on crystalline silicon achieve values of 40 - 100 g CO2e/kWh depending on the installation site and the origin of the modules. "With the planned improvement in our efficiency, we will further reduce the carbon footprint of our product to become the energy source with the lowest CO2 footprint - including hydropower, wind and solar energy. This is a truly green product," says Jan Birnstock, CTO of Heliatek.
Heliatek is currently installing the new production line for the series production of its unique OPV solar films. The production line is in the start-up phase and will produce organic solar films with an annual capacity of up to 1 million m² from mid-2020.
About the TÜV Rheinland life cycle assessment
TÜV Rheinland has certified Heliatek's HeliaSol® , as one of the first companies in the solar industry, in a life cycle assessment according to ISO 14040/44. This analysis provides a structured and comprehensive method for quantifying energy and material flows and their potential environmental impact. The LCA analyzes the environmental impact of all phases of a product's life, from raw material procurement, through production and use, to disposal at the end of the product's life, including all transport and delivery routes ("cradle-to-grave"). All site-related conversions of the TÜV values were carried out by Heliatek.
The TÜV Rheinland certificate is available online at the ID number below and can be accessed by scanning the following QR code:
About Heliatek
As the technology leader in organic photovoltaics, Heliatek develops, produces and distributes industrial organic PV solar solutions for almost any building surface (horizontal, vertical, curved, rigid and flexible). Heliatek is synonymous with energy solutions designed for various traditional applications that were previously impossible due to their unique properties - they are ultra-light, flexible and truly green. HeliaSol® is a ready-made solution, ideal for retrofitting existing buildings. HeliaFilm® is a tailor-made solar film for companies in the construction and building materials industries, which can be integrated into their façade or roofing system products. Heliatek currently employs around 150 people at its sites in Dresden and Ulm in Germany.
Research and development work as well as the installation of production technology were supported by the Free State of Saxony, the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union.
We use cookies to optimize our website and services.
Functional
Always active
Technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a particular service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that have not been requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access, which is solely for statistical purposes.Technical storage or access used solely for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary consent from your Internet service provider, or additional records from third parties, information stored or accessed for this purpose cannot generally be used alone to identify you.
Marketing
Technical storage or access is necessary to create user profiles, to send advertising or to track the user on a website or across multiple websites for similar marketing purposes.