Renewables Power a Rural German Village

nhboy

Ubi bene ibi patria
Link to original source.

"Regardless of debate about the success of Germany’s renewables revolution, there is no denying that a small town in the corner of rural eastern Germany, 40 miles south of Berlin, may be one of the best examples of decentralized self-sufficiency. Feldheim (pop. 150), in the cash-strapped state of Brandenburg, was a communist collective farm back when Germany was still divided into East and West. Now it is a model renewable energy village putting into practice Germany's vision of a renewably powered future.

In 1995, a local entrepreneur paid for Feldheim’s first wind turbine. As farmers started to worry when prices for their milk, potatoes, and beets began to fall and energy prices started to rise, they learned they could earn cash by renting their land to energy companies wanting to install a wind turbine. A local renewable energy company, Energiequelle GmbH, saw the potential as well, and decided to install a wind farm in Feldheim. Forty-three wind turbines with an installed capacity of 74.1 MW soon dotted the Feldheim landscape, providing income to farmers who leased their land to the energy company.

Renewable fervor was catching on, and in 2008 Energiequelle bought a 111-acre former Soviet military site about five miles from Feldheim, cleaned up the toxic military waste and hidden ammunition, and constructed a 284-panel solar farm that produces over 2,700 MWh per year. Its power is fed into the grid at the feed-in-tariff rate."

.....

"They now pay 31 percent less for electricity and 10 percent less for heating than before. The town consumes less than one percent of the electricity produced annually by its wind turbines and solar panels, selling the rest back to the market. This lowers their electricity bills to around half the national average. The biogas plant not only sells electricity back to the market, but also supplies the entire community with heating, saving over 160,000 liters of heating oil each year. As an added benefit, the plant produces over three million gallons of high-quality fertilizer annually that the agricultural cooperative uses.

Feldheim has also installed a plug-and-pay EV charging station in the town center, and next plans to install a 10-MW battery later this year. The storage will help balance the community microgrid’s generation and load."
 

hitchicken

Active Member
Renewables have unintended consequences...

...that need to be considered. In recent articles...

An estimated 140K to 328K of birds are killed annually by wind turbines (Smithsonian.com). These include American and Golden Eagles. 600K bats are also killed (CBS news).

The low frequency throbbing and flickering shadows produced by living near a wind turbine is causing health problems in humans, "wind turbine syndrome".

I would suggest watching the documentary "Windfall" by Laura Israel to get alternative view of wind farming.

Solar farms are scorching birds and affecting the habitat of endangered species. Studies are just starting.

This was a 'rural' German village, not suburbia where electricity consumption rates are likely to be higher.

IMO, all sources of energy production and conservation need to be considered and evaluated, but wind and solar are not the panaceas they first appear to be.
 
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itsbob

I bowl overhand
Yeah renewable energy! I know my electric bills have plummeted since the addition of that huge eyesore of a solar farm was built..
 

CrashTest

Well-Known Member
We could put U.S. welfare recipients on treadmills and generate enough green energy to power the entire western hemisphere.
 

hitchicken

Active Member
Dreamer...

Crash, you expect them to walk? Dream on. Better to use their flatulence as a gas source. You know, insert a tube up the proper orifice, AKA "Matrix" style.... Oh, I forgot. The current administration already has that space occupied.
 
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Retrodeb54

Surely you jest ...
...that need to be considered. In recent articles...

An estimated 140K to 328K of birds are killed annually by wind turbines (Smithsonian.com). These include American and Golden Eagles. 600K bats are also killed (CBS news).

The low frequency throbbing and flickering shadows produced by living near a wind turbine is causing health problems in humans, "wind turbine syndrome".

I would suggest watching the documentary "Windfall" by Laura Israel to get alternative view of wind farming.

Solar farms are scorching birds and affecting the habitat of endangered species. Studies are just starting.

This was a 'rural' German village, not suburbia where electricity consumption rates are likely to be higher.

IMO, all sources of energy production and conservation need to be considered and evaluated, but wind and solar are not the panaceas they first appear to be.

I had to look into this after reading your post. I want to see 'Windfall" now. Just this short interview I found has me needing to know even more.





:coffee:
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
Link to original source.

"Regardless of debate about the success of Germany’s renewables revolution, there is no denying that a small town in the corner of rural eastern Germany, 40 miles south of Berlin, may be one of the best examples of decentralized self-sufficiency. Feldheim (pop. 150), in the cash-strapped state of Brandenburg, was a communist collective farm back when Germany was still divided into East and West. Now it is a model renewable energy village putting into practice Germany's vision of a renewably powered future.

In 1995, a local entrepreneur paid for Feldheim’s first wind turbine. As farmers started to worry when prices for their milk, potatoes, and beets began to fall and energy prices started to rise, they learned they could earn cash by renting their land to energy companies wanting to install a wind turbine. A local renewable energy company, Energiequelle GmbH, saw the potential as well, and decided to install a wind farm in Feldheim. Forty-three wind turbines with an installed capacity of 74.1 MW soon dotted the Feldheim landscape, providing income to farmers who leased their land to the energy company.

