The central idea of this model is a complete shift of energy sources for an entire village – away from conventional sources to the renewable and CO2 neutral biomass.
One such community is the bio-energy village in Jühnde, located in the southern part of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the first of its kind in Germany, and aims to completely replace its fossil energy use for heating and electricity through bio-energy. The know-how attained in Jühnde is to be transferred to other suited neighbouring villages in an upcoming process to be started in autumn 2006. The energy system in the Jühnde model is operated by a local cooperative company. Beforehand, all inhabitants were invited to participate in the planning process. Working groups dealt with concrete visions about the energy future of their community. The common decision-making and problem-solving in the process of reorientation and conversion to renewable energy sources generated a new sense of orientation and connectedness within the community. So this participatory business case guarantees a high compatibility with local needs and networks of actors, while local competence can be established. One of the formulated aims of the Jühnde model is to support the local cultural heritage, and to strengthen the community life and identity.
Furthermore, a new market for farmers focusing on biomass as a renewable energy source is generated in addition to the traditional demand for crops. Selling bio-energy crops and wood as biomass creates a new income base for local farmers, and leads to higher employment levels in this sector. Economic prosperity can thus be secured in the long-term, given the steady rise in fossil-fuel costs. Also, the overall effect on the region’s and country’s balance of trade is positive, as payments for oil and natural gas imports are reduced.
The methodology and human resources of the ESTEEM tool has been used starting in January 2007.

Since February 2000, La Granja residential area in Molins de Rei has a hot water power plant run on biomass with 2,250 kW of thermal power. This is currently supplying heating and sanitary hot water to 250 dwellings in this area. It is envisaged that, by the year 2003, the number of dwellings connected to the grid may be 695. This increase will involve some useful-heat production in the range of 6,800 MWh/year, with a biomass consumption of 2,200 yearly tonnes. Such energy production will imply primary energy savings of some 730 toe/year, and will prevent over 1,700 yearly tonnes of CO2 from being dispersed into the atmosphere.