The balcony modules with which EWE has equipped an entire apartment building in Delmenhorst have been in operation for a year. The yield balance shows that tenants use almost 80 per cent of the solar electricity themselves and can cover up to 20 per cent of their electricity consumption with it.
read on:
www.pv-magazine.de/2017/07/12/mieter-nutzen-rund-80-prozent-ihres-balkonstroms-selbst
Schleiden-Gemünd / Nettersheim, 05.04.2019. Experiencing the starry sky at night with twinkling celestial bodies is a special experience for many people that is now only possible in a few places in Germany - one of these places is the Eifel National Park. Since 2010, a regional initiative has been successfully campaigning for the protection of the night sky and the preservation of the natural night landscape - in 2014, this was followed by the provisional designation as the first "International Dark Sky Park" in Germany. Now this initiative can look forward to the final recognition as International Star Park Eifel National Park. On the grounds of the observatory of the astronomy workshop "Stars without Borders" in the Eifel National Park, Dr. Andreas Hänel, highest representative of the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) in Germany, presented the certificate of recognition to Environment Minister Ursula Heinen-Esser and the head of the Eifel National Park Administration Dr. Michael Röös. The distinction of being a protected area of the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) is a title that only a few regions worldwide can use to promote themselves, in Germany there are only four. For the Eifel National Park, which turned 15 this year, this recognition is a nice "birthday present".
The Eifel National Park is a refuge of undisturbed night skies and has been recognised as a star park since 2014. "Rarely does a topic offer so many win-win situations," said Environment Minister Ursula Heinen-Esser when handing over the certificate. She emphasised the many benefits of protecting the starry night sky: "Dark nights have a positive effect on health, conserve resources and thus help to protect the climate. Darkness is important for many nocturnal animal species, especially insects. Artificial light at night can be a serious threat to them." For North Rhine-Westphalia, he said, the final recognition of the Eifel National Park as the only star park in the entire western half of Germany was an outstanding honour. "The final recognition of the Eifel National Park as a star park helps to raise the profile of our state as a nature destination as well," the state environment minister summed up.
The initiative goes back to the astronomer and lighting consultant Harald Bardenhagen from Cologne, who managed to convince the region of the value of the starry sky. Initially, Bardenhagen found enthusiastic comrades-in-arms in the administration of the Eifel National Park, the district administration of Euskirchen, the national park towns of Schleiden and Heimbach, and those responsible for the Vogelsang property. However, until the final recognition as a Dark Sky Park, further efforts on different levels were necessary: In the design of the outdoor lighting to reduce the artificial light in the National Park and the directly surrounding villages or in the development of tourist offers for stargazing for the general public. The North Eifel Nature Park, in which the Eifel National Park is embedded, has also been intensively involved in this process.
Dr. Michael Röös, Head of the Eifel National Park Authority, thanked Mr. Bardenhagen for his unprecedented commitment against light pollution and his dedication to protecting the night sky and making it possible to experience it. "With the final recognition of the Eifel National Park as an International Star Park, we have reached an important milestone with the region and at the same time taken a pioneering role in the protection of darkness in North Rhine-Westphalia."
"Together we will significantly expand this unique selling point", Manfred Poth, Chairman of the North Eifel Nature Park, was pleased to say. With the innovative project application "Under the Tent of Stars - Eifel by Night", the nature park was able to prevail in the "Nature Park Competition.2021.NRW" of the NRW Ministry of the Environment and, for the first time in its history, took first place. "With the associated 400,000 euros in funding, the protection of darkness through public relations work, through educational offers of sustainable development and tourist infrastructure projects in the Eifel will experience a significant further development," explained Poth. More than 40 project partners, including the Eifel National Park Authority, want to participate in the realisation.
