Scrapping premium for old (wood) stoves

Published 16 March 2018

The Ministry of the Environment in Rhineland-Palatinate has launched the funding programme "1,000 efficient stoves for Rhineland-Palatinate". Within the framework of this programme, the replacement of old fireplaces with modern wood-burning systems is financially supported if they were approved between 1 January 1985 and 1 January 1995. The subsidy amounts to up to 800 €. The subsidy programme is intended to help accelerate the dismantling of old appliances in accordance with the 2nd stage of the 1st BImSchV and to further improve air quality. A total of 500,000 euros is available. This measure covers all old single-room furnaces such as wood-burning stoves, heating and tiled stove inserts from the above-mentioned period that are fired with solid fuels such as logs, wood or lignite briquettes. In addition, the replacement of old oil stoves is also promoted if they are replaced by a modern wood-burning stove.

Link:
www.energieagentur.rlp.de/...1000-effiziente-oefen-fuer-rheinland-pfalz

Keywords: Renewable, Funding, NaWaRohs, News Blog RLP, Environmental policy, Ecology

Published 11 November 2017

Conference presents compass for future-oriented energy research

The successful implementation of the energy transition requires a variety of technologies that solve different tasks in the energy system. Missing components must be added and optimisation processes implemented. Technological innovations, supported by social innovations, play a central role here. Several projects are now systematically analysing the potential of individual energy technologies and the need for innovation.

The Renewable Energy Research Alliance (FVEE) will present the initial results of these structured technology assessments at its conference in Berlin on 8 and 9 November 2017. The scientists will also present the latest research findings on wind energy, photovoltaics, bioenergy and sustainable heat as well as sector coupling, storage technologies and sustainable mobility.

Innovations for the global energy transition
Over the past decades, a wide range of technical and social solutions have been developed, which now need to be implemented in a coherent way to achieve global and national goals. Despite the progress made in recent years, existing technologies must become more efficient and cost-effective. Completely new solutions even need to be developed for some problems. The reorganisation of energy systems is creating a huge future market. German companies need innovative products if they are to compete successfully and realise their potential. Research and development provide the basis for these necessary innovations.

Impetus for the development of the new energy research programme
The German government is currently preparing the 7th Energy Research Programme in a broad consultation process, which should be in line with the overarching political objectives. This requires a systematic reassessment of the various technologies and their potential contribution to the energy transition. The strategic flagship project "Trends and Perspectives in Energy Research" initiated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is providing key input. The lead project is divided into two sub-projects, which will present their key findings at the conference.

Multi-criteria evaluation of over 30 technology fields
In the "Technologies for the Energy Transition" sub-project, a consortium led by the Wuppertal Institute is assessing the research and development needs for the key technologies that are currently and will be required in the future as part of the energy transition. Using a bottom-up approach, the project analyses the technologies and lines of development available today and identifies necessary technical or economic improvements. The analytical framework comprises over 30 fields of technology from the areas of renewable energies, grids, storage, sector coupling (Power to X) and energy and resource efficiency. The researchers evaluate all fields of technology according to twelve assessment criteria and ask, among other things, about the contribution of the respective technology to climate policy and the energy industry, the positioning of German companies in the international environment and key aspects of system compatibility. The criteria include, in particular, the economic application potential, the greenhouse gas reduction effect, social acceptance and the status of research and development in an international comparison.

Methodology for prioritising energy research topics
In the parallel sub-project "Development and application of methods for prioritising topics and measures in energy research in the context of the energy transition", a top-down approach is being pursued under the leadership of the Research Centre for Energy Economics. This project analyses the technical, economic, political and social framework conditions of the energy industry. The researchers identify challenges to achieving the energy and climate targets and derive the need for action for future energy research. They are drawing up profiles of measures that also formulate recommendations for new funding formats for energy research.

Copernicus projects
In addition to the BMWi's flagship project, the annual conference will take a look at the four Kopernikus projects of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), large interdisciplinary collaborative projects in which civil society is involved alongside the scientific community. ENSURE focuses on the redesign and stabilisation of the electricity grid through decentralised generators in urban-rural units. Innovative technologies for electricity transmission are just as much a focus as information and communication technologies, which should ensure the balancing and stability of the electricity grid in the future. Among other things, P2X is working on the development of new, precious metal-free catalysts for the production of synthetic fuels. SynErgie is investigating the potential for demand-side management in the industrial sector. ENavi aims to identify the technical, organisational and social framework conditions that have a decisive influence on the success of the energy transition.

