Sector-coupled steel storage for Berlin quarter

Published 26. October 2018

Berlin, 22 October 2018: Vattenfall Energy Solutions, Gewobag and the energy storage start-up Lumenion are jointly piloting a new type of sector-coupled steel storage system at Bottroper Weg in Berlin-Tegel, which absorbs regional generation peaks from wind and solar energy in a grid-serving manner and later provides the renewable energy as heat and electricity in line with demand.

"With this pilot project, we want to demonstrate the particular technical and economic suitability of thermal storage systems for the effective utilisation of large quantities of wind and solar energy in a very practical way," says Alexander Voigt, founder and Managing Director of Lumenion. "Some of our team have been working with renewable energies for over 30 years and with energy storage systems for over ten years. Based on this experience, we made a conscious decision in favour of steel as a storage medium for the second phase of the energy transition, which is just beginning."

The Lumenion steel storage system stores "electricity peaks" for less than 2 cent/KWh in a cost- and space-efficient manner at up to 650° Celsius as heat, which can be converted back into electricity using a turbine unit if required - or used entirely as heat. As a co-founder of Solon, Q-Cells and Younicos, among others, Voigt has been successfully launching solar modules and storage systems on the market since the 1990s.

Hanno Balzer, Managing Director of Vattenfall Energy Solutions GmbH: "Decentralised systems and energy storage are key factors in the energy transition; heat is a particularly cost-effective form of storage. If the stored energy can then be utilised not only as heat but also in the form of electricity, that is a milestone. The high-temperature storage system brings us a big step closer to this!"

Karsten Mitzinger from Gewobag Energie- und Dienstleistungsgesellschaft adds: "The energy transition can only succeed if it is decentralised and based on partnership. As a housing industry, we are making our contribution to climate protection in our neighbourhoods. With this project, we are pleased to be able to demonstrate the good cooperation between energy supply companies, municipal housing associations and innovative start-ups. Only together can we master the major challenges of the energy transition."

In the Tegler pilot project, a 2.4 megawatt hour (MWh) storage block is being trialled for commercial use and transferred to regular operation. To this end, the unit will be integrated with an existing gas-powered CHP unit from Vattenfall Energy Solutions into the neighbourhood electricity and local heating supply of a 1970s apartment building owned by Gewobag. The storage system will temporarily absorb any power peaks that are not required and feed them into the heat supply later on as needed. In a second step, a reconversion into electricity is also planned.

Parallel to the construction of the pilot project, Lumenion is testing a 450 kWh prototype on the campus of the University of Applied Sciences (HTW) in Oberschöneweide. The HTW is supporting Lumenion with practical accompanying research in the development, testing and validation of data, as well as in the regulation and operational management of the innovative storage system.

In further projects, Lumenion storage systems with 40 MWh and even 1,400 MWh are to be created as the next milestones. These giga-storages can integrate existing and newly added large quantities of renewable electricity generation from wind and solar power into the existing grids in a particularly favourable, efficient and demand-oriented manner, thus enabling a significant acceleration of the energy transition.

Keywords: DE-News, Energy storage, Renewable, Climate protection, News Blog Berlin, PlusEnergy house/settlement, Quarters, Electricity storage

Published 2 August 2019

Bavaria promotes photovoltaic storage

In the Bavarian 10,000 Houses Program, there is now also money for electricity storage units if the user installs them together with a PV system. Until the end of 2020, 24 million euros are available for the entire program.

The Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs has launched the new photovoltaic storage programme. It is part of the well-known 10,000 Homes Programme. From 1 August, owners of detached and semi-detached houses can apply for funding for a new electricity storage unit in conjunction with a photovoltaic system. In addition, there is the possibility for a grant for the installation of a private charging station for electric vehicles.

"We need to make better use of the sun's potential," says Minister of Economics Hubert Aiwanger. " With the new support programme, we will give additional momentum to the energy transition. It sets the right incentives to advance the decentralised expansion of renewable energies in Bavaria and will actively involve citizens in the energy transition." Citizens can also reduce their electricity costs with the help of the programme. The smart controls and connections provided for under the funding will also enable plant operators to participate in regional direct electricity marketing in the future.

The subsidy amount is graduated according to the capacity of the battery storage unit and ranges from 500 euros for a three-kilowatt-hour storage unit to 3,200 euros for a 30-kilowatt-hour storage unit. The prerequisite, however, is that the applicant simultaneously installs a new photovoltaic system whose output in kilowatt-peak is at least equal to the value of the capacity of the battery storage unit. For an additional charging station for electric vehicles, the subsidy is 200 euros. The Ministry of Economics is providing up to 24 million euros for the 10,000 Houses Programme until the end of 2020.

