4:40 min, 2.2.2017 published
This animation from the Foundation University of Hildesheim describes the structure and operation of an ice storage heating system.
The federal government's goal of reducing daily land consumption to 30 hectares per day is a long way off. Currently, daily land consumption for settlement and transport still averages 66 hectares per day. This year's 30-hectare day thus fell on 15 June. Since the beginning of the year until this day, so much land has been built up nationwide that no more land may be used for settlement and transport until the end of the year if the 30 hectare target is to be met.
Read the whole article from 19.6.2017:
www.nabu.de/news/2017/06/22630.html
Keywords:
Greening / climate adaptation, Soil & land consumption, DE-News, SDG 2030, Environmental policy, Housing policy
Baden-Württemberg's Environment and Energy Minister Franz Untersteller has concluded the state's support programme for PV storage systems and described it as a success.
In March 2018, the green-led ministry had launched the "Grid-serving photovoltaic battery storage" funding programme and provided it with a total of 10 million euros. The programme was part of the state government's solar offensive. Specifically, the state supported the investment in battery storage for a newly constructed photovoltaic system. Since the subsidies were exhausted after only 17 months, despite several increases, the programme was closed this week.
"With our million-euro funding, we have helped it gain new momentum," said Untersteller. "With an increase of 44 megawatts peak photovoltaic capacity and 30 megawatt hours of storage capacity, we have achieved our goal and taken the energy transition in the state a good step forward."
11.7.2019 | Source: Ministry of the Environment Baden-Württemberg
Keywords:
Stakeholders, DE-News, Energy storage, Renewable, Funding, Climate protection, News Blog Baden-Württemberg, PV, Electricity storage, Environmental policy, Ecology
"The raw material wood is precious. It is therefore important to use it responsibly and in a way that conserves resources," warns Peter Aicher, Chairman of Holzbau Deutschland. Even if wood is affected by environmental influences or the bark beetle, it does not represent an inferior raw material, but has almost identical properties to conventional construction timber. "If the so-called 'calamity wood' has the same structural quality in terms of load-bearing capacity as conventional sawn timber, it can be used without restrictions," explains Aicher. In addition, the wood retains its important function as a CO2 sink, regardless of external impairments.
"If the wood is used as a building material, the carbon bound in the wood remains stored there in the long term, thereby significantly reducing the burden on the environment."
The goal must be an economically and ecologically sensible and efficient use of the domestic resource. In the interests of sustainability and climate protection, regional wood resources should therefore be used optimally.
Calamity wood is of high quality and can be used without restrictions
In most cases, bark beetle infestation is irrelevant for the use of the wood as a building material. The bark beetle lays its burrows in the bast, i.e. the area between the bark (bark) and the trunk, but not in the load-bearing wood itself. In addition, the sawn timber is technically dried during further processing. During this process at the latest, any remaining populations of insect pests are reliably killed off, so that beetle-free timber processed into sawn timber is guaranteed to be beetle-free. Every piece of sawn timber - regardless of its origin - must meet the criteria of DIN standard 4074 in order to be used as load-bearing timber in a building. In some cases, the wood turns a slightly bluish colour after a bark beetle infestation. It can then be used in the non-visible area.
Environmental factors and the effects of climate change have further facilitated the mass spread of the bark beetle in the past year. In most cases, rapid felling of the affected trees is the only alternative to stop the further spread of the pest. The logs are immediately removed from the forest and stored. This results in an oversupply of so-called 'beetle wood'. The prompt further processing of the calamity wood into sawn timber is an active contribution to climate protection.
Holzbau Deutschland appeals to the public sector as well as to architects and builders to make greater use of regional calamity wood and to specify this in tenders. The use of domestic calamity wood not only supports regional value creation, but is also a sign of solidarity with regional forest owners.
Source: Holzbau Deutschland-PM from 5.3.2021
Keywords:
Building materials / Construction, Procurement, DE-News, Wood construction, Climate protection, NaWaRohs, Sustainable management, Quarters, Resource efficiency, Settlements, City, Housing
21 November 2019. Today, the Federal Ministry of Transport, together with the federal states and local authorities, is establishing an alliance for modern mobility. The aim is to create more space for environmentally friendly means of transport.
This also includes the rapid expansion of cycling in accordance with the climate package of the Federal Government. The bicycle club ADFC is represented with a keynote speech. ADFC Federal Executive Director Burkhard Stork assures mayors of full support in the expected land conflicts.
ADFC National Director Burkhard Stork said in the run-up to the event: „From 2020, for the first time there will be real money from the federal government to finance high-quality cycle path networks, cycle bridges and cycle parking facilities in the municipalities. To make sure that this money gets to the roads quickly, mayors and their administrations must start planning now - and build really good cycle paths from 2021 at the latest. As everywhere else in the world, there will be conflicts when it comes to redistributing road space. This is where it is important to show attitude and leadership, dear mayors. The ADFC, with its more than 450 branches nationwide, will strengthen you in this!"
Climate package: 900 million euros more for cycling
The papers on the climate package explicitly state that "the potential of cycling, which is far from being exhausted" is to be exploited. Together with the federal states and municipalities, "cycling networks" are to be implemented on which "every road user" will feel safe and "every route can be covered by bicycle". Area-wide cycle path networks" are to be created by converting normal roads into "cycle lanes", "converting lanes into protected cycle lanes", "safely redesigning junctions" and building "modern cycle parking facilities". In addition, cycling traffic is to be accelerated by "green waves" wherever possible.
The Federal Government is investing a lot of money in all these projects: 1.45 billion euros will be available for cycling until 2023, which is an additional 900 million euros in this period. The money is available through medium-term financial planning even after a change of government. StorkAlthough the climate package as a whole is disappointing because it continues to set disincentives for excessive car use, it marks a vehement departure for cycling. Not only does the government intend to at least triple cycling. It also admits that the previous, rather cosmetic methods of promoting cycling do not go far enough. From 2020 onwards, there should be really ambitious and high-quality construction for cycling, that's the signal to the cities!"
About the ADFC
The Allgemeine Deutsche Fahrrad-Club e.V. (ADFC) is with more than 185,000 members the largest representation of interests of cyclists in Germany and worldwide. It advises on all matters relating to bicycles: law, technology and tourism. Politically, the ADFC is committed to the consistent promotion of cycling at regional, national and international level.
Source: ADFC PM from 21.11.2019
Links
www.nakomo.de
Keywords:
Car Free, Bike-/Velo-City, DE-News, Climate protection, Mobility, Transition Town, Environmental policy, Ecology