Left:
www.nationalpark-eifel.de/de/nationalpark-erleben/sternenpark/
Source: PM Nationalpark Eifel.de from 5.4.2019
Keywords:
Awards, Procurement, DE-News, Artificial light, Near-natural open space design, News Blog NRW, Social / Culture, Transition Town, Wildlife/animal friendly construction, Aesthetics / Architecture / Building Culture, Ecology
In Sweden, a residential building is being built that is specially designed for cyclists. Malmö is considered the most bicycle-friendly city in Sweden. 30 percent of the inhabitants here use a bicycle every day, and bike sharing is booming. Soon, however, Malmö will have even more to offer cyclists: In the middle of the city centre, the first house is currently being built that is completely adapted to the needs of cycling residents.
The OHBOY! Bicycle House by the Architect's office Hauschild + Siegel. The architects are familiar with bicycle-friendly solutions - after all, they are based in Malmö's "neighbouring city". Copenhagen, the most bicycle-friendly in Europe.
Read on WIWO the whole article from 14.9.2016.
Keywords:
Bike-/Velo-City, News Blog Europe (without DE), News Blog Sweden
The Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs is supporting the climate-friendly construction of new buildings with a new funding programme that will start on 1 March 2023. For the first time, the entire life cycle of a building will be considered - from construction to operation to potential deconstruction in the distant future. The buildings are characterised by low greenhouse gas emissions in the life cycle, high energy efficiency, low operating costs and a high proportion of renewable energies for the generation of heat and electricity. This funding thus makes a contribution to climate protection and to meeting national climate targets.
Klara Geywitz, Federal Minister for Housing, Building and Urban Development: Climate-friendly building is no longer a can-do decision, but a must. Those who build today as they did in the past in order to save money are harming the climate and their wallets through horrendous ancillary costs.
With this 750 million euro annual funding programme, we exclusively promote climate-friendly new construction. Anyone can use the KfW-funded interest rate reduction. It helps exactly when it is often most difficult: when starting the financing for a home or apartment building.
It is important to see this funding programme as part of a large, social and climate-friendly construction funding programme of the federal government. Looking at the year 2023 alone, we are investing several billion in social housing, Trainee- and student housing, in the promotion of home ownership for families, the construction of apartment buildings and cooperative housing. Targeted funding, thinking about tomorrow today and excluding windfall profits - that is the funding principle of this federal government in building.
To the programme:
The federal funding for efficient buildings - climate-friendly new construction is a measure of cross-sectoral climate protection. The new requirements for greenhouse gas emissions in the life cycle are as follows a.o. an important contribution to limiting "grey emissions", the greenhouse gas emissions that can be traced back to the production and construction of buildings, including the supply chain. According to the BBSR-According to the study "Environmental Footprint of Buildings in Germany", the production, construction and modernisation of buildings accounts for around 7 % of national greenhouse gas emissions (about 65 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents). Added to this are 35 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents from suppliers abroad.
In addition, the new programme contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector to 67 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents and thus achieve both the national and the European energy and climate targets by 2030. The annual CO2-equivalent reduction targets for the individual sectors are derived from the permissible annual emission quantities of the Federal Climate Protection Act.
Programme funds amounting to 1.1 billion euros are available from the Climate and Transformation Fund in 2023. Of this amount, 750 million euros will be allocated to the Climate-Friendly New Construction funding programme and 350 million euros to home ownership funding for families.
In the appendix you will find the Guideline for the "Climate-friendly new construction" programme
Source: PM BMWSB 25.1.2023
Keywords:
DE-News, Funding, Climate protection, Quarters, Settlements, Environmental policy, Housing, Housing policy
Trailer (4:28 min, March 2016)
The new film by FechnerMedia shows solutions for a democratic, sustainable and affordable energy supply from 100 % renewable energies. It takes viewers on a journey through a country where hundreds of thousands are fighting for the energy revolution - full of passion and hope, facing setbacks and celebrating successes.
Link
Website: http://powertochange-film.de
Keywords:
DE-News, Renewable, Movies, Movies 4 to 10 Min, Environmental policy
