The bioenergy village: Power and heat from renewables - Viessmann

4l5Accepting challenges:Saving fossil fuels and protecting the climateEnsuring a futureproof energy supply andprotecting the climate are the greatestchallenges currently facing mankind. Energyconsumption worldwide has doubled since1970 and will triple by 2030. Energy pricesare becoming ever more crucial cost factors.Climate change is no less critical an issuethan future security of energy supply. CO 2emissions exert a critical influence on the risingtemperature of the Earth's atmosphere.Setting sustainable standards withbioenergy villagesThe heating market accounts for morethan 40 % of energy usage and the largestproportion of energy consumption; ittherefore can play a significant role in theachievement of agreed political climate goals.The installation of advanced, highly efficientsystems would save the heating market upto one third of its energy.Political goals with regard to energyand climateTo this date, there are no global bindingagreements on climate protection. By contrast,the German Federal Government has alreadyestablished concrete political goals regardingenergy and climate which should be achievedby the year 2050: 50 % energy savingscompared to 2008 60 % renewables 80 % reduction in CO 2emissionscompared to 1990A twin strategy has been developed forrealising these objectives, i.e. fossil fuels mustbe used more efficiently, while renewablesmust be used more intensively. In this context,numerous acts of parliament have beenrevised or newly drafted in Germany. The mostimportant are the Renewable Energy SourcesAct (EEG), the Renewable Energies Heat Act(EEWärmeG), the CHP Act (KWK-Gesetz) andthe current Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV).Bioenergy villages can contribute to thissaving. All households are supplied froma local heating network whose energy isgenerated from renewable fuels on theoutskirts of the village. These fuels come fromagricultural resources which are processedin a biogas plant, or from local forests. Everybioenergy village is therefore a strategicsustainability project which protects theclimate and environment, and in an idealscenario, does not consume fossil fuels suchas oil or gas.Low initial costsIt usually costs around €4500 for onehousehold to connect to the heating networkof a bioenergy village. This includes acontribution to the operator association,which is usually a cooperative.In comparison to a conventional oil heatingsystem, the price for heating is reduced byaround 30 %. In fact, savings during operationrise continually over several years. The CO 2savings achieved are above 50 %.