50 Solar Energy Estates in North Rhine-Westphalia

Transcription

1 50 Solar Energy Estates in North Rhine-Westphalia Author: Dr. Dagmar Everding Ministry for housing and building Elisabethstr D Düsseldorf Germany Tel , Fax Solar Energy Estates in Northrhine- Westphalia In Northrhine-Westphalia, almost 18 million people live in an area of square kilometres. North Rhine Westphalia is known for its industrial regions with coal mines and steel works. Since fourty years there has been an intensitive structural change. In the mean time signs of the change can clearly be seen in the cities: technology centres, solar production industries, big solar power plants, low energy housings and solar architecture. In 1997, four ministries (Economics, Urban Development, Research and Construction) jointly launched the campaign for the construction of 50 solar energy estates in Northrhine-Westphalia. For this ambitious project, the state initiative Future Energies established an office in the Ministry for Construction and Housing to take care of the applicants. The four ministries' campaign formulates specific requirements for the construction of solar energy estates: - Passive solar construction: 60 percent of the energy consumption specified under the 1995 thermal isolation regulation is to be saved: At present (?) houses need 3 to 4 litres of oil for one square meter per year. - Production of hot water: Solar energy has to contribute at least 60 percent of the energy required. - Consumption of electricity: At least 1/3 of the average annual electricity needs are to be covered by solar energy. At least two of the requirements are to be fulfilled in order to obtain the status of a Solar Energy Etstate in Planning. In addition, a planning manual places further requirements to integrate the estate into a comprehensive concept. Among other things this relates to: - the integration of the estate into a location utility service, - ecological requirements, such as the use of appropriate building materials, - traffic requirements, such as links with the local public transport system. A commission of experts examines proposals of the cities wishing to take part. The Cities look for areas, optimize urban planning for solar energy use and define the energy concept of the housing projects. Urban planning is optimized by a special software, which is made available to city

2 administrations by the ministry for urban development. Until now 15 estates have been awarded the status Solar Estate in Planning. Two solar estates have just been completed: Steinfurt und Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck. Further estates are already under construction. Solar estate Steinfurt To be erected in the Borghorst quarter of the town of Steinfurt is the first solar housing development with centralized solar hot water supply. In conjunction with an underground thermal storage unit (using gravel and water) about 45 % of heating and hot water demand is covered by harvesting the sun s energy. Features of this development: 48 housing unit, energy-conserving, passive solar construction, centralized solar collection heating system, 550 m 2 of collector area, long-term heat storage unit. Solar estate Gelsenkirchen The first housing development in the Ruhr Region to fully exploit solar potential is coming into being in the Bismarck quarter of Gelsenkirchen. Both masonry and frame homes will be built. In addition to autonomous, house-by-house energy supplies, energy transfer points at terminal stations will also be used for groups of homes. Features of the development: 72 housing units, annual heating requirements 40 to 60 % below specifications in the Thermal Isolation Code, solar collection covers 65 % of warm water demand ( 440 m 2 of solar collectors), photovoltaic units cover 40 % of power demand; installed output: 88 kw p, installation of gas lines for cooking purposes, rainwater percolation. Results and conclusions The project 50 Solar Energy Housing Estates is also a big process of learning. Planning and realizing the first estates we will get much new knowledge, which we want to use in the following projects: 1. Solar urban planning must not concentrate in positioning houses toward the south. On one hand attractive urban spaces need flexibly positioned houses. On the other hand deviations from orientation to the south makes solar houses very expensive. Solar urban planning has to find out the optimized figures for urban designing and efficient solar solutions. 2. The selling-prices of the houses are not higher than usual. This is possible because the ministries give subventions for planning and investment. Houses with traditional architecture are quite successful in the market, wooden houses or houses with modern design have more difficulties to be sold, especially in the old industrial regions. The buyers will save enery costs on a large scale if they use the solar houses in the right way. However, in Germany heating is not expensive, therefore people are not very motivated to save energy. The new tax for energy consumption will increase the price step by step. IN contrast, the deregulation of the electricity market will cause a significant fall of electricity prices. The new special regulation for electricity produced by solar energy is very important. Every owner of solar panels receives 0.99 DM for one kw electric power fed into the public electricity supply. We are optimistic to get even better conditions for solar estates. Concerning this question we have to look for partnership in Europe. In its White Paper for a Community Strategy and Action Plan, Energy for the future: Renewable Sources of Energy, the European Commission has formulated the ambitious but realistic objective of doubling the proportion of renewable energies by the year 2010 from 6 to 12 percent. Since march 2000 the project 50 Solar Energy Housing Estates in Northrhine-Westphalia is part of the european Campaign for Take-Off. 3. The first solar energy estates confirm the important part of cities and their local administration. Local authorities have to

