Heat delivery to Jühnde began in September of 2005.  The core of the project is a biogas facility that ferments local raw materials such as rye, wheat, sunflowers, maize and liquid manure from farmers in the region and uses the resulting methane to produce electricity and heat in a small power plant.  A local heat grid carries the energy to (at the moment) 142 households.  In other words, more than 70 percent of Jühnde’s inhabitants use local bio-heat.
780 people, 10 farms, 400 cows and 1500 pigs watched by the world – that’s Jühnde.  A village that defies the electricity companies, and has two power stations of its own that generate twice as much electricity as its residents use – cheaply and biologically.  And the best thing is that the whole world profits from it.  You see, in just one year the village’s CO2 emissions have reduced by 60 per cent.

Objectives and target audience

The goals of the Federal Government are quite ambitious.  As stated in Article 1 of the EEG, Germany is aiming to increase the proportion of electricity generated from renewables to at least 12.5% by the year 2010, and to at least 20% by the year 2020.
By 2050, at least half of Germany’s primary energy consumption should come from renewables.  This will only be possible if at the same time energy is used far more efficiently.
The aim of the project is to convert biological material into electrical power and heat. A Block-Type Thermal Power Station (or Heat and Power Generator) run by bio gas is now realized.  For additional heating during winter a wood hogged heating system is implemented.

Financial Resources and Partners involved

This plant had a total cost of approximately € 5,300,000,  with 1/3  of the funds from the German Ministry BMELV and Lower Saxony it was possible to invest in such project.
Partners:-

• Bioenergiedorf Jühnde eG;
• Dipl.-Ing.Hans Erich Tannhäuser;
• HAASE Anlagenbau AG;
• IZNE Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für nachhaltige Entwicklung.

Process

Applying ESTEEM
Through personal meetings and various telephone calls, Öko-Institut offered the project manager and  active project partners concerned with the dissemination activities to test the ESTEEM tool.  The original Jühnde project directly involved all relevant stakeholders with several participative tools.  The dissemination project used a similar approach and tools, and most of the potential stakeholders were already known and “on board” by the time ESTEEM was started.  Nonetheless, critical situations regarding the involvement of important actors came up.  While the majority of these problems were externally driven, the project management started intense discussions with all relevant key actors to find specific solutions, supported by the ESTEEM process.

The central idea of the Jühnde model is a complete shift of energy sources for an entire village, away from conventional (fossil) energy sources to the renewable and CO2 neutral biomass.  One such community is the bio-energy village of 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.

STEP ONE: Visions of the project
Jühnde was selected in a step-by-step approach from a group of some 54 villages in the county of Göttingen on the basis of 30 criteria on nature, society, infrastructure, and economy (Eigner, 2001).  The Jühnde village especially offers a local agricultural supply structure with the necessary quantity of biomass production from bio-energy crops, and forest residues.
Two local farmers were interested to change their traditional economic ‘attitude’, shifting from ‘farmer’ to ‘energy supplier’.
Moreover, several technical conditions like a minimum density of heat demand had to be met in order to establish the new district heating grid at reasonable cost.  Also, a good and functioning social network existed in Jühnde which is necessary to promote the ideas of the project, and to build on the trust between the local actors.  From the infrastructural point of view, facilities like a sports gym or a community centre were needed for public meetings.
Besides the question of implementing a new supply technology, the Jühnde model focuses on the active involvement of the village inhabitants and their specific know-how.  Primarily based on the idea of a group of social scientists from the University of Göttingen1, the aspect of participation and identification with the project’s ecological aims and technological requirements of changing the energy system as a whole is one of the central objectives.
At the beginning of the process, seven general objectives were formulated:-

