Web database of sustainable settlements and neighbourhoods

BMU/UBA Federal Award "Environment & Building

Published
Fig.: UBA

21.01.2020 Everyone is talking about sustainability - including the construction industry. A prize that the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) have been organising since today provides the perfect talking point: With the new "Federal Environment and Building Prize", which will be awarded for the first time in 2020, the initiators want to recognise projects that are exemplary in terms of sustainability - not only in the classic areas of existing and new buildings, but also in five other categories. All players in the construction sector can apply. The closing date for entries is 15 April 2020 and the patron of the competition is the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Svenja Schulze.

The desire of more and more building owners and planners to combine high utility value and architectural quality with Climate - and environmental protection has resulted in many exciting projects. They demonstrate by practical example that sustainable construction offers many advantages over the life cycle - also in terms of costs.

Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze: "This is precisely where the Federal Environment and Building Award comes in. On the one hand, the prize is intended to illustrate the spectrum of what is already structurally and technically possible today. On the other hand, it is intended to raise awareness of the outstanding examples through the award and thus invite imitation."

Professor Dirk Messner, President of the Federal Environment Agency: "It's about holistic solutions that incorporate the technology, the design of the building and its surroundings. Individual 'greenfield' projects are expressly not supported. In no other competition is the interplay between the environment and building assessed in such a way as in the Federal Environment & Building Award."

About the Federal AwardIn order to show the breadth of sustainable building, the Federal Award comprises the categories "Residential buildings", "Non-residential buildings", "Neighbourhoods" and "Sustainability and innovations". The first two categories focus in particular on the energy-efficient refurbishment of existing buildings, as this is where the greatest need for action exists from a climate protection perspective.

In addition to these competition categories, the BMU and UBA also award three special prizes for particularly innovative approaches. Under the headings "Resilience" and "Sufficiency", the focus is on adaptation to climate change and strategies for reducing the use of resources. Building projects that take particular account of aspects of biodiversity and thus make a substantial contribution to the protection and implementation of "urban nature" are also to be honoured. The third field "Building envelope & building product" is intended for novel solutions with innovative materials and building constructions.

Conditions of participationDue to the thematic breadth, all players in the construction sector are invited to apply: from clients and property developers to architecture, building services, urban and landscape planning offices, manufacturers and research institutions. The competition is aimed at buildings or neighbourhoods completed in Germany that are at an advanced stage of planning; multiple applications in different categories are possible.

What awaits the winnersThe award winners can look forward to public recognition on several levels. The award ceremony will take place on 29 September at a congress on sustainable building at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in Berlin, where the award-winning projects will be presented to experts and the media. The award-winning projects and their plus points will also be presented on the websites of the UBA and the Federal Ministry for the Environment - including in the form of videos: This is because the UBA is having films made about the award-winning sustainability examples, which the winners can then use for their own public relations work. In addition, all award-winning projects will be documented in a book.

Interested parties can find more information on the conditions of participation in the Federal Environment & Building Award and the selection procedure on the UBA website:
www.umweltbundesamt.de/bundespreis-umwelt-bauen-start

The application deadline is 15 April 2020.

 


Keywords: DE-News, Building, Climate protection, Mix of uses, Quarters, Resource efficiency, Settlements, Sufficiency, Transition Town, Contests & Prizes, Housing, Housing projects, Ecology

You may also like

Climate emergency in Bonn: City presents catalogue of measures
Published

Climate emergency in Bonn: City presents catalogue of measures

150 concrete proposals are contained in a catalogue that the city of Bonn has compiled in recent months following the declaration of a climate emergency. Many of the measures can be implemented directly by the administration, for others it needs a political decision. At a press conference on Wednesday, 22 January 2020, Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan and City Planning Officer Helmut Wiesner presented the catalogue of measures.

On 4 July 2019, the Bonn City Council had decided to support a resolution declaring a climate emergency. In doing so, Bonn joined other municipalities in affirming that climate protection must have the highest priority in municipal action. The administration has therefore developed a catalogue of measures in recent months with the participation of all departments.


