Municipal heat turnaround: Bavaria's largest solar thermal plant

Published 15 March 2022

NATURSTROM is expanding its largest local heating project to date in Markt Erlbach, Franconia. In future, the eco-energy supplier will supply more than 130 customers with sustainable and locally generated heat - not only households but also municipal buildings and a large commercial enterprise. On 2,400 m² Bavaria's largest solar thermal plant is being built for this purpose.

In the current second construction phase, NATURSTROM is connecting more than 70 new heat consumers, including the largest customer, the honey bottler Breitsamer & Ulrich GmbH & Co. KG. The company is providing the land for an energy centre and Bavaria's largest solar thermal plant with an area of 2,400 m² available.

"The current turbulence on the European energy markets shows that we in Germany absolutely have to make ourselves less dependent on imports of fossil fuels," says NATURSTROM CEO Dr Tim Meyer. "With the heating turnaround towards decentralised renewable energies, we are not only doing the climate a great favour, but also ourselves and our economy. The local heating supply in Markt Erlbach is a great example of how the changeover can succeed."

Since 2019, NATURSTROM has been supplying 40 consumers with ecological heat at long-term stable prices via a wood pellet heating centre. After completion of the second construction phase, the local heating network will be 6.4 kilometres long. In addition to numerous private households and the Breitsamer company, the heat consumers also include smaller businesses and municipal buildings such as the school, the indoor swimming pool and an event hall. "We are pleased that so many and such different players in Markt Erlbach want to be part of the local heat turnaround," says Meyer.

After connecting all consumers, the total heat demand in the network is around 5,350 megawatt hours (MWh) per year; by covering this demand from renewable sources, approx. 1,800 tonnes of CO₂ saved. In addition to solar heat, NATURSTROM uses wood pellets from the region as fuel in the existing energy centre, and regional wood in the form of wood chips will also be used in the second energy centre once the second construction phase is completed. "With the raw material supply from the region, we can provide affordable and sustainable energy for our citizens in the long term. Especially for future generations, it is important to act decisively for climate protection," emphasises Markt Erlbach's First Mayor Dr Birgit Kreß.

The two energy centres and the local heating network are designed to be open to new technologies, so that modernisation and expansion to supply new consumers are possible.

The impetus for planning the local heating supply came from a renovation of the main street. The connection to the local heating network will mainly replace old, climate-damaging oil heating systems. Particularly due to the lack of gas supply infrastructure, more than 80 percent of the inhabitants in Markt Erlbach still used heating oil before the start of the first construction phase.

Source: PM Naturstrom AG

Keywords: DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, News Blog Bavaria, Solar thermal

Published 15. February 2018

Wood from Here recognised by the BMUB as proof of requirements for wood products

In addition to the established standard for certifying the sustainability of federal buildings (BNB), the Federal Ministry of Building (BBSR) has also developed a new simplified standard for small residential buildings (BNK). As part of this standard, requirements are also defined for wood products and materials that must be met in order for them to receive full points here. Compliance with these requirements can now also be demonstrated with a WOOD FROM HERE certificate for the wood products.

Significance of the BNK for timber construction

It is the political will that new buildings in Germany should increasingly be subject to sustainability certification. So far, this has failed for the vast majority of buildings, especially smaller ones, due to the enormous costs and the considerable effort required for the corresponding certification. For this reason, the BBSR has developed a simplified standard for small residential buildings. This standard can now be used to certify single-family or multi-family houses more easily. In the meantime, various prefabricated house manufacturers offer their customers a corresponding sustainability certification.

What are the benefits for companies in the timber industry with a certificate for timber from here?

Manufacturers of timber construction products can now fulfil the requirements of the BNK for timber products used by means of a Holz von Hier certificate as an alternative to FSC or PEFC as proof of sustainable forest management. These requirements are set out in the standard's information sheet 3.3.1.

This is of course especially true for timber construction companies in case they want to offer their customers a corresponding certification according to the BNK. In addition to the suitability for the BNK standard, wood from here also offers a direct marketing advantage for timber construction companies, as regionally manufactured products are experiencing a growing trend among consumers and they can thus address a growing target group of environmentally conscious buyers.

