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German village produces more energy than it uses |
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4 Feb 2013, 4:36 PM
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A small village in Germany is producing 3 times more energy than it uses which is perhaps not so surprising considering that Germany has won the Solar Decathlon competition (to produce energy positive solar houses) year after year.
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Wildpoldsried’s green initiative first started in 1997 when the village council decided that it should build new industries, keep initiatives local, bring in new revenue, and create no debt. Over the past 14 years, the community has equipped nine new community buildings with solar panels, built four biogas digesters (with a fifth in construction now) and installed seven windmills with two more on the way. In the village itself, 190 private households have solar panels while the district also benefits from three small hydro power plants, ecological flood control, and a natural waste water system.
All of these green systems means that despite only having a population of 2,600, Wildpoldsried produces 321 percent more energy than it needs – and it’s generating 4.0 million Euro in annual revenue by selling it back to the national grid. And as an additional bonus, small businesses have developed in the village specifically to provide services to the renewable energy installations.
Over the years the village’s green goals have been so successful that they have even crafted a mission statement — WIR–2020, Wildpoldsried Innovativ Richtungsweisend (Wildpoldsried Innovative Leadership). The village council hopes that it will inspire citizens to do their part for the environment and create green jobs and businesses for the local area.
As a result of the village’s success, it has received numerous national and international awards for its conservation and renewable energy initiatives known as Klimaschutz (climate protection). The council even hosts tours for other village councils on how to start their own Klimaschutz program. The Mayor has even been doing global tours ever since the Fukushima disaster.
Mayor Zengerle has gone to Romania, Berlin and the Black Sea Region to speak about how these places can transform their communities and make money in the process. Speaking to Biocycle, Mayor Zengerle said, “The mitigation of climate change in practice can only be implemented with the citizens and with the Village Council behind them 100 percent of the way. This model cannot be forced from only one side. We often spend a lot of time talking to our visitors about how to motivate the village council (and Mayor) to start thinking differently. We show them a best practices model in motion and many see the benefits immediately. From the tour we give, our guests understand how well things can operate when you have the enthusiasm and conviction of the people.”
Kent Doering, from Munich endorsed the village efforts, commenting "As an ex-pat U.S. citizen residing in Germany who has made a pilgrimage to Wildpoldsried, I know the system works. I also know how Germany is going “Wildpoldsried” plus.
Our economy is booming thanks to sustainability. And, the Wildpoldsrieder villagers are not pot smoking hippie tree huggers that most North Americans think off when considering green energy. (Fox News propaganda.) For the most part, they are conservative Catholics farmers and small business people with a good sense of conserving life for future generations. (Orbis Domini- the Earth is the Lord`s).
They are small farmers who could stay on the land thanks to things like EEC and German milk subsidies, grain subsidies and other things. (As opposed to US style agra-business driving non-subsidized farmers off the land.) Currently, 3000 farms already use bio-waste gas installations in Germany. The goal for 2025, is all 200.000 farms here with bio-waste CHP, solar voltaic, and community wind- co-ops. It pays off doubly. First in slashing the costs of fossil fuel powered electricity from the grid, and secondly, in selling back to the regional provider to sell on.
Wildpoldsried is only a part of German sustainabily, but an another important cog in getting off both nuclear and fossil fuels."
Credits:: Biocycle / Inhabitat
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