The bioenergy village: Power and heat from renewables - Viessmann

8l9Renewable local heating:Many benefits for residents and local authoritiesThe criteria for a bioenergy village arequite straightforward. The community isusually rural and has between 500 and1500 residents.Secure and economical supplyThe energy centre should be designed andconstructed outside the village to avoidcongestion for the residents from deliveriesof the necessary biomass. The energy centreis designed to permit an extremely reliablesupply of heating water and domestic hotwater at any time. Seen over several decades,every household invests just once to becomeconnected and then has no further costs.Permanently lower heating costs help easethe budgets of households, and create scopefor other investments. These might includeinsulation, for example, to further reduce heatconsumption.Strengthening the regional economy andeasing the budgetThe biomass required for heat generationusually comes from nearby sources. Thisstrengthens regional economies, as well aslocal agriculture and forestry. It also involvesvalue creation, investment and job security.Replacing conventional heatingIn smaller communities that mainly consistof detached houses, the typical fuel untilrecently has been oil. With renewable localheating networks, the individual heat sourcein the house makes way for a heat transferstation the size of a wall mounted gas boiler,which measures actual consumption via aheat meter. This also means the oil tank issuperfluous, so it can be removed, makingdirt and the smell of oil a thing of the past.The space this creates could be used for ahobby room, for example.Locational advantage thanks to lowenergy costsThe status of a bioenergy village makes it amore attractive place for developing industrialreal estate. Existing and new businesseshave a locational advantage as they can profitfrom the considerably lower energy costscompared to oil and gas.Furthermore, savings from a cheaper heatsupply for public buildings help to relieve thebudget of the local authority.