Smart energy in Germany
October 18, 2011
Project size: 20.54 megawatt hours (in 2010)
Cost: 24 million euros ($32.9 million)
Project goal: generating energy from solar power, wind power, hydropower, geothermal power and biomass
Germany is paving the way in the field of green energy. For the first time ever, renewable energy sources accounted for more than 20 percent of the country's power in the first half of 2011. But there's still a long way to go before Germany is 100% emissions free. That's where Wildpoldsried comes in. The small town of 2,500 people in southern Germany runs completely on clean energy. And that's not all: using a mix of solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and biomass, Wildpoldsried generates three times the amount of energy it consumes. During winter, the town uses pellets made from renewable wood to heat every house.
But the people of Wildpoldsried don't just produce green energy, they know how to save it, too. Using technolgoy like heat-insulted roofs, energy-saving lightbulbs and energy-efficient heat pumps, they find innovative ways to cut down on consumption. Even the sludge from the community's waste water is reused. It's refined and turned into a valuable mixture used in sustainable agriculture or to restore river banks.
The residents are on board. They, too, gain from investing in eco-friendly projects in their town. But going from fossil fuels to clean power doesn't happen overnight. Wildpoldsried has been working towards a green future since 1998, and the town has already won numerous prizes for its efforts, including the European Energy Award.
Major global corporations like Siemens have also discovered the secret of Wildpoldsried. In fact, the company has turned the community into a testing ground for new green technology. Siemens is working together with researchers and local universities to test smart grids – the new, intelligent grid system that's the future of efficient energy distribution. The results of that research could end up shaping the way energy is used in all of Germany.
A film by Miltiades Arsenopoulos (ss)