The use of the Holz von Hier certification system is very simple for interested companies and involves little administrative, personnel and financial effort. The product- or object-related issuing of a certificate is carried out via an electronic controlling system, similar to the one used in the German biogas register in the context of carbon certificate trading. Holz von Hier thus offers companies in the timber industry additional market opportunities without complicating or restricting their operations.

PM from holz-von-hier.eu 2/2018

Keywords:
NBB, BNK, Certification & Labels

Published 19 May 2019

Hesse launches consulting program for fuel cell heating systems

Many detached houses, apartment blocks and commercial buildings are suitable for the installation of a fuel cell heating system. It generates electricity and heat at the same time.

The installation of such micro-CHP systems is also subsidised by the federal government. Dr Karsten McGovern, Head of the State Energy Agency (LEA), says: "Hesse has been supporting fuel cell heating as a building block for the heating transition in the boiler room for many years. Building on the positive long-term experience of the Hessian funding programme from 2014/15, we would like to motivate even more Hessian consumers to opt for this innovative heating technology." To this end, the LEA has launched an information and advice campaign on behalf of the Hessian Ministry of Economics.

In a fuel cell heating system, natural gas is converted into electricity and heat according to the principle of cold combustion. Their use is not only favoured by their efficiency - they have the highest energy efficiency compared to other heating systems on the market - but also by the massive reduction in emissions. For example, the CO2 footprint of a household can be reduced by more than a tonne (for comparison: the average CO2 emissions per capita in Germany in 2018 were just under 12 tonnes). In addition, other harmful emissions such as nitrogen oxides or particulate matter are almost completely eliminated. The electricity generated as a "by-product" can also be utilised and makes a significant contribution to reducing a household's energy costs. Surplus electricity can also be fed into the public grid and is remunerated.

KfW promotes the installation of fuel cell heating systems for private consumers as well as for commercial users and local authorities on behalf of the federal government with the programme 433 "Energy-efficient construction and renovation - fuel cell grant". The subsidy amounts to between 7,050 and 28,200 euros, depending on the electrical output. The subsidy is made up of a fixed basic amount and a performance-related component per 100 watts or part thereof.

"By the beginning of 2019, more than 5,000 fuel cell heating systems had been funded across Germany via the KfW 433 programme. We want to support this positive development in Hesse in order to firmly establish the fuel cell on the market for heating systems," continued Dr McGovern. With the campaign, the LEA is informing consumers and potential commercial users about the technology and the current range of subsidies on offer, as well as the practical implementation and operation of the system. A key component of this is also the offer of free orientation advice: interested parties can complete a checklist and send it to the LEA; they will then receive a qualified initial assessment of whether the property in question is also suitable for fuel cell heating and what the next steps towards realisation are. The advisory programme will be advertised throughout Hesse over the next few weeks, including on the radio.

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HA Hessen Agentur GmbH is the state's service company. It implements projects, campaigns and promotional activities and also acts as a consultant and "think tank". Its core objective is to provide the best possible support to the state of Hesse and other public institutions in achieving their goals within the framework of Hessian economic development. Further information can be found at www.hessen-agentur.de

On behalf of the Hessian state government, the State Energy Agency (LandesEnergieAgentur - LEA) takes on central tasks in the implementation of the energy transition and climate protection. One focus of its activities is aimed at Hessian municipalities, which can receive support with strategies and measures for climate protection and the expansion of renewable energies. LEA also sees itself as an information platform and provides information for citizens, companies and organisations in Hesse. www.landesenergieagentur-hessen.de

Source: LEA press release from 16 May 2019

Keywords:
Funding, News Blog Hesse

Published 26 April 2021

German Urban Development Award 2020 goes toBerlin

The prize is awarded every two years by the German Academy for Urban Development and Regional Planning (DASL) with significant support from the Wüstenrot Foundation. Urban Development Award in the DSP 2020 competition goes to the project Quarter at the former Blumengroßmark in Berlin. With 81 applications, a particularly large number of projects were submitted for the Urban Design Award. The spectrum was very broad: urban-structural-geographical, thematic, structural-spatial. From the new town hall in the urban planning context of a small municipality to the large conversion project of a metropolitan region, the interdisciplinary jury (urban planning, architecture, open space planning, preservation of historical monuments, economics, sociology) was faced with a very difficult decision in many cases.

