CTO Assessment - European Commission

MUNICH
RES & RUE
Alliance
Contact: Mr George Ritter • City of Munich
Department of Health and Environment • Bayerstrasse 28a
D-80335 München • Germany • Tel: +49-89-233-477 10
Fax: +49-89-233-477 05 • E-mail: georg.ritter@muenchen.de
The city of Munich created the policy framework
for promoting renewable sources of
energy in the late Eighties and it has expanded
and deepened since then. Initially,
the emphasis was on solar-thermal systems
and then, more recently, on solar-photovoltaic
systems.
The projects main objectives are to create
a well managed forum, which brings together
market players in a climate of confidence
in order to tackle projects, measures,
actions and campaigns and to double
the share of energy from renewable sources
in Munich by 2010.
The partnership between the City Council
of Munich and the European Commission,
which includes many programmes and activities
in a number of RE fields, reflects
the enormous effort that has been made by
the local authority to reduce energy dependence
and improve the quality of the
city’s environment. The RE Partnership
created involves the members of the already
existing “Munich Ecology Alliance” (which
includes craftsmen’ organisations, industry,
NGOs, banks, administrative authorities),
as well as the municipal utility company
and the Munich Energy Agency.
The Project
In order to reach this goal many projects
have either already been completed or are
currently underway. Projects include: a
special forum “Solar City of Munich” to
facilitate the exchange of knowledge, dissemination
of information and project results
targeted at Solar Thermal and PV.
There is also a special forum “energy efficiency
in office buildings”, Munich Solar
days – a publicity event organized since
1987 - with a non-commercial Solar market
outdoors and a commercial Solar Fair
indoors. The project further supports Citizens
partnership solar plants, solar roofs
on municipal buildings, mobile solar information
booths, solar ice-cream bicycle –
selling solar-power cooled ice-cream in
combination with information distribution.
Citizens´ partnership PV plants
The project used the financing concept of
Citizens’ partnership solar plants. Private
and public interested parties; investment
grants and/or grants for public relations
to the operators of citizens´ partnership
PV plants were used towards the realization
of five large PV plants. This involved
the citizens, who are not builders themselves,
with the utilization of solar energy.
Enabling factors
Political support was received through the
foundation of a climate and energy task
force during the International Energy Conference
“Rio 10” in Munich 8/02. Financial
support came from the European Commissions
ALTENER 2002; legal backing
came from the Renewable Energies Act
from the German Government.
Challenges
The figures of about 6 % of electric energy
generated from renewable energy and
about 8,000 customers using natural
power (eco-electricity) demonstrate, that
there remains a lot to do. Due to economic
(prices for fossil fuels still are too low)
and political (support still is too weak) reasons,
people were not sufficiently motivated
to deal with the matter of renewable energies.
Furthermore, the necessity for the
promotion of renewable energies was not
recognized by the politicians, so that the
financial means were not made available.
This was combated as far as possible by
means of public relations consisting of conferences,
the special forums, the solar days,
the citizens’ partnership plants, the solar
information booth, the solar ice-cream bicycle
Replication Potential
The climate protection activities carried out
by city of Munich may be, in principle, conducted
by every town or city. The main prerequisites
are political willingness and sufficient
financial capacities, which certainly
influence each other. There is a tight cooperation
between the city of Munich and
further European cities in the framework
of the climate and energy task force.
Change in perception of implementing
RES projects (1999 – 2003)
The issue of sustainable energy is of greater
concern today than 1999. It is not easier
to finance a project today due to difficulties
caused by the actual economic problems
and the resulting tax policy. Achieved
success and future success is threatened
by economic and employment problems.
Key facts of the project
PV Systems have achieved an output of 4,200 kWp
Domestic hot water production ca. 1,900 m 2 in municipal plants and
ca.15,300 m 2 in private plants
District heating: 3,000 m 2
Utility owned wind farm with a 1.5 MW capacity
2 Biogas installations at 130 kW and one at 140 kW
Medium temperature Geothermal with a heat capacity of 6-8 MW
RES Increase:
By 2000 the PV share increased by 56%
and then by 2003 by another 98.6% The
share of Solar Thermal increased by 45%
and then 42% at the same dates.
CTO - Showcase
55