• Protection of climate and resources – The use of biomass compensates CO2 emissions and, therefore, reduces the greenhouse gas effect;
• Soil and water protection – Soil and water contamination with nitrates and biocides could be reduced considerably through environmentally sound concepts for cultivating bio-energy crops (‘double-cropping’ with maize, triticale, sunflowers);
• Plant diversity – A wide diversity of plants, even weeds, can be tolerated as all those can be utilized in the fermentation process for biogas;
• Regional business cycle and economic effects – Selling plants and wood for energy can generate a new income base for local farmers, and could lead to higher employment levels;
• Participation – The involvement of the inhabitants is fundamental for a shift from conventional to renewable energies, as they have to invest money for their own connection to the grid. Encouraging villagers to participate and motivating them to help solve local problems will promote collective opinion-building;
• Decentralisation of energy supply – The energy plants will be operated by a local cooperative.  Its decisions will be compatible with local needs.  With the shift to local energy sources, a minimization of technical, environmental and economical risks comes along;
• Quality of life – The experience of common decision-making and problem-solving could generate a new self-confidence and quality of life within the community.

STEP TWO: What were the various expectations of the case?
The project ‘Bio-energy Village’ aims to shift from fossil energy sources for electricity and heat to a fully renewable base with active participation of the population.  In that sense, it is a demonstration project for an environmentally and economic sound energy supply system in a rural region Ecological and economic aspects are reasons for the usage of renewable energies.
IZNE developed the first vision of a ‘Bio-energy Village’.  The focus was the implementation of a biomass strategy linked to societal and economical welfare in rural areas.  Later on key partners like the mayor of the village, inhabitants and engineering firms joined.  A very important promoter of the main ideas was the mayor of the village of Jühnde.  He motivated the inhabitants in the name of future generations with the argument of a sustainable development.  As he is a person of high recognition and integrity, he could convince the traditional and conservative oriented villagers.  The economic and fiscal framing as well as the business model of a cooperative was mainly developed by local expertise of two tax advisors.
In the beginning of the selection process Jühnde was one of 54 potential village partners in the region.  The research team looked for a village community with motivated, qualified persons and a village environment with necessary agricultural land.  In the end, 17 villages volunteered to become the ‘Bioenergy Village’ – out of these, Jühnde and three other villages were chosen because of the very positive and engaged feedback by the actors and inhabitants.
The main ‘target group’ were the inhabitants of the village, as they had to change their heating systems, and to buy local energy (heat and electricity from biomass).  On the one hand, it was expected that the villagers make long-term decisions on the economically relevant issue of energy supply.  On the other hand, IZNE had an important influence on the information base for these decisions.

STEP THREE: Understanding ‘participatory’ decision-making: negotiating expectations
In the pre-selection process to identify the model community, several instruments of information were used in 17 villages, such as:-

• Information flyer and brochure;
• Press and media work;
• Public presentations (external experts, visualizations);
• Consulting;
• Door-to-door information;
• Visiting demonstration projects (best practice).

The use of those instruments was organized by IZNE.  The selection process was underpinned by a series of different surveys in the 17 candidate communities.
One of the main questions dealt with the willingness to change and connect to the new heat supply system.  Here, the inhabitants of Jühnde agreed to switch with a 69% share of all households.
Another issue was the question of active involvement and the identification with the general philosophy of the project. While 87% of the inhabitants of Jühnde covered the idea of the project, a share of 22% of the house owners was willing to support the implementation actively (in working groups).
A 35% share of all households wanted to invest in the cooperative.
With these numbers in view, IZNE selected Jühnde as the model village, and funding from the Federal Ministry for Agriculture was expected.