The successful EnergySystemHouse programme component will be continued. There, too, the use of solar energy and its storage in combination with energy-efficient refurbishment or particularly efficient houses and systems will be promoted. "The targeted promotion of innovative technologies is working, manufacturers are developing new systems and bringing them to market," says Aiwanger. "The number of particularly efficient heat pumps on the market has increased from 40 models to over 160 models. In the case of high-efficiency heat storage systems, the eligible models have increased fivefold to more than 250 models in the same period. Energy advisors report that many building owners are improving their plans and constructing or refurbishing buildings much more efficiently because of the programme."

All subsidies of the 10,000 Houses Programme are coordinated with the federal programmes and can be combined. It is very easy to apply electronically. Further information and the application platform can be found under this link.

2.8.2019 | Source: StMWi

Keywords:
DE-News, Energy storage, Funding, Climate protection, News Blog Bavaria, PV, PlusEnergy house/settlement, Electricity storage, Environmental policy, Ecology

Published 22 May 2021

OB-Barometer 2021: Climate protection and mobility are increasingly important for cities

For the mayors of German cities, climate protection and mobility remain the most important topics despite the pandemic. The OB-Barometer 2021 of the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu) shows a clear trend change in the topic of inner city development, which is gaining strongly in importance.

Berlin. This year's Mayor Barometer of the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu) is dominated by the corona pandemic. It is therefore not surprising that, when asked about the most important topics for cities at the moment, the city leaders most frequently named coping with the crisis and its consequences, at 69 percent. The topics of "climate, energy, sustainability" recorded a renewed increase in importance with 45 percent. If one disregards the special situation of Corona, "climate" is currently even in first place. This policy area already showed a strong increase in importance in 2020, and in 2021 the city leaders rated it as even more important than in January/February 2020. But when asked about the most important topics for the future, 53 percent of the mayors named "climate, energy, sustainability" ahead of mobility (50 percent) and digitalization (37 percent).

The fact that climate protection and mobility are considered so important at the moment and with a view to the future underlines the great importance that city leaders attach to environmental issues. "The exciting question of whether Corona will push the issue of climate protection into the background or raise additional awareness seems to have been decided in German cities. The mayors want to develop their city into the future in a climate-friendly way and with adapted mobility," comments Difu Institute Director Prof. Dr. Carsten Kühl on the results of the current Mayor Barometer 2021.

The OB-Barometer 2021 reveals a clear trend change in the topic of "inner city development". Here, the city leaders see a strong increase in importance both now and in the future: The topic has gained attention in recent years due to the increasing online trade. The Corona pandemic has massively intensified this trend: more and more shops are closing, more offices remain empty since many people work from home offices, and the cultural scene has also had to move into the digital space - many city centres are losing their quality of stay. The inner cities are facing a huge upheaval, which poses great challenges for the municipalities. Helmut Dedy, Chief Executive of the German Association of Cities, says: "We need more diversity, beyond retail. That's why the cities are working on new concepts for city centres and district centres: we want more space for encounters, greenery, culture, sport, crafts and housing. For this to succeed, we need a federal city centre funding programme."

Digitization continues to be one of the top issues, but has not gained renewed importance at the municipal level. This is presumably due to the requirements and already made experiences and changes during the corona pandemic. The topics of smart city, housing and finance continue to be among the most important current fields of action. The financial situation of the municipalities is not given greater urgency, which could be due to the fact that the cities assess it roughly the same as in the two previous years due to fiscal compensation measures of the federal government and the states. "However, it is also clear from the results of the survey that the assessment of the financial situation is a snapshot and will not automatically be so for municipalities in the future. Mayors cite the loss of tax revenue as the second biggest challenge in the corona crisis. And fiscal policy is the policy area where municipalities are second most likely to demand better framework conditions from the federal and state governments," says project manager Dr. Beate Hollbach-Grömig.

The topic of corona measures and corona consequences will soon lose its explosiveness in local politics, according to the assessment of the city leaders: More than two thirds of the city leaders name the topic as an important field of action at the moment, but among the important topics for the future, "Corona" is only in second to last place.

According to the OB-Barometer 2021, the mayors' wishes have changed only slightly with regard to the fields of action in which they would like better framework conditions from the federal states, the federal government or the EU: The wish for support in the field of digitalization has gained in importance (71 percent). This is presumably mainly due to the bottlenecks that became apparent during the crisis - for example, in the transmission of data from health offices, the possibility for administrative employees to work from home, or in the digital infrastructure equipment of schools. The next places are taken by the fields of action finance, housing policy and transport, in which the weightings have shifted only slightly. Compared to previous years, there is continuity in the "broad lines" of municipal policy - and the desired improvements in the framework conditions for local work.