Mayor Ashok Sridharan: "The declaration of a climate emergency must now be quickly followed by action! We have therefore deliberately chosen an approach that enables us to take direct action: The city administration can implement many of the developed measures directly and thus make an additional contribution to climate protection and climate adaptation itself. However, it must also be clear to all of us: The catalogue of measures does not yet provide an answer to how the city of Bonn can become climate neutral by 2035! There is still a lot of work ahead of us here."

The Lord Mayor announced that the role of the Environmental Office would be strengthened within the administration with the Climate Protection Control Centre. The environmental office is to receive more staff and be even more involved in decisions relevant to climate protection.

The proposal for the catalogue of measures is to be discussed in the first reading in the Council on 6 February and then referred to the Environment Committee on 12 March. In the meantime, the Bonn Climate Protection Advisory Council will also be involved in an advisory capacity.

The draft resolution on the "climate emergency" also contains proposals from the Council mandate "Implementation of climate measures". In accordance with the mandate, they are based on the projects of the Integrated Climate Protection and Climate Adaptation Concept from 2013 that have not yet been implemented.

As far as possible at this point in time, the ideas are provided with costs and the possible CO2 savings. Financial incentives for climate-friendly actions are an important instrument in the entire portfolio of measures. For example, those who do not use disposable materials at events or want to install a PV system on their building or green the roof and façade should receive more support.

According to the administration's proposal, five million euros should be included in the 2021/2022 double budget as start-up financing for the projects described. This will enable some measures that have already been designed to be implemented immediately. For others, in-depth planning can be financed from this budget and the investment funds required for implementation can be assessed. These funds must be taken into account in the coming municipal budgets.

City Planning Officer Helmut Wiesner: "Climate protection has a history in Bonn since 1995. We can therefore build on the experience of 25 years and the established structures to face the increasing challenges of climate change. The action-oriented proposals for measures in response to the declaration of a climate emergency build on this." In total, the current programme comprises around 150 individual projects, which can be assigned to the following six fields of action.

Solar Bonn

Photovoltaics in Bonn is to be further expanded. The solar roof cadastre in Bonn already provides orientation for homeowners as to whether their own building is suitable for the installation of a PV system. Based on this, the city would like to start an advisory service to accompany interested parties from the initial information to the installation of the system. In addition, the "1000 Roofs Program" is to be launched as a subsidy program with a grant of 1000 euros per subsidized PV system.

In addition, where the city can exert influence, the installation of PV systems is to become mandatory for developers, for example in the case of new buildings within the framework of project-related development plans, development measures and the sale of municipal land. Following the example of the city of Tübingen, developers should have to prove that the installation of a PV system is uneconomical in order to be exempted from the obligation.

The city itself wants to set a good example and continue to systematically capture the great potential of its own buildings. For new municipal buildings, the installation of photovoltaic systems is generally prepared and - if possible - implemented in cooperation with the municipal utilities or energy cooperatives. There are currently 63 systems on municipal buildings. PV systems with an output of 172,000 kilowatt hours per year (kWh/a) were already installed on the sewage treatment plants in Duisdorf and on Salierweg in 2009 and 2016. A system with an output of 75,000 kWh/a is currently being implemented at the Bad Godesberg sewage treatment plant.

Climate-friendly building and living

A forum with regular events for players in the housing and construction industry is to expand and institutionalise experience in the field of climate protection and energy efficiency. A municipal campaign on the subject of environmentally compatible building materials is to specifically address planners, architects and building owners. The Bonn Energy Agency (BEA) already provides advice and public relations work on energy-efficient construction and renovation and recommends energy-efficiency partners, for example, who can provide support for renovation or new construction.

The KfW-55 standard for new municipal buildings is currently already subject to very high energy efficiency standards that exceed the legal requirements. These standards also apply to project-related development plans, urban development contracts and development measures, as well as to the sale of municipal land. For its buildings, the city also wants to examine whether certified sustainability standards (e.g. DGNB certification system) can be applied in principle for renovations and new buildings.

Sustainable Federal City of Bonn

The administration will develop a concept on how the City of Bonn, including the municipal subsidiaries Bonnorange and Stadtwerke, can become climate neutral by 2035. For this, the emission of greenhouse gases must be drastically reduced and suitable compensation possibilities must be created.

