Society for the Promotion of Renewable Energies

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The Society for the Promotion of Renewable Energies mbH (GFE) in Nuremberg developed and built highly efficient engines according to its own information.

Business operations

The engines were operated with a mixture of water and rapeseed oil ( water injection ) and, as decentralized block- type thermal power stations in container construction, were to achieve an annual return of 30 percent at a unit price of 40,000 euros.

Efficiency

The exorbitant return promises were justified with the high energy efficiency: instead of the maximum achievable 50 percent today, power generation should be 90 percent. Corresponding reports from TÜV Süd and DEKRA seem to confirm this. In fact, however, the institutes did not test efficiency levels, but instead recorded the quantities consumed.

insolvency

Fewer than ten of the cogeneration units went into operation. These only achieved efficiencies below 33 percent and failed in continuous operation. In 2011 the bankruptcy procedure was opened. The Nuremberg Public Prosecutor's Office has been investigating the company since 2011 on suspicion of commercial fraud . The financial loss for the 1,417 investors is estimated at a good 62 million euros.

In February 2014, the court proceedings before the Nuremberg-Fürth regional court ended after 16 months with 94 days of trial, with all eleven defendants who belonged to the management level of sales, technology and management being convicted of “commercial and gang fraud”; the former head of the GFE received a prison term of nine years, the other ten defendants were sentenced to terms of between three and six and a half years.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Heinz Wraneschitz: Fraud with vegetable oil CHP. Association of Energy Consumers , April 3, 2013, accessed on January 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ Uwe Ritzer: Investment fraud with renewable energies. Millions burned. In: Süddeutsche.de. January 18, 2011, accessed January 10, 2014 .
  3. ↑ Jürgen Dunsch: Big fraud with small power plants . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . April 13, 2011 ( online [accessed January 10, 2014]).
  4. ↑ "GFE trial: nine-year prison sentence for company founder Horst K.", nordbayern.de, February 27, 2014, accessed on December 21, 2015