Further materials
Programme of the FVEE Annual Conference:
www.fvee.de
Website of the sub-project "Technologies for the energy transition":
https://wupperinst.org/p/wi/p/s/pd/626/

About the Research Association for Renewable Energies
The Renewable Energies Research Alliance is a nationwide cooperation of research institutions. The members research and develop technologies for renewable energies, energy efficiency, energy storage and the optimised technical and socio-economic interaction of all system components. The common goal is to transform the energy supply into a sustainable energy system.

The member organisations of the FVEE

- DBFZ German Biomass Research Centre

- DLR German Aerospace Centre

- Fraunhofer ISE Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems

- Fraunhofer IWES Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology

- GFZ Helmholtz Centre Potsdam German Research Centre for Geosciences

- HZB Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy

- ISFH Institute for Solar Energy Research Hameln Emmerthal

- IZES Institute for Future Energy Systems

- Jülich Research Centre

- KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research

- Wuppertal Institute for climate, energy, environment

- ZAE Bavaria Bavarian Centre for Applied Energy Research

- ZSW Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research

Keywords:
Stakeholders, DE-News, Energy storage, Renewable, Climate protection, New books and studies, PV, PlusEnergy house/settlement, SDG 2030, Solar thermal, Environmental policy

Published 21 June 2022

What is the maximum amount of CO2 that Germany can still emit? Environment Council updates CO2 budget

15.06.2022

Is German climate policy on the right path? A national CO₂-budget for Germany allows for a transparent comparison with international targets. In a paper published today, the Environmental Council updates its calculations for a German CO₂-The paper also provides answers to frequently asked questions about the carbon budget and shows that rapid emission reductions are crucial - last year, climate targets were again missed in transport and buildings. The paper also answers frequently asked questions about the CO₂-Budget.

"Germany must become independent of all fossil fuels, not just those from Russia," says Prof. Wolfgang Lucht. "The remaining CO₂-The energy budget is melting rapidly. This is above all a consequence of the recently delayed energy transition in Germany. The German government should now adopt measures for the industrial and private sectors with even more vigour that will put us on a path that is demonstrably in line with the Paris climate targets." The SRU therefore recommends that the Federal Government introduce a German CO₂-The budget should be clearly named and justified in order to create transparency.

For a fair and appropriate German contribution to the international climate goals, a maximum CO₂-budget of 6.1 Gt CO₂to limit global warming to 1.75 degrees (with 67 % probability). For the 1.5 degree target (50 % probability), Germany would have to reduce its emissions to a maximum of 3.1 Gt CO₂ limit. By "maximum", the SRU means a budget that can just be considered compatible with the Paris Agreement. If emissions were to be reduced linearly to zero from now on, Germany would have to reduce CO₂-neutral.

"Germany must now take off on climate protection," says Prof. Claudia Kemfert. "If we miss the targets and overrun the budget, we will not be able to make up for it later.

In its landmark decision of March 2021, the Federal Constitutional Court used the budget calculated by the SRU to examine whether the Climate Protection Act meets the constitutional requirements.

Download the publication "How much CO₂ is the maximum amount that Germany is still allowed to emit? Questions and answers on CO₂-Budget“.

In May 2020, the Council had already Calculations and recommendations to a CO₂-Budget published.

For further information, please contact Dr. Julia Hertin, Tel: +49 30 263696-118,
Email: julia.hertin@umweltrat.de

The German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) has been advising the German government on environmental policy issues for 50 years. The Council's composition of seven professors from different disciplines ensures a scientifically independent and comprehensive assessment, both from a scientific-technical and a social science perspective.