"The quarter at the former flower wholesale market in Berlin Kreuzberg is exemplary for a co-creative urban redevelopment that focuses on living and working together and pursues long-term sustainable development strategies in the neighbourhood. The project sets orientation and standards for socially oriented urban development supported by diverse actors and is particularly exemplary in the sense of the German Urban Development Award. [...]" emphasizes the jury chairperson Prof. Dr. Christina Simon-Philipp, HFT Stuttgart.

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 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 planning 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 planning history and 30 years of urban planning 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.

The German Urban Development Award, which is endowed with a total of € 25,000, aims to promote forward-looking planning and urban development culture. It is awarded by the German Academy for Urban and Regional Planning (DASL) and sponsored by the Wüstenrot Foundation.

The prize is awarded to urban development projects implemented in the Federal Republic of Germany that stand out for their sustainable and innovative contributions to urban building culture and spatial development in an urban and rural context. The projects should take outstanding account of the current demands on contemporary lifestyles as well as the challenges to the design of public space, the economical use of resources and the obligations to the preservation of the local and urban landscape.

At its meeting in February 2021, the jury chaired by Prof. Dr. Christina Simon-Philipp awarded six prizes and seven commendations in addition to the urban development prize and the special prize. The urban development prize is endowed with €15,000 and the special prize with €5,000. The awards receive € 1,000 and the fourth category is commendations.

Due to the COVID pandemic, the planned festive award ceremony could not take place in a large round. Therefore, the nominations of the 15 projects were broadcast in a live stream with around 800 viewers on 23 April 2021 from the Akademie der Künste at Pariser Platz in Berlin. The specialist symposium, which was dedicated to the award theme of the Special Prize 2020 "Urban design revisited: prices - practice - perspectives". and the award ceremony are presented with documentary films of the award-winning projects on the website www.staedtebaupreis.de.
Anne Katrin Bohle, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Building and Home Affairs, emphasized in her welcoming speech:

"For 40 years, the German Urban Development Prize has been awarded for outstanding and forward-looking urban development projects in terms of design and urban structure. They not only receive outstanding public attention nationally, but are also given special consideration internationally. The BMI supports modern and sustainable building of high design quality. In this context, it is essential for us that the "project", i.e. an individual building or an ensemble of buildings, fits into innovative and integrated urban development strategies, because the high-quality design of the built environment is a decisive building block for the quality of life in our cities and communities. Baukultur stands not only for the result, i.e. an aesthetic, good building, but encompasses the entire complex process from participation and co-determination to planning, construction, use and maintenance. In this sense, we very much welcome the fact that the German Academy for Urban Development and Regional Planning, together with the Wüstenrot Foundation, is honouring good urban development projects and, in application of the principles of the New Leipzig Charter, is advancing the transformation of European cities into sustainable living spaces oriented towards the common good."

DASL President Prof. Dr. (Univ.-Florenz) Elisabeth Merk went on to explain the function of the German Urban Development Award and thanked the Wüstenrot Foundation for its support, without which the award would not be possible:

"For more than 40 years now, the German Urban Design Award has been honouring projects that bring societal and social issues to bear with outstanding design solutions in architecture and urban development. The continuity of standing up for sustainable urban development and thus encouraging others to stand up for quality has characterised the German Urban Development Prize since its beginnings. Special thanks go first and foremost to the Wüstenrot Foundation, which makes the prize financially and conceptually possible, as well as to all the committed participants and very personally to Prof. Dr. Werner Durth, who as a source of inspiration has shaped the prize over the years with his knowledge and passion."

The Managing Director of the Wüstenrot Foundation, Prof. Philip Kurzis the reason for the foundation's commitment to the German Urban Development Prize:

"We are currently facing major challenges in shaping our cities. The pandemic and its consequences have once again highlighted how important it is that we set the right course for the future - for people's quality of life, for coexistence in our society, for economic diversity and for the quality of our built environment. The German Urban Design Award honours the design of the projects as well as their contribution to a lively, diverse future for our cities. With our support, we want to strengthen the opportunities associated with the German Urban Design Award and promote building culture - the quality of our built environment - in Germany."
The results of the competition and details of the winners, the awarded and commended projects as well as the complete jury assessments can be found at www.staedtebaupreis.de.

A documentation of the German Urban Design Award 2020 will be published in the series "STADT BAUEN" by Wasmuth Verlag, probably in late autumn 2021.