STEP FOUR: From visions to reality
Since the selection of Jühnde as a ‘Bioenergy Village’ in 2001, the project was implemented in four steps.  After a first overview of the regional potential and discussion with 54 villages, the second selection narrowed down the list of candidates to 17 villages. Out of these, a group of four villages was selected, mainly by identification of the villagers’ expectations and engagement.
In a second survey, the inhabitants of Jühnde showed the most convincing attitude regarding the prospective project.
In May 2002, the ‘Bio-energy Village’ cooperative was founded and established membership contracts with some 70% of the Jühnde inhabitants. Financial support was made available from the national and the regional level.  Even 10% of the Jühnde villagers gave money to get the planning process started.  After the positive decisions on the financial grants the investment money was ensured, and the local cooperative became operative in 2004.
The villagers who participated in the local cooperative decided collectively on the restructuring of their energy supply system.  They built up a self-managed production and distribution infrastructure.
The village implemented the bio-energy system, the district heating grid and an operating cooperative within the period of four years. Meanwhile, over 73% of the inhabitants are linked to the local heating grid.  Due to rise of fossil energy costs since 2004, the promoters of the project feel encouraged and confirmed, as the economy of the projects became even better than assumed before.
The energy production process itself works as follows: Under anaerobic conditions, micro-organisms engage in enzymatic digestion of liquid manure and silaged plant material to create biogas in a central facility.  The combustion of biogas in a combined heat and power plant (CHP) then generates enough electricity for the entire village, and the co-generated heat is mainly used to heat homes and other living space, replacing fossil fuels. A smaller portion of the generated heat is required as process energy for the digestion plant.  The amount of heat generated cannot cover the high demand during winter months in Germany, though.  During this period, an additional heating plant fuelled with regional wood chips is required.  After the technical implementation, the villagers now discuss visions and further projects to realize the social aspects of the ‘Bio-energy Village’, like an attractive local coffeehouse and meeting point as well as a supermarket for organic regional food products.
With conception support from IZNE, the local public developed experiences of implementation which could help to transfer the model to other villages in and outside of the region.  The Jühnde model has received high national as well as international attention, and local authorities of other villages want to replicate the organisational and technological approach.
Despite of some problems regarding efficient cooperation and management the ‘Jühnde’ model is a quite successful one.  At present, 12 other villages in the same regional context want to become the ‘next Bio-energy Village’.  The project and its dissemination will be continued, also with the support of IZNE as a project manager.  The funding Federal ministry now also supports a ‘lessons learnt’ study which aims to identify success factors for future replication.

Results

The initial design estimation establish a 4.000.000 kwh of electricity generation per year, but they have achieve 4.500.00 kwh.  Also they produce approximately 3.000.000 kwh of heat, which represents 67% of the annual heat demand of the Village.
Is important to mention that even though farmers use slurry as a fertilizer they have just decrease the use of fertilizer by approximately 25%. In the case of Herbicides and Insecticide use has reduced by approximately 1/3 has been establish mainly for the crops use for the biomass process since the quality requierements are not that high.
In 2008:
Energy production: 10.000.000 KWh
CO2 savings: 3.300 to annually.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

Jühnde has inspired others in the region to follow its example. The responsible district authority in Göttingen has already found eight additional boroughs which might be eligible for local heating grids. A feasibility study may be made available to these villages by fall of this year. And those boroughs whose citizens join the project may be supplied with bio-heat as early as the end of 2008.

In 1997, the Council of Molins de Rei, Entitat Metropolitana de Servesi Hidràulics i Tractament de Residus (EMSHTR) and Institut Català d’Energia (ICAEN), through their affiliated company Efiensa, formed Molins Energia, SL.  The above three public organisations called for a tender in 1999 in order to select a private company that would become part of Molins Energia, SL and would take care of building and managing the plant.  This public tender was awarded to a grouping of companies formed by Hidrowatt, SA and Companyia d’Aigües de Sabadell, SA, gathered under the following name: Biomassa Aprofitament Energètic, SL.

Objectives and target audience

The aim was to build and keep a heat generation plant operative, run on biomass, as well as to supply hot water to 695 newly-built dwellings in La Granja residential area, Molins de Rei, thanks to a District Heating grid.

Financial Resources and Partners involved

The project received financial support from the European Commission -within the  framework of Thermie European Programme-, from the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Energy –PAEE Programme- and from the Directorate General for Energy and Mining of the Catalan Government. The overall investment, including the supply grid cost, was 1,622,000 Euros (270 Million Pta), of which 456,700 (76 Million Pta) were subsidised.

