Bicycle boom in Germany continues unabated in 2018

Retail sales up 22.3 %

The boom in the bicycle trade, which has been ongoing for years, continued in 2018. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on the occasion of World Health Day on 7 April, the retail trade in bicycles, parts and accessories recorded an increase in sales of 11.9 % in real terms in 2018 compared to the previous year.

880,000 electric bikes imported into Germany

The trend towards electric bicycles with a rated continuous power of up to 250 watts is reflected in foreign trade: 880,000 electric bicycles with a total value of 789.6 million euros were imported to Germany in 2018. This corresponded to an increase in volume of 32.3 % compared to 2017. With a share of 23 % of the total imports of electric bicycles to Germany, Hungary was the most important importing country. Other important supplier countries were Vietnam with a share of 17.2 % and the Netherlands with 10.2 %.

Prices for conventional bikes are rising faster than prices for electric bikes

Consumers had to spend more money on pedelecs and e-bikes in 2018 than three years previously: between 2015 and 2018, prices in this market segment rose by 1.8 %. However, prices rose less sharply than consumer prices overall in this period (+3.8 %). In comparison, prices for bicycles without an electric motor rose by an above-average 4.5 % between 2015 and 2018.

Opportunity for bargains outside of the cycling season

Whether with or without an electric motor: consumer prices for bicycles fluctuate slightly depending on the time of year. Bicycles are cheaper around the turn of the year than in summer. If you are looking for good value for money, you can buy cheaper on average outside the cycling season.

Source: Press release of the Federal Statistical Office from 3 April 2019

Keywords: Stakeholders, Bike-/Velo-City, DE-News, Climate protection, Mobility, Sustainable management, Ecology

Published 14. June 2018

Germany's largest tenant electricity project

In Troisdorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, the largest tenant electricity project in Germany is currently running with subsidised funding from the so-called tenant electricity surcharge under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). The project, which was supported by EnergyAgency.NRW following an initial consultation, supplies 24 social housing apartments in three multi-storey buildings with a total of 75 residents with electricity. For this purpose, all roof surfaces were covered with photovoltaic modules with a total output of 86.9 kWp. The PV system is completed by six Powerwall 2 battery storage units from Tesla. "The tenants have committed 100 per cent to the project. In addition, the PV electricity, insofar as it is not consumed by the water-to-water heat pump or the tenants, is first stored in electricity storage units. This works so efficiently that we already reached an average self-sufficiency level of 83 percent in May. On isolated days and nights, even 98 percent," explains Frank Scholzen from Scholzen Immobilien, the company that owns the properties.

In rental electricity projects, electricity is generated in a rented property - by PV and/or combined heat and power (CHP) units. This direct electricity is often sold by the operator of the plant to the local energy supplier or - as in Troisdorf - by the landlord to the tenants. "The electricity offered to the tenants is cheaper than electricity from the grid. The advantage for the system operator is an additional income opportunity, as well as an ecologically sustainable electricity supply," explains Wilhelm Schröder from EnergyAgency.NRW, who accompanied the project in an advisory capacity.

However, the three buildings of Scholzen Immobilien are not only characterised by an innovative power supply, Troisdorf is also future-proof in the area of heat: The heating system consists of two water-water heat pumps with a combined thermal output of 76 kW. The well depth is only 14 metres - thanks to the high groundwater level not far from the Rhine. Scholzen: "The smart meters supplied by the Aachen-based company Discovergy enable continuous monitoring of the energy flows between the PV system, heat pump, energy storage and main meter."

In this complex and demanding project, many parties have to be coordinated. In Troisdorf, the following were involved:

Priogo AG from Zülpich (specialist partner for photovoltaics, heating technology, electromobility)
Discovergy GmbH from Aachen (smart metering systems)
Stadtwerke Troisdorf GmbH (distribution system operator)
Westfalen Group from Münster (residual electricity supplier)
Vaillant Group from Remscheid (manufacturer of the heat pumps) and Geotechnik GmbH from Wesseling (well drilling company)

In the meantime, the company Scholzen Immobilien is planning another tenant power project in Düsseldorf.

By the end of April 2018, a total of 19 tenant power projects subsidised under the EEG with an installed capacity of more than 350 kWp had been realised in NRW. The EnergyAgency.NRW has published a brochure entitled "Mieterstrom - kurz erklärt" (Tenant Electricity - Explained in Brief), which presents in detail the technical and legal aspects that need to be considered when implementing projects.

Keywords:
Renewable, Tenant electricity, News Blog NRW, PV, Electricity storage

Hotel Jakarta in Amsterdam

Together with Ursem Modulaire Bouwsystemen, the DERIX Group is building a hotel made of wooden modules - 9 storeys high, in the middle of Amsterdam. Here, 2,100 m³ of wood will be used, 550 m³ of which is silver fir, with which the visible surfaces of the modules will be finished. The hotel is currently being assembled from 176 wooden modules, which are transported to the construction site completely prefabricated. 12 modules are assembled per day, and the hotel will open at the end of 2017.

Hotel Jakarta is the first energy-neutral hotel in Amsterdam and will feature 200 luxurious hotel rooms and suites, in addition to a wellness centre with swimming pool and gym, a skybar, various restaurants, an espresso bar, underground parking and a tropical garden.

Funding programme progres.nrw extended

North Rhine-Westphalia has extended the progres.nrw programme until the end of 2016. The programme complements and expands existing programmes such as the market incentive programme or KfW funding.

Subsidies are available, among other things, for domestic ventilation systems/appliances with heat recovery and solar thermal systems. For the latter, however, only if they are not required anyway in order to comply with the Renewable Heat Act in new buildings.

In the case of PV, only so-called multiplier systems are eligible for funding. These include systems on ultra-low-energy or passive houses, particularly efficient technologies or façade-integrated PV. A subsidy is available for biomass systems if they are installed in conjunction with a solar thermal system. Subsidies are also available for highly efficient decentralised CHP systems for heat and power generation with an electrical output of up to 20 kW. Special energy storage systems and systems with an extraordinary degree of innovation or multiplier effect are also eligible for funding. This is decided on a case-by-case basis.

A grant is also available for residential buildings in the passive house standard including ventilation systems and for residential buildings in the 3-litre house standard including ventilation systems, as well as for studies on energy efficiency in which there is particular interest on the part of the state. The amount of the subsidies is flat-rate. For example, 4,700 euros are available for a passive house with a ventilation system.

In 2015, a total of more than 6,000 measures were funded under the programme. Applications for funding can be submitted by private individuals as well as small and medium-sized enterprises or municipalities. A total of 10 million euros is available for the programme in 2016. Source: progres.nrw / pgl