Energy municipality

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cities and municipalities are referred to as energy communes if their communal energy policy / energy management is geared towards the supply of renewable energies . Corresponding municipalities actively pursue the energy transition at local level with their own initiatives. Alternatively, the terms energy municipality , climate municipality are sometimes used . Energy city or energy village used. Bioenergy village, on the other hand, is a common term for places where the local electricity demand is covered by regionally available biomass.

Options for action by municipalities

Municipalities can be active in the energy sector locally and regionally in different ways. Important instruments are for example:

  • The construction of your own energy generation systems, such as photovoltaic systems , biogas systems , or local district heating networks , often by municipal utilities
  • The promotion of private investments in renewable energies, for example through the provision of construction areas for solar cells or wind turbines and the approval of renewable energy projects
  • The creation of an energy concept for which the stock and potential of renewable energies in the municipality are assessed and possible measures are developed
  • The control of construction projects through definitions in regional plans , zoning plans and development plans
  • A network buyback of privatized electricity networks in order to gain control options
  • The purchase of green electricity for municipal buildings
  • The provision of information and advice for local residents
  • The promotion of energy efficiency , for example through air conditioning concepts for building renovation
  • Regional cooperation to strengthen your own competitive position

Possible benefits

In addition to the reduced CO 2 production, energy municipalities benefit above all from the fact that a large part of the value chain can remain on site or in the region. This means that the planning, installation, operation and maintenance incur tax revenues, profits for local companies and the income of local employees. In addition, energy costs are saved and the municipalities gain independence from the large electricity producers. The electricity generated is remunerated when it is fed into the grid according to the sentences of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). In 2010, the Institute for Ecological Economic Research (IÖW) and the Center for Renewable Energies at the University of Freiburg (ZEE) published the study “Municipal Value Creation through Renewable Energies”, in which economic data on the municipal value chain are systematically analyzed and compared.

For 2009 the study comes to the result that in Germany's municipalities “at least 6.7 billion euros in added value were generated by renewable energies”. In an update, data for the following years were also calculated. For 2010, 10.5 billion and for 2011 8.9 billion euros are given. A future scenario for 2012 sees strong growth in renewable energies “an increase in municipal added value to over 13 billion euros. According to this scenario, the municipalities can collect EUR 1.2 billion in trade tax and a proportionate income tax and increase direct gross employment by over 80% to 210,000 full-time employees ”. The “Kommunal-Erneuerbar” project of the Renewable Energy Agency, funded by the Federal Environment Ministry , provides an “online value-added calculator” on the Internet with which municipalities can perform an initial calculation of possible value-added, climate protection and employment effects.

Acceptance measures and public participation

In the municipal expansion of renewable energies, measures to increase acceptance can prevent additional costs or even the possible failure of projects that have already been planned. A study by the Environmental Psychology Research Group at Saarland University on the acceptance of renewable energies from 2010 emphasizes "the relevance of extensive participation opportunities for the acceptance of renewable energies". It is important to enable continuous public participation in planning and profits, as well as to carry out transparent decision-making that is understandable for the citizens. The Naturschutzbund Deutschland eV (NABU) has published a “communication guide” for all project phases. In addition, citizens can be actively involved through various participation models. Depending on the situation, energy cooperatives , civil law companies (GbR) or GmbH & Co. KGs can be used as organizational forms, for example to operate a community wind farm. Municipalities can initiate this form of direct citizen participation in the plants themselves, promote it or participate in it.

Examples

The agency for renewable energies provides information about particularly active municipalities online in a “municipal atlas”. New suggestions and applications can also be submitted there. Since 2008, the agency has honored a municipality every month for its exemplary commitment as an “energy municipality”.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Agency for Renewable Energies: KOMM: MAG. The annual magazine on renewable energies in municipalities (PDF; 8.8 MB), 2012, p. 17ff., ISSN  2193-7710
  2. ↑ cf. SWR television in Rhineland-Palatinate: Sustainably into the future. February 10, 2009.
  3. ↑ Philipp Maußhardt: The energy community. In: Schrot & Korn. 5/2007.
  4. ↑ Internet presence of the city of Saerbeck , accessed on August 1, 2012.
  5. ↑ Internet presence of the city of Lichtenau (Westphalia) , accessed on August 1, 2012.
  6. ↑ Video today - in Germany: Energiedorf Wildpoldsried (July 10, 2012)  in the ZDFmediathek , accessed on January 26, 2014. (offline)
  7. ↑ cf. Timon Wehnert et al: Optimal use of renewable energies in municipalities - food for thought for practice. (PDF; 3.1 MB), Institute for Future Studies and Technology Assessment, Berlin 2007.
  8. ↑ Options for action for municipalities , in: Internetpräsenz Kommunal-Erneuerbar, accessed on August 1, 2012.
  9. ↑ VKU Association of Municipal Enterprises e. V .: concession agreements. Options for action for municipalities and public utilities  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Berlin@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.vku.de  
  10. ↑ How do municipalities benefit from renewable energies? in: Internet presence of municipal renewables, accessed on August 1, 2012.
  11. ↑ Bernd Hirschl et al: Municipal value creation through renewable energies. (PDF; 1.1 MB), Berlin 2010.
  12. ↑ a b Bernd Hirschl among others: Municipal value creation through renewable energies. (PDF; 1.1 MB), Berlin 2010, p. 18.
  13. ↑ Bernd Hirschl, Bernd, Astrid Aretz, Timo Böther: Municipal value creation through renewable energies - update for 2010 and 2011. (PDF; 321 kB), Berlin 2010, p. 14.
  14. ↑ Value added calculator , In: Internetpräsenz Kommunal-Erneuerbar, accessed on August 1, 2012.
  15. ↑ Petra Schweizer-Ries et al: Activity and participation - increasing the acceptance of renewable energies through participation. ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 2.0 MB), 2010, p. 2. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.fg-umwelt.de
  16. ↑ Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) eV: Communication guide on the expansion of renewable energies (PDF; 1.2 MB)
  17. ↑ Municipal Atlas . Municipal Renewable, accessed on August 1, 2012.
  18. ^ Energy municipalities . Municipal Renewable, accessed on August 1, 2012.