Detailed results, graphics, charts and photos of the OB-Barometer 2021 and the previous year's evaluations are available on the Difu website:

www.difu.de/16644

Source: DIFU-PM of 19.5.2021

Keywords:
Procurement, DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, Communities, Mobility, City

DIFU-Webseite „Ressourceneffizienz in Kommunen“

Published 16 March 2018

DIFU website "Resource Efficiency in Municipalities

The new website was implemented by the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu) as part of the project "Resource Policy at Municipal and Regional Level" (kommRess) on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency. Resource protection is becoming increasingly important in environmental policy. Against this background, the Federal Environment Ministry wants to provide greater support to municipalities in matters of resource efficiency. The website provides an overview of the many possibilities for municipal action and shows good examples of how resources can be conserved.

www.ressourceneffizientekommune.de

Keywords:
Stock, Blogs & Portals, Quarters, Resource efficiency, Settlements

Published 1 October 2020

NRW launches new sustainability strategy

North Rhine-Westphalia is the world's largest public issuer of sustainability bonds / Minister President Laschet: North Rhine-Westphalia is committed to a future in which ecology and economy are responsibly compatible

The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia has adopted an updated sustainability strategy that has been supplemented with important topics for the future. With a wide range of goals and measures, the strategy shows the way to sustainable living and economic activity in the most populous federal state. The strategy was developed in cooperation with all ministries of the state government under the leadership of the Ministry of the Environment. The state government will appoint a sustainability advisory board to accompany the implementation, evaluation and further development of the sustainability strategy.

Minister President Armin Laschet: "With the newly presented sustainability strategy based on the 17 UN goals, North Rhine-Westphalia is making concrete contributions to the integrity of creation and to sustainable economic activity. North Rhine-Westphalia is a pioneering state: we show how sustainability can succeed here in a highly developed and densely populated industrial state in the heart of Europe. In this way, we can set an example worldwide. North Rhine-Westphalia is committed to a future in which ecology and economy are responsibly compatible."

"By positioning ourselves sustainably as a society and economy, we are shaping the future and future markets. Each and every individual can make a contribution to this in this decade of sustainability," says Environment Minister Ursula Heinen-Esser: "At the same time, the new strategy is also a central guard rail for the way out of the corona pandemic. This must be linked to tangible steps towards sustainability so that the economy can not only recover, but North Rhine-Westphalia can emerge from the crisis more climate-friendly, resource-efficient and sustainable."

The core of the new sustainability strategy is a set of 67 concrete goals and indicators. These are closely interlinked with the goals at federal level and are based on the global sustainability goals adopted by the United Nations on 25 September 2015 with the worldwide Agenda 2030. Ecology, economy and social coexistence are given equal consideration.

World's largest public issuer of sustainability bonds

Among other things, North Rhine-Westphalia plays a pioneering role in the issuance of sustainability bonds. In recent years, North Rhine-Westphalia has placed six sustainability bonds with a total volume of almost eleven billion euros on the financial markets. This makes North Rhine-Westphalia the largest public issuer of sustainability bonds worldwide and the first and so far only German state to issue bonds in this area. The multiple awards with industry prizes confirm the success of the state's sustainability bonds.

"The sustainability principle is particularly important to us - economically and politically," affirms Lutz Lienenkämper, Minister of Finance. "We achieve high demand on the market and at the same time enable important investments for the future of our country."

Wide range of targets and indicators

The spectrum of goals and indicators ranges from an increase in organic farming to 20 percent of agricultural land, to strengthening the environmental economy as an important future segment, to a minimum investment of 3.5 percent of GDP in innovations and solutions for the future. Other indicators describe the expansion of all-day care at primary school age and the increase in raw material productivity by 2030. In addition, the strategy includes important future topics such as digitalisation, the circular economy and electromobility.

Further information on the sustainability bonds

With the sustainability bond, the country is addressing investors who value a financial investment that supports social and ecological concepts. The investors' money flows into sustainable projects of the state from a total of seven project categories. These include, for example, exemption from contributions for the last year of kindergarten and the expansion of cycle paths and broadband infrastructure. The pension fund of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is also managed 100 percent sustainably. The state pursues the goals of security, profitability and sustainability in its investment decisions.

The requirements for sustainable capital investments include both general ESG criteria (Environment, Social, Governance - ESG) and targeted criteria for the exclusion of ethically or ecologically particularly problematic business practices. This is how sustainable management with improved environmental standards succeeds in the industrial and energy state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The state invests exclusively in companies that are among the best rated in the areas of ecology, social affairs and corporate governance on the basis of numerous key figures. In particular, international norms and standards for the protection of the environment as well as ethical and social criteria formulated by the UN apply.

Further information

Keywords:
News Blog NRW, SDG 2030, Environmental policy