Process

The main elements included in the heat plant are: a biomass boiler with 2,250 kW of thermal power (this boiler is prepared to generate hot water after combusting solid fuels), 3 natural gas modular boilers (used to support the biomass boiler should there be stops or consumption peaks).  Biomass -mainly almond shells, chipped pine cones and forest kindling- reaches the plant on lorries, which unload it in a 180 m3 silo.  This size provides the boiler with operative autonomy for 55 hours at full power.  The silo has a moveable bottom formed by three non-finished bolts in series, which are activated by electrical engines to guarantee the input of biomass in the boiler’s combustion chamber.  The combustion chamber has a water-refrigerated moveable grate where biomass undergoes a two-stage combustion.  To start with, organic matter is dried as fuel advances through the chamber’s moveable grate -this is the process when volatile compounds come off-and combustion is later completed with the intake of secondary air.
The biomass boiler sucks gases from the combustion chamber and makes them flow three times through the boiler so that they yield their heat until reaching 160O °C temperature. This way, before they are ejected into the atmosphere, they go through a high-efficiency multi-cyclonic sensor that separates small-sized particles from the gas flow.  The hot water generated in this process is stored in two 100 m3 tanks during the hours the plant is in operation.  From these tanks, water is pumped to the supply grid at a 2.5 bar pressure by means of a system composed of three centrifugal pumps.  The storage system is only kept operative during the daytime -16 hours per day-, so that the hot water stored in the tanks guarantees the dwellings own heat demand overnight.  This system automatically adjusts the delivery of water to be pumped depending on the current energy demand so that the powered water temperature can be maintained constant at 90 °C.  The supply grid is almost 2,400 m. long.  It is formed by stainless steel pipes with diameters ranging 60 to 273 mm.  These also have a polyurethane coating which enables hot water to practically bear no temperature loss along the runoff.  Each dwelling has a small-sized and compact facility in its kitchen or laundry room, which is composed of two heat exchangers where hot water from the supply grid yields its heat to the dwelling’s heating or hot water generation system.  Each dwelling was furnished with a calorie meter to gauge the flow and temperature jump between hot water intake and outlet.  This allows ready information on energy consumption at any time.  The meter also has a communications bus to enable readings from the plant’s control room.

Results

The hot water supply service at Molins de Rei plant was operative by February 2000. Initially, it was run on natural gas boilers.  The biomass boiler started its operation in January 2001 and it is currently at full operation as previously scheduled.
There are presently 250 dwellings being serviced with heating and sanitary hot water and it is envisaged to have connected 695 dwellings to the grid by the year 2003.
Up to November 2001, the plant had consumed 500 tonnes of biomass, with a useful-heat
production of 1,540 MWh.  This consumption accounted for saving 165 toe of fossil fuels and for preventing some 380 tonnes of CO2 from being dispersed.  Once the remaining dwellings have been connected until meeting the foreseen 695, biomass consumption will be in the range of 2,200 tonnes/year and heat production will be 6,800 MWh/year.  This will imply saving 730 toe/year and stop 1,700 yearly tonnes of CO2 from being dispersed.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

Some important lessons can be learned from the main elements characterising this project.  First of all it is important to underline how the collaboration and commitment of public institution and private initiatives are key factors for the success of a similar initiative. It is still very difficult that a RES or RUE project at sub-urban level like this one (a district biomass heating system) could be conceived and developed only by a private Company, because some initial extra costs of the plant, together with the fear of offering a “non- standardised” product (biomass heated houses, in this case) clearly prevent building contractors to adopt these solutions. Within this project, the opportunities offered by public co-financing ( easier in the case of public housing promotions) have largely contributed to overpass this obstacle and to favour the implementation of an innovative housing concept which could largely influence similar initiative at local or regional level specially where some fuel collection conditions could be met.  This clear public commitment (specially at City Council level) provokes also a very high multiplier effect in terms of impact of citizens attitude towards environmental/energy saving issues.  A second positive element to be considered is in the special attention given to encourage user’s participation to the house energy management, by the design and installation of user’s friendly devices within each of the houses served by the district heating network and also by the general but technically correct information given about the functioning of the whole system. By the mean of those two activities the involvement of the population of the area, was ensured since the beginning and represent a crucial factor of a growing of common environmental consciousness.