The jury for the German Urban Design Award 2020 consisted of:
- Jury Chair Prof. Dr. Christina Simon-Philipp, Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences
- Prof. Undine Giseke, Technical University Berlin
- Prof. Dr. Markus Harzenetter, State Office for Monument Preservation Hesse, Wiesbaden
- Dr. Stefan Krämer, Wüstenrot Foundation, Ludwigsburg
- Prof. Dr. (Univ. Florence) Elisabeth Merk, President DASL, Munich
- Dipl.-Ing. Jórunn Ragnarsdóttir, LRO Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei, Stuttgart
- Dipl.-Ing. Verena Schmidt, Teleinternetcafe Architecture and Urbanism, Berlin
- Permanent guest for the Scientific Advisory Board Prof. Dr.-Ing. Werner Durth, Darmstadt

The results in detail
The jury reviewed and evaluated 139 projects, 58 of which received a special prize. Particularly noteworthy in the anniversary year 2020 was the exceptionally high quality of the entries submitted. After narrowing down the "shortlist" to 35 projects, these were each visited on site by a jury member between the beginning of December 2020 and the end of January 2021. The responsible actors of the projects were interviewed by zoom or outside. Despite the difficult conditions caused by the pandemic, the jury was able to get to know the projects very well.
From the "shortlist", the jury awarded one project the urban development prize and one the special prize, six projects (including two in the special prize) received an award and eight projects were awarded a commendation.
German Urban Development Award 2020

Laureate
Berlin| Quarter at the former flower market

Award
Bremen | Waller Sand
Heilbronn | Neckarbogen urban district - First building block of a new urban landscape
Regenburg | Jewish Community Center with Synagogue
Tirschenreuth | Place of learning - revitalization of the historic Fronfeste

Special Award 2020 "Urban Design Revisited: Prizes - Practice - Perspectives"

Laureate
Tübingen, 2001| Urban development area Stuttgarter Straße, French Quarter

Award
Hochheim am Main, 1983 | Planning consultation and initiative planning for the regeneration of the old town as well as renewal measures realized so far
Cologne, 1982 | Replacement housing and block redevelopment on the site of the former Stollwerck chocolate factory in the Severinsviertel redevelopment area

Commendations
Munich, 2008 | Jewish Center
Ulm, 2006 | New Centre Ulm - Urban Redevelopment in the Citizens' Discourse

Link
https://staedtebaupreis.de/

Source: DASL-PM of 23.4.2021

Keywords:
Awards, DE-News, Movies < 4 Min, Barracks conversion, News Blog Baden-Württemberg, News Blog Berlin, Mix of uses, Quarters, Urban production

Published 15 March 2019

"Colourful batteries" for the climate district

Developer Daniel Manschke from Volterion fills the electrolyte into the battery storage units in the climate quarter of Stadtwerke Herne. Photo: Stadtwerke Herne

Violet, green, blue and yellow - inside the innovative battery storage systems now available in the Climate quarter of the municipal utility company, will be colourful in the future. The electrolyte, which can store up to ten kilowatt hours of self-produced solar power, changes color depending on the state of charge.

Each of the new storage tanks holds 500 litres of the storage liquid. Redox-flow batteries in the cellars of the seven houses. The developers of the Dortmund-based manufacturer Volterion, a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT, installed and filled them themselves in Herne. This is because the climate district is an interesting technical demonstration object for them: Up to now, they have only installed battery storage systems in large-scale projects. In the single-family homes in Sodingen, the battery is only about the size of a two-door wardrobe.

Compared to conventional rechargeable batteries Redox-flow batteries are characterized by high operational reliability and extreme durability. Even a complete discharge does not harm them.

"With the battery, our energy concept of solar system and heat pump is now complete," explains Stephan Becker, project manager at the developer Stadtwerke Herne. "The climate quarter is now entering the home stretch." The final inspection with the future residents is scheduled to take place in about two weeks.

In April of last year, the municipal utility company began construction of the seven modern plus-energy houses. The small car-free model settlement combines the latest storage technology with renewable energy generation. The supply concept varies in individual details. With scientific support, the most efficient combination is to be found after the residents have moved in.

Link
https://klimaviertel.stadtwerke-herne.de/

Keywords:
Energy storage, News Blog NRW, PV, PlusEnergy house/settlement, Settlements