Renewable fervor was catching on, and in 2008 Energiequelle bought a 111-acre former Soviet military site about five miles from Feldheim, cleaned up the toxic military waste and hidden ammunition, and constructed a 284-panel solar farm that produces over 2,700 MWh per year. Its power is fed into the grid at the feed-in-tariff rate."

.....

"They now pay 31 percent less for electricity and 10 percent less for heating than before. The town consumes less than one percent of the electricity produced annually by its wind turbines and solar panels, selling the rest back to the market. This lowers their electricity bills to around half the national average. The biogas plant not only sells electricity back to the market, but also supplies the entire community with heating, saving over 160,000 liters of heating oil each year. As an added benefit, the plant produces over three million gallons of high-quality fertilizer annually that the agricultural cooperative uses.

Feldheim has also installed a plug-and-pay EV charging station in the town center, and next plans to install a 10-MW battery later this year. The storage will help balance the community microgrid’s generation and load."

So, it took 43 wind turbines and a 111 acre solar farm to give a 31% discount to a town of 150 people......awesome. Now imagine what it would take to power an entire country.

All that supposedly only powers less than 1% of their needs, and they sell it back to the utility only to get a 31% discount?
 

glhs837

Power with Control
So, it took 43 wind turbines and a 111 acre solar farm to give a 31% discount to a town of 150 people......awesome. Now imagine what it would take to power an entire country.

All that supposedly only powers less than 1% of their needs, and they sell it back to the utility only to get a 31% discount?

No, they only consume %1 of what the windmills and solar farm produce. Of course, this is a rural village, not a suburb with power hungry appliances and such. I do wander what the subsidy bill is on this whole deal. Like here in the states, where utilities are required to buy such power at silly rates, or face huge penalties. and the companies that build the stuff get huge incentives and tax breaks, in addition to getting large checks from the utility against their will.
 

MarieB

New Member
Expanding renewables depends on the right mix of resources, as well as government subsidies and investment incentive — and a willingness by taxpayers to shoulder their share of the burden. Germans currently pay a 3.5 euro cent per kilowatt-hour tax, roughly euro157 ($205) per year for a typical family of four, to support research and investment in and subsidize the production and consumption of energy from renewable sources.


That allows for homeowners who install solar panels on their rooftops, or communities like Feldheim that build their own biogas plants, to be paid above-market prices for selling back to the grid, to ensure that their investment at least breaks even.

Feldheim, German Village, Powered By Renewable Energy
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
No, they only consume %1 of what the windmills and solar farm produce. Of course, this is a rural village, not a suburb with power hungry appliances and such. I do wander what the subsidy bill is on this whole deal. Like here in the states, where utilities are required to buy such power at silly rates, or face huge penalties. and the companies that build the stuff get huge incentives and tax breaks, in addition to getting large checks from the utility against their will.

Right, that's what I meant.

My fingers went faster than my brain. :lol:
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
, or communities like Feldheim that build their own biogas plants, to be paid above-market prices for selling back to the grid, to ensure that their investment at least breaks even.
]

That big difference between loss and break-even that the governments are currently making up is the only reason any of the alternative energy efforts are still moving. The offshore wind farm projects I am involved in (Europe/Scandinavia) are all racing against the clock to achieve the necessary costs and efficiencies to survive as the subsidies taper off and eventually disappear. The schedule for the subsidy tapering and end is already set, so we know what we are up against.

Going to be interesting to see what happens.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
I am not optimistic, if they struggle now, when new, the maint cost can only go up over time.
 

acommondisaster

Active Member
Growing up in Wisconsin, every farm had a windmill - they were used to pump the water. By the time I was growing up, they weren't really used; everyone had electricity. Farmers are frugal by nature; if the windmills were so great, why did they stopped getting used? Windmills have been around forever. If they were so great, and satisfied the needs of the people, why have they been replaced?

I'm also willing to bet that most in those homes in the rural German communities don't have a third of the electric consumption of the average dual income no kid family in the US.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
I am not optimistic, if they struggle now, when new, the maint cost can only go up over time.

Yes, but...the technology is evolving in several key areas that is reducing the daily operating costs:

1. New direct-drive generators (eliminating the costly and high-maintenance step-up transmissions)

2. Ever-more sophisticated maintenance planning and preventive maintenance activities.

3. Increasing degree of automation and operational efficiencies that support the operation of larger and larger "farms" without attendant increases in personnel required.

But it is, and will remain, the case that Europeans pay, on average, about 50% more for their electricity than we do here. So there is more head room for wind-based solutions to eventually become economically viable. Here, piddly-arsed projects like the wind farm proposed for Maryland are nothing but money wasted and political window dressing.
 
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