Despite its small size, the solar district heating system in Lodi, close to Milan, is one of few in Italy to feed surplus heat into a local network. Since March 2017, heat produced by a 192 m² solar thermal installation is used as a heating source.
Assens Fjernvarme (Denmark) has supplemented their existing wood chip combined heat and power plant and an existing wind turbine with a solar cell system and an air to water heat pump system. This unique combination of renewable energy sources makes it possible to combine a low price for heat consumers with the production of green electricity when the electricity market needs electricity and purchase electricity from the electricity grid when there is a surplus of green electricity in the grid.
Warmtenetwerk Zaanstad B.V. has created the first open district heating network in the Netherlands in Zaanstad-Oost. This organization is a partnership between the municipality of Zaanstad, Firan, and the provincial authority of Noord-Holland. Thanks to the open structure, all suppliers and customers will ultimately be able to use the heating infrastructure under the same conditions. The district heating network, which has supplied heat to an existing residential district since 2019, is powered by a local small-scale biomass plant in this early phase. In the future, we will also be able to connect newly constructed homes and create links for new products, suppliers and users.
Over the past several years, the Northern Netherlands has accelerated its hydrogen project pipeline together with its ambitions of becoming the leading European hydrogen ecosystem. The Northern Netherlands has received recognition as the leading European Hydrogen Valley developing a full-fledged green hydrogen value chain. Furthermore, multinationals have increasingly committed to the Northern Netherlands as their hydrogen ecosystem of choice, and regional governments have increased their commitments to realize the Northern Netherlands hydrogen ecosystem.
The Municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee aims to be energy-neutral in 2020 through the use of wind energy. They want to proactively move away from natural gas and to be a model location for sustainable energy solutions. Stad aan ‘t Haringvliet has been designated as a pilot location. After research, it became clear that all-electricity is difficult and inefficient and that connecting households at natural moments gives the best result in terms of sustainability. Stedin has also indicated that the natural gas grid is suitable for hydrogen and that the estimated costs of this solution are lower than an all-electric solution that involves reinforcing the electricity grid. So why not switch to hydrogen straight away?
Green industrial areas are an important part of the transition to a sustainable economic system. This case shows how local policymakers connect the local renewable energy ambitions to concrete activities on a nearby industrial park. The park and the municipality cooperate together to create a green industrial area.
The city of Neustrelitz is a very ambitious municipality, especially in the areas of renewable energies, climate protection, and digitization. The local public utility company (Stadtwerke Neustrelitz), the municipality and the State Centre for Renewable Energy MV work hand in hand to promote the sustainable development of the municipality. The new city strategy for 2025 “green smart digital” unites the visions of the local actors. The development and implementation of a green business park is a further component in the realisation of the city vision 2025.
The ENNSHAFEN port, located in Enns, is the newest and most modern public port in Austria. Several local stakeholders are committed to invest in various types of energy cooperation: PV modules on (large) company roofs or other areas at the Ennshafen site, utilization of waste heat flux at Ennshafen between relevant companies, cooperation of companies regarding electricity (supply and demand) and gas (supply and demand), and electrification of the power supply of anchored
ships.
Mijnwater BV stands for building a grid that is affordable for its customers, allowing them maximum opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of their own buildings, and resulting in a collective infrastructure that will further reduce energy needs. This should form a solid foundation for being sustainably financed in the long term.
Municipality of Miskolc City and PannErgy Plc. decided to decrease the natural gas consumption and hazardous material emission of the city’s central heating plant with renewable energy from a geothermal source, which would ultimately ensure a cleaner and more livable city for the inhabitants of Miskolc.