3 identify with solar projects and it is necessary, that in the local administration the different competences work together. 4. Today solar energy estates are isles in the cities. The question is, how solar estates and other solar projects can be weaved in a spider s web. I see two ways: - to build up a local network of all persons, groups and associations, who take part in solar projects, for empowerment of the actors, and at the same time, - to develop local aims and indicators for spreading use of solar energy. The solar City project of the International Energy Agency is a good help on this way. Projects registered as Solar Housing Estate in Planning Ahlen 24 units thermal isolation 60 % below 1995 Heat Isolation solar water heating (60 %) decentral heating supply via natural gas heating Beckum around 80 units thermal isolation 60 % below 1995 Heat Insulation 60 % of warm water supplied via solar thermal collectors Bielefeld around 55 units low-energy-housing standard local network supplies heating energy for groups of houses 60 % of warm water supplied via solar thermal collectors one third of electricity supplied via photovoltaic cells Bonn-Tannenbusch around 100 units thermal isolation below low-energy-housing standard, partly passive house standard large-scale heliothermal unit (570 m²) generation of electricity via photovoltaic cells (1742 m²)

4 Dorsten 34 units decentralized energy supplie via natural gas fired 62 % of warm water supplied via solar thermal collectors more than one third of electricity supplied via photovoltaic cells Duisburg units - thermal isolation 60 percent below 1995 Heat isolation ordinance - 60 % of warm water supplied via solar thermal collectors Gelsenkirchen 77 units annual heat consumption of buildings 40% below 1995 Heat Isolation 65% of warm water supplied via solar thermal collectors (around 470 m 2 ), independent island units and supply for groups of houses 40% of electricity supplied via photovoltaic cells (around 80 kw p ) Hückelhoven 130 units buildings need an average of 35 % less heating energy than defined in 1995 Heat Insulation 60% of warm water supplied via solar thermal collectors 1/3 of electricity supplied via photovoltaic cells (around 160 kw p ) Köln-Bilderstöckchen 77 units of 1930 (existent buildings) heat isolation standard as low-energy-housing warm water supplied via solar thermal collectors and wood furnace Köln-Bocklemünd units of 1960 (existing buildings) - heat isolation nearly as low-energy-housing - 35 % of warm water supplied via solar thermal collectors -

5 Köln-Worringen around 70 units heat insulation standard partly low-energy-housing standard (30 % below 1995 Heat Insulation ), partly passive house standard (max. 15 kwh/m²a), average heat insulation standard 60 % below 1995 Heat Insulation reduction of electricity demand through installation of low-energy household equipment (stove, dishwater, washing machine) warm water: more than 60 % via solar thermal collectors Krefeld 37 units, timber construction low-energy-housing standard solar warm water supply electricity generation via photovoltaic cells Rheinberg 48 units thermal isolation 60 % below 1995 Heat Isolation solar warm water supply (60 %) decentral heating supply via natural gas heating Steinfurt-Borghorst 48 units highly reduced heating demand of houses (passive standard) solar heating system (solar thermic collectors ca. 550 m 2 ) with long-term storage capacity (1800 m 3 )