One thing is certain: In future, business trips are to be organised in a more climate-friendly way. Public transport has clear priority; air travel - especially within Germany - is to be avoided. The job ticket is to be made cheaper, and the city's fleet of e-vehicles is to be continuously expanded. The procurement of office equipment and uniforms is to be carried out according to climate and resource-friendly criteria. The city administration has also been using recycled paper for many years and has already received ten awards for this as one of the most recycling-friendly cities in Germany.

Urban development projects

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia approved the extensive "Emission-free city centre" funding project in November 2019. Over the next three years, cycle lanes will be expanded and mobile stations will be built in the city centre, which will spatially link various transport services such as public transport, car-sharing and cycle hire and thus make it easier to switch between modes of transport. In addition, further e-charging stations and bicycle parking garages are planned.

As part of the "Lead City" model project, the "Jobwärts" programme is currently establishing a company mobility management system for employers in the region.

Campaigns and communication

Organizers who focus on sustainability are to receive financial incentives - for example, for the purchase of green electricity or the reduction of disposable plastic. At its own major events, such as Pützchens Markt or the Christmas market, the city wants to set a good example.

Various actions are also intended to trigger a rethink among the population: Proposals include a car-free day and artistic productions that draw attention to the progressing climate change. The city's climate protection campaign "Think new, act simple" is to be expanded and campaigns such as city cycling are to be continued. As part of "Bio-Stadt Bonn", the city has been emphasising the topics of nutrition and organic farming since 2019.

Climate adaptation

In order to prepare as well as possible for the unavoidable consequences of climate change, precautions must be taken now. "Mobile green rooms" with vertical greenery and a leafy roof are to provide more quality of stay in the city centre on hot days. In addition, financial incentives and advice are to be offered to citizens who want to green their roofs and facades or sealed surfaces.

The climate analysis developed within the framework of the ZURES project and the planning information map based on it serve as an important basis in this context and provide information on how the increasing heat load can be countered with urban planning measures.

Source: Press release City of Bonn, 22.01.2020

 



Keywords:
Bonn, DE-News, Climate emergency, Climate protection, Communities, New books and studies, News Blog NRW, SDG 2030

Published

A secure charging network for the whole of Baden-Württemberg

Photo: EnBW

With the successful implementation of the state program "Area-wide Safety Charging Network for Electric Vehicles" (SAFE), Baden-Württemberg is the first state to have an area-wide charging network for electric cars in a 10-kilometer grid. The SAFE charging network consists of more than 450 charging stations.

While the construction of public charging infrastructure for electric cars is still being discussed elsewhere, Baden-Württemberg has built up a comprehensive charging network in recent months. A reliable charging infrastructure with more than 450 charging points now covers the entire state in a 10-kilometre grid. A consortium of 77 municipal utilities and suppliers as well as three municipalities had joined forces under the leadership of EnBW and successfully implemented the state programme "Area-wide Safety Charging Network for Electric Vehicles" (SAFE). The final event was held today (04.11.2019) in Stuttgart to take stock.

Electromobility is not only suitable for the big city!

"I am extremely pleased that we have taken electric mobility in Baden-Württemberg an important step forward with the SAFE project. Because with the nationwide expansion of the charging infrastructure, we are showing: Electromobility is not only suitable for the big city! I was able to see this for myself during my charging stop in Bad Urach today. SAFE, which was realised within the framework of Baden-Württemberg's strategy dialogue on the automotive industry, thus illustrates that electric mobility in the state is not only a clean and efficient, but also a reliable form of mobility," said Minister President Kretschmann. A consortium led by EnBW had been awarded the contract for the project in May 2018. "The parties involved have managed to set up a nationwide network of charging stations in one and a half years. I would like to thank EnBW as the project leader and its many project partners for this remarkable achievement. Together we are showing that we are pushing ahead: We are stepping on the gas and advancing electromobility in Baden-Württemberg step by step," Kretschmann continued.
Transport Minister Winfried Hermann explained: "E-charging must be as safe as it is simple. Above all, the charging points must work. With the nationwide SAFE charging network, we are creating the basis for the electrification of passenger car traffic in cities and rural areas. In this way, we are facilitating the switch to climate-friendly e-mobility."