Wyeth Nutritionals Ireland (WNI), a subsidiary of American Home Products Corporation, is one of the largest infant nutritional manufacturing facilities in the world, with European affiliates in 12 of the 15 EU Member States. The Askeaton plant manufactures both powder and liquid infant formulas and employs 500 people.
The project is an innovative system of emission control system for the simultaneous scrubbing of SO2 and particulates from boiler flue gases, giving pH-correction of an alkaline effluent stream and significant heat recovery.

Objectives and target audience

Process

Financial Resources and Partners involved

The total cost of the work was € 853,238 contribution with LIFE amounted to € 359,258.
The beneficiary is: AHP Manufacturing BV, Askeaton, Limerick, Ireland.

WNI identified the potential for applying a single solution to the two problems of atmospheric emissions and effluent pH-correction by combining the two waste streams in an innovative way.
Significant savings in plant operating costs were a potential added benefit.
The idea was to utilise the untreated dairy waste water as a boiler exhaust gas-scrubbing medium in a non-clogging fluidised bed scrubber system. This results in pH-correction of the waste water prior to biological treatment and thus allows a substantial reduction in the volume of acid previously used for this purpose. Finally, the waste heat energy from the boilers is recovered from the exhaust gases, creating additional savings in energy consumption.
The first stage of heat recovery then takes place in economisers, where the heat is removed from the flue gases and put into the boiler feed water. The flue gases then pass through the scrubber tower, where contact with the dairy waste water strips SO2 and particulates from them. The cleaned gases are reheated and exhausted to the atmosphere.
The dairy waste water is circulated continuously over the scrubber tower, with raw effluent make-up and overflow bleed-off. The secondary stage of heat recovery takes place when heat is removed from this liquid and put into the boiler fresh-water make-up system.
The re-circulated waste water becomes acidic following the take-up of SO2. The overflow is discharged to the effluent treatment plant according to pH-correction requirements, thus eliminating the need for hydrochloric acid for this purpose. The particulates are also carried off into the treatment plant, where they are combined with the normal sludge for disposal.

Results

SO2 removal
The baseline established at the plant was around 2 400 mg/Nm3. The recognised emissions standard is 1 700 mg/Nm3. The equipment consistently operates at a level below 600 mg/Nm3, which has become a requirement of the integrated pollution control licence at the plant. The system has the capability of 99 % removal of SO2.
Particulate removal
The system removes particulates below mg/Nm3, well in excess of the recognised standard of 30 mg/Nm3.
Energy savings
The system has been shown to achieve energy savings of around 1.4 MW. This equates to savings of around IEP 175 000 per year. There is also a surplus of heat that has no use in this application. In theory, 2.64 MW is available.
Chemical use savings
The management information systems in the plant have proven that the use of HCl in pH-correction has been virtually eliminated as a result of the installation of this system. This generates savings of around IEP 124 000 per year.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

The Aboyne Academy is located 30 miles west of Aberdeen.  The Aboyne Academy consists of an academy, a primary school, an indoor swimming pool, library, theatre and community centre.  The site plays an important role in serving the public in regards of education and community needs.

Objectives and target audience

The objectives of this project were to:-

• To explore efficient sustainable options to replace the original fired boilers present within Aboyne Academy;
• To demonstrate the viability of wood fuel;
• To raise awareness of sustainable energy consumption in the school and within the local community;
• To allow the local economy to benefit from supplying woodchips.

Financial Resources and Partners involved

The partners involved within this project were:-

• Aberdeenshire Council – T&I (Property);
• Scottish Community & Householder Renewables Initiatives (SCHRI) Officer – project advice and funding;
• Community Energy Programme – funding;
• Buccleuch BioEnergy – contractor;
• Cameron Chisholm Dawson Partnership (CCDP) – mechanical and electrical consultant.

Grants for this project to go ahead was funded by:-

• Scottish Community & Householder Renewables Initiatives (SCHRI) – £100,000;
• Community Energy Programme – £109,000.

Process

In 2005, an application for planning was requested and granted.  Along with planning, a grant request was tendered to SCHRI and was also approved in the same year.  With this being a success, the project was tendered and awarded to Buccleuch BioEnergy.

