News

Next RENCOP Meeting in South Ostrobothnia, Finland

Time: 24th of September 2018, 1 – 3 p.m. EET
Place: Premises of Thermopolis Ltd. – Energy Agency of South Ostrobothnia (Lassilantie 12 (3rd floor), 62100 Lapua, Finland)

Main topic: micro-CHP, for instance micro-CHP-based renewable community energy example of Alpua village is presented.

The event is free and open for everyone. For more information, contact: anne.viljanen@thermopolis.fi

Denmark: Second Round of Common Purchase of Heat Pumps

In week 44, a new round of “Common purchase of heat pumps” will start together with the municipalities from the Energy Alliance Triangle (Kolding, Fredericia, Billund, Vejen, Vejle and Middelfart Municipalities).

The goal of this campaign is to support citizens to change from a fossil fuel based heating solution to a heat pump, and by purchasing heat pumps collectively to reduce the investment cost.

Due to the fact, that this will be the second round of the campaign, we can use what we´ve learned from the first round and improve the process.

For more information contact:
Morten Mejsen Westergaard (morten.westergaard@middelfart.dk)
Mareike Johannsen (Mareike.johannsen@middelfart.dk)

Denmark: Green bottom line with common purchase of heat pumps

”Of course it makes sense to go together with other homeowners, when you want to throw out the old oil furnace and buy a new efficient heat pump. It gives economies of scale and the possibility to spar with other homeowners about the advantages and disadvantages with different offers on heat pumps.”

This is what Carsten Mortensen, owner of Frishop.dk, who is the chairman of the group of citizens, who together collected offers on heat pumps, says. The group, of 5, maybe 7 people, are about to make a deal with Klimadan.

Peter Davidsen from Klimadan says: “I am proud that the homeowners choose our offer. The homeowners have been exciting to work with, not least because the have been prepared. Before Klimadan has been asked to make an offer, the homeowners already had informative meetings about replacement of oil furnaces. This won´t be the last time we will join this type of task and we hope there will be more of this type of initiatives.”

The initiative for the informative meetings, have been organized by the Energy Alliance Triangle (Vejle, Kolding, Middelfart, Frederica, Billund and Vejen Municipalities) and a presentation has been given by www.sparenergi.dk. In connection with these meetings, the homeowners could write their names on a list of “serious homeowners”, who where ready to replace their oil furnaces. From this part on, the homeowners contacted on their own, the suppliers, who they wanted to make offers, with a little facilitation from the municipalities.

It is a type of project, we will see much more of in the future. At least if it is up to the mayor Johannes Lundsfryd Jensen, Middelfart Municipality. Johannes Lundsfryd Jensen says:” We are working tough with the green transition and a sustainable community, which means that we together with the citizens will take the initiative and create common sustainable results. Common purchase of heat pumps is a great example of how the municipalities serve the citizens with advice and guidance, facilitation of meetings and the hassle. And yes, it can seem innovative and wild, that we support common purchase of heat pumps like this. But it is essentially fully in line with what a municipality is: a unity to solve common interests and needs, no matter if it is teaching, eldercare or collective energy initiatives. That citizens can save money and reduce CO2 emissions with 15 to 25 tons in this project is a gain for the individuals and the community.”

Author: Morten Mejsen Westergaard
Translation: Mareike Johannsen

Contact:
Morten Mejsen Westergaard (morten.westergaard@middelfart.dk)
Mareike Johannsen (Mareike.johannsen@middelfart.dk)

The article was published in Danish in the Fredericia Avisen as well (PDF). Find the original on the homepage of Middelfart Municipality.

Solar Power RENCOP in Sweden

The Swedish Co2mmunity partner Energikontor Sydost, has started an engagement for the installation of PV cells in multi-family buildings. Information was provided and the interest was perceived to be strong! Naturally, as they had a great example of how a bottom-up RENCOP can work: The installation of a solar PV system by a tenants’ association in Växjö. Anders Lundgren, one of the citizens living in the house saw a potential and his community, rather the tenants’ association acted with him – to help all of them save money. Government supported the project by taking on 30% of the labour cost, again helping local artisans. Truly a bottom-up RENCOP development.

Picture: The PV system on Andres Lundgren’s building (picture credit: SVT)

Solar Energy RENCOP in Alavus, Finland

A solar energy event was held in Alavus on the 26th March 2018 at the premises of Alavus City Development (Fasadi, Taitotie 1, 63300 Alavus). It served to enhance solar energy in the city of Alavus and sorroundings and  also to establish a temporary, smaller RENCOP. 39 participants attended and received information on how to connect solar systems to the grid, what systems are available and what possibilities exist for the coupling solar and geothermal systems. The event was free and open for everyone and advertised by the Alavus City Development in local papers and networks as well as by Thermopolis Ltd. on its Facebook page.

Green heat energy in Varena, Lithuania

One of the many projects in the heat sector already implemented in Lithuania is the renovation of an apartment building in Varena to 100% renewable heat energy and hot water supply that was completed in 2013. While the district heating system in Varena is already fired by biomass to a degree of 97 % the aim of the project was to prove a 100% off-grid solution is possible as well.  To cover the heating needs of the 40 apartments in the building from green sources, 7 wells were drilled to a depth of 100m and connected to a heat pump, while hot water is provided by solar collectors on the roof. The residents covered 40% of the total cost, the city and the JESSICA programme each covered another 30%. Another article on the project can be found here.

Short Post: Co2mmunity Field Trip March 2018

On the 15th March, the Co2mmunity partners met in Middelfart for a field trip in Denmark and Germany. After a warm welcome by Middelfart’s mayor Johannes Lundsfreyd Jensen the group set off to chase the winds of the Baltic energy transition. The stops in Denmark included a local heating network connecting 63 houses in a small village, the Sønderborg Project Zero and a newly installed low-pressure/low-temperature grid using heatpumps and geothermal energy, which is looking for partners to install further grids in Europe. The next day in Northern Frisia, the group got to meet the people of GP Joule, whom are behind ambitious hydrogen projects, like a bus service and electrolysers. Then Co2mmunity was invited to the main office of Nordgröön, who manages the dispatch, sale and in parts consumption of renewable energy in the region to realise the full potential of the energy transition. Furthermore, Co2mmunity engaged with the community of Sprakebüll, a front-running renewable energy village using biomass, wind and solar power and sharing 20 electric cars among the 240 inhabitants, the ‘Dörpsmobile’. The third and last day of the field trip allowed the participants to enjoy the Husum New Energy Fair, where innovative and well-known technologies and approaches were presented by different companies and organisations. Additionally, interesting plenary sessions and talks offered the big picture on the energy transition. To have a look at the available presentations from the field trip click here.