81 Partner on behalf of the State of Baden-Württemberg

The SAFE charging network consists of more than 450 charging stations and will be operated by the project partners for at least six years. More than 250 already existing normal charging stations and more than 60 fast charging stations could be included in the network. But the consortium also built around 40 new fast charging stations and 88 normal charging stations. In addition, twelve existing charging stations were upgraded.

"This is how the mobility revolution must be managed," says EnBW CEO Dr. Frank Mastiaux, summing up the cooperation in the project. "With clout and teamwork, 81 partners have built up a powerful and reliable charging network within just 18 months. Complex infrastructure projects not only need a reliable framework, but also a planned and coordinated interaction between different players. SAFE is an example of how this can be achieved: through a high level of prioritisation by each project partner on site, as well as with the state of Baden-Württemberg as the key driver and funding provider."

The central requirement of the SAFE programme was: In a grid of ten by ten kilometres, there is at least one charging station with 22 kilowatts of power. In a second grid of 20 by 20 kilometres, there is also at least one fast charging station with 50 kilowatts of power. SAFE thus provides an area-wide charging network for drivers of electric cars: On average, there is a charging station every ten kilometres throughout the province - even in rural areas. All e-car drivers have easy access to the SAFE charging stations via the connected electromobility providers.

Starting signal for the further expansion of the charging infrastructure

SAFE has laid another foundation stone for the expansion of the charging infrastructure in Baden-Württemberg. In order to drive this forward, the Charging Infrastructure Network BW will bundle the exchange in the state even more strongly. Current challenges will be discussed and solutions developed via this open platform. The state agency for new mobility solutions and automotive Baden-Württemberg e-mobil BW GmbH is coordinating the new network, in which the experiences and findings of SAFE will be taken up and continued. In addition to its own commitment to the rapid expansion of charging infrastructure, EnBW will also remain closely associated with the new network as a partner. The state of Baden-Württemberg is thus directly taking the next step to prepare the charging infrastructure in the southwest of the republic for the ramp-up of e-cars. To this end, it had also launched the Charge@BW funding programme for non-public charging points launched.

Project SAFE - An electric charging network for the whole country

On the SAFE website you will also find a Map overview of all SAFE charging stations between Wertheim in the north and Constance in the south, and Kehl in the west and Giengen an der Brenz in the east of Baden-Württemberg.

Source: PM Land Baden-Württemberg 4.11.2019

 



Keywords:
100% EEs, DE-News, Renewable, Research, Climate protection, Media, Sustainable management, New books and studies, News Blog Baden-Württemberg, Environmental policy

Berlin Brandenburg Innovation Award for the Lumenion high-temperature steel storage system for renewable energies
Published

Berlin Brandenburg Innovation Award for the Lumenion high-temperature steel storage system for renewable energies


1:47 min, date: 11/27/2020

With the Innovation Award, the economic administrations of the two states of Berlin and Brandenburg annually honor innovative and outstanding work from the region. With the involvement of business enterprises and other institutions as private partners, the prize was and is also a prize of the economy for the economy. Since it was first awarded in 1984 (since 1992 jointly with Brandenburg), there have been more than 160 prize winners and over 4,000 applications. In 2020, the number of applications rose to 221, once again an increase over the previous year, despite more difficult conditions due to the Corona situation - a clear sign of the great innovative potential of the two states.

Lumenion GmbH: In order to generate sustainable renewable energy, the company developed the Lumenion storage system. It stores electricity as heat at 650°C. The stored thermal energy can then be used in a time-delayed and cost-effective manner as process heat for industry or as district heating.

More info
https://lumenion.com/
www.solarserver.de/...hochtemperatur-stahlspeichertechnologie-fuer-gruene-prozesswaerme



Keywords:
100% EEs, DE-News, Energy storage, Movies, Movies < 4 Min, Research

    en_GB
    de_DE en_GB