The newly developed possesses a 600kW Kohlbach boiler which meets the terms with the EN 303-5 standard and guidelines set according to the Clean Air Act.  The new have integrated into the building energy management system for remote monitoring.  The woodchips to provide the system with fuel will come from local saw mills near to the system.  The boiler will be operated under an Energy Services Contract (ESCo) arrangement.

Due to the woodchips acting as the fuel for the boiler system, the saw mill product will not be classified as waste therefore there will be no further regulations that require compliance.  The amount of wood required per year to power the boiler has been calculated at being 1,200 tonnes per year (at 60% moisture content).

Due to results carried by Aberdeenshire’s Energy Management Team, further upgrades have been initiated to improve the efficiency of the system.  Apart from the boiler being now integrated into a Building Management System, new measures included thermostatic radiator valves fitted to radiators throughout the building and new push button taps for sinks in toilets.  Insulation around valve and pipe work has also been instigated.

Results

The installation of the new biomass boiler started in 2006 and was accomplished in February 2007.  From the results gathered from the feasibility study carried out in 2004, the results indicated that by installing a biomass boiler, Aberdeenshire council would benefit from annual savings of 6%, a reduction of 600 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions  of CO2 per year and reduced costs within the local economy.

Within the lifetime of the system, 15,600 tonnes of CO2 will be saved.  With regards to financial saving, £24,000 per year will be saved which is approximately a 25% to Aberdeenshire Council.  Aberdeenshire Council have provided a visual information service called ‘Arcadia’ and ‘Aberdeenshire live’ which will enable information regarding the boiler to be monitored.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

The main critical success factors regarding this project are:
The fuel used to power the biomass boiler system is the waste product from the saw mill.  This source of power is ideal as a fuel for the reasons:-

• The fuel is free energy;
• A constant and sustainable supply of wood chips can obtained from the saw mill.

Aberdeenshire council will save a considerable amount of money from this installation.  A sum of £25,000 (equates to 25%) will be saved per year.

The thought, initiation and the use of this scheme will contribute to laws set by the International Framework on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol.

The Urban Solid Waste Treatment Centre treats the sludge from sewage plants in the region. Every year, 108,000 tons of sludge enter the plant. Out of the total mass that arrives at the plant, 12% is converted to compost which equals some 1,600 tons of this product per month which is used to fertilize the land

Objectives and target audience

To improve the management of urban solid waste, thereby reducing the amount of waste and facilitating its sustainable use.
This is aimed at all citizens in the region who generate this waste. This demonstrates the administration’s concern for carrying out its tasks in a sustainable manner.

Financial Resources and Partners involved

Which organisations were involved in shaping and delivering the project.

Process

Results

12% of the initial mass is transformed into compost which is used as fertilizer in farming.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

• Technical and economic viability of the project.
• Market for the compost produced
• Making the society aware of the installations and processes that are carried out at the plant.

Aguas de Murcia (Emuasa) designed and started up a plant where biogas is cleaned and later transformed into an ecological automotive fuel at the Murcia East Sewage Plant for use by company vehicles.

Objectives and target audience

Citizens:-
•    Show citizens the environmental possibilities of managing the city’s sewage;
•    Show citizens technologies for transport as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Financial Resources and Partners involved

Process

Results

• To prevent the emissions that contribute to the greenhouse effect as one ton of methane gas released into the atmosphere has the same effect as 21 tons of carbon dioxide;
• To reduce carbon dioxide emissions given that the fuel that is produced by the process produces less carbon dioxide emissions than any conventional fuel such as gasoline or diesel oil.  Also including the fact that it is cheaper;
• Biogas does not contain lead, it makes it possible to eliminate nitrogen oxide emissions and other contaminants.  It also makes it possible to replace one fossil energy source for a renewable energy with prevention of the production of odours that come from the emissions of sulphur compounds.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges

One major factor for success was due to the appropriateness and the technical performance of the gas cleaning system.  Another factor for success of the plant is the viability of renewable energy in vehicles.  This would be noticed by citizens and would cause a gradual increase of renewable vehicles by citizens.

How could it be transferred to another municipality/organisation?
By studying the possibility of implementing similar treatments at their sewage plants.