The Council currently consists of the following members:

Prof. Dr Claudia Hornberg (Chair), Bielefeld University

Prof. Dr Claudia Kemfert (Deputy Chair), Leuphana University Lüneburg and German Institute for Economic Research Berlin

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christina Dornack, Dresden University of Technology

Prof. Dr Wolfgang Köck, University of Leipzig and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ

Prof. Dr Wolfgang Lucht, Humboldt University Berlin and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Prof. Dr Josef Settele, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ

Prof. Dr Annette Elisabeth Töller, Open University in Hagen

German Advisory Council on the Environment, Berlin
www.umweltrat.de

Keywords:
DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, New books and studies, Environmental policy

Published 23. December 2016

Agency for Renewable Energies: further decreasing investment costs for PV, wind and electric storage expected

Further decreasing investment costs for PV, wind and electric storage expected: In this regard, the Agency for Renewable Energies (AEE) publishes a new meta-analysis today. It compares the investment costs reported in 15 studies for a total of 11 energy technologies, including offshore and onshore wind energy, photovoltaics and solar thermal energy. It also presents statements on the investment costs of storage technologies and heat pumps. "The meta-analysis shows that specific costs for wind energy and photovoltaics are expected to continue to fall despite the cost reductions already achieved.

Another piece of good news for the energy transition is that investment costs for storage technologies can also be expected to fall drastically in some cases," says AEE Managing Director Philipp Vohrer, summarising the key findings of the meta-analysis.

PM AEE's costs for PV and wind continue to fall from 22 December 2016

Keywords:
Construction and operating costs, DE-News, Energy storage, Renewable, Media, New books and studies, PV, PlusEnergy house/settlement, Electricity storage, Ecology, Economics

Published 10 December 2020

Lower Saxony passes climate protection law

On Wednesday, December 9, 2020, the Lower Saxony state parliament passed what Lower Saxony's Environment and Climate Protection Minister Olaf Lies called a "very important and groundbreaking" law: With the Lower Saxony Climate Act, the topic of climate protection is anchored in the state constitution, the state-wide energy demand is to be completely covered by renewable energies by 2040 and Lower Saxony commits to climate neutrality by 2050. Lies: "With this, we have a law that does justice to the importance of climate protection as the central social task for the coming years and decades. It sets an important course for the future. This is what this state government and the parliamentary groups that support it stand for - setting realistic goals that can also be implemented. We are setting standards and probably have the most ambitious climate law in the whole of Germany! We are consistently pursuing our goal of making Lower Saxony the No. 1 climate protection state. We are already the No. 1 energy state, and we will also achieve this in climate protection!"

The full speech by the Minister for the Environment and Climate Change:

19:26 min, 9/12/2020.

The goal is to cover 100 percent of the energy demand in Lower Saxony with renewable energies by 2040. "To achieve this, we need a massive acceleration in the expansion of wind energy and photovoltaics that exceeds the best expansion year of the last 20 years many times over - and we need to do this consistently and permanently until 2040. This is an enormous challenge, but it is urgently necessary. The Federal Government must now set the right course for this in the Renewable Energy Sources Act," said Lies.

In addition, Lower Saxony could become a driver of innovation in climate protection, the Minister emphasized: "Through strong, courageous companies, through motivated, well-trained employees, through a functioning and trusting social partnership - employers and trade unions will go hand in hand here - I am convinced of that - and last but not least through a state government that has its sights firmly set on the future of Lower Saxony and creates incentives." With the programme of measures for energy and climate protection alone, which was recently approved by the cabinet, the state government is investing more than one billion euros. Lies: "And it is doing so in order to invest well in the future - among other things in climate-friendly mobility, in the energy refurbishment of our buildings, in solar technology, in hydrogen or the transition to a greenhouse gas-neutral economy. This will create additional demand, which in turn will contribute to higher production and employment - in the skilled trades, in the construction industry or in manufacturing."

What is always needed is "a clever mix of different instruments", which has been achieved with the present programme. In future, the programme of measures will be integrated into a comprehensive climate protection strategy for Lower Saxony.

"State objective, climate law and climate protection strategy: this is Lower Saxony's climate path," said Lies, "our contribution to national and international climate protection targets and the engine for our business and industrial location. We are already the No. 1 energy state in Germany. Now we have the legal basis to also become the No. 1 climate protection country. We don't just want to be on the climate protection train, we want to be the locomotive. We owe that to future generations. They have just as much right as we do to a habitable planet - also in the future."

Links
Download the draft version
www.niedersachsen.de/download/116752
Information from the Climate and Energy Agency of Lower Saxony (KEAN)
www.klimaschutz-niedersachsen.de/themen/klimaschutz/klimaschutz-in-niedersachsen.php
Comment from 10. 12. 2020
https://taz.de/Niedersachsen-bekommt-Klimaschutzgesetz/!5730550/

Keywords:
Movies, Movies 11 to 45 Min, Climate protection, News Blog Lower Saxony, Environmental policy