The town of Treuchtlingen can cover the majority of its energy requirements from local CO2-free sources by 2035. This is the central message of an energy usage plan funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, which was drawn up by experts from Siemens AG and Campus Feuchtwangen, a branch of Ansbach University of Applied Sciences, and presented to the public on 22 July.
Treuchtlingen’s climate protection manager Andreas Oswald and first mayor Kristina Becker, Matthias Hammerl and Rainer Saliger from Siemens as well as Thomas Haupt and Gerd Hofmann from the Feuchtwangen campus at the final presentation (from left to right, photo: Andreas Oswald).
The experts drew up a detailed inventory of the current and future supply situation for electricity, heat and fuels in the region. The study identified previously unutilised potential for various renewable energy sources for Treuchtlingen and the surrounding area and also examined the suitability of the municipal electricity grid for their integration.
‘The town of Treuchtlingen and its neighbouring districts offer great potential for the expansion of renewable energies, particularly photovoltaics and wind. This means that not only the existing electricity consumption, but also the future increase in electricity demand can be largely covered by the electrification of the heating and mobility sector. The focus here is not only on the total amount of energy generated, but also on the simultaneity of generation and consumption,’ says Thomas Haupt, research associate at the Feuchtwangen campus.
‘In all of these projects, it is important to think holistically about the future energy system across all sectors,’ said Dr Gerd Hofmann, coordinator and research associate at the Feuchtwangen campus. As energy generation from renewables is less uniform than from conventional energy sources, storage technologies and sector coupling will play a particularly important role in the future. The fundamental aim of sector coupling is to link the electricity supply with the heating and mobility sectors.
‘These possibilities were key components of the study – also in view of the special grid situation of Stadtwerke Treuchtlingen,’ emphasised Siemens project manager Matthias Hammerl. ‘The decision in favour of a CO2-free energy supply and its use in all relevant sectors is not only technically feasible, but also economically viable and forward-looking,’ Hammerl continued. ‘This helps the municipality to become more resilient and to provide citizens and the economy with a secure supply in the long term.’
For example, the results of the study suggest utilising the foreseeable surpluses of PV and wind energy by expanding the charging infrastructure for CO2-free mobility. In addition, the heat supply for the Altmühl thermal baths is to be supplemented by a heat pump concept in order to gradually reduce the natural gas consumption required for the heat supply. This will distribute the energy requirement across two pillars – heat pumps and gas CHP units – and secure the energy supply economically.
‘Specific implementation projects were identified in the energy utilisation plan that integrate the many renewable energy systems into both the municipal grid and the higher-level electricity grid while simultaneously decarbonising our urban heating requirements and municipal mobility,’ summarised Mayor Kristina Becker at the final presentation of the study. ‘This transformation process offers our region great opportunities for an environmentally friendly, cost-stable and secure energy future. New paths must be taken and accepted for the city and its residents.’