Rhine-Hunsrück: Energy transition tour shows a sustainable future with solar and wind!

Rhine-Hunsrück: Energy transition tour shows a sustainable future with solar and wind!

A highly exciting project on the future of renewable energies recently took place in Rhineland-Palatinate when the local cycling team Equipe EuroDeK undertook an “Energy Transition Tour” (EWT) through the Westerwald, Hunsrück and Taunus. The aim of this tour was to experience and learn first hand about the advances and technologies that contribute to the energy transition. During this two-day event, numerous interesting initiatives and innovative projects that rely on renewable energy were visited. Uli Schmidt, coordinator of the tour, reports on the positive impressions and interesting conversations with pioneers of the energy transition.

The tour began at the 100th anniversary of the local company Goerg & Schneider in Boden, which specializes in sound production. Managing director Florian Goerg and senior partner Hartmut Goerg emphasized the importance of sustainability and innovation in their business, which runs entirely on green electricity. This message is in line with the approach of keeping value creation in the region, which is a central goal of the energy transition.

Visit to pioneering facilities

After starting in Boden, the route took the cyclists to the Steinkaut solar park, a project of the Maxwäll energy cooperative in Altenkirchen. Here, 9,200 solar modules were installed on a former clay pit to cover the electricity needs of over 600 households. Board member Gerd Stein explained that the network is already reaching its limits due to high demand, which makes future expansions necessary.

Another highlight was the hydroelectric power plant in Nassau, where Dominik Kauss, head of renewable energies at Süwag, explained to the cyclists how the power plant works. The modernized power plant produces enough electricity for 16,000 households with an output of 1,400 kilowatts. An important goal that Kauss emphasized is the protection of the fish population in the Lahn, for which cooperation with the federal government is planned.

Wolfgang Wagner from the “Energy for Mannebach” cooperative welcomed the participants under the motto of what a small community can achieve with limited resources. In 2010, with a group of committed citizens, he asked how renewable energy could be used in their small village with only 105 houses. The result was the founding of a cooperative that built a biomass power plant and a photovoltaic system, thereby creating a source of sustainable energy and local heating.

A look into the future

At the end of the tour, the cyclists met in the Café-Bistro Mundart in Montabaur to evaluate their impressions. Uli Schmidt summarized that the participants of the energy transition tour were able to experience vividly how locally active initiatives can make a decisive contribution to the energy transition. “The examples we have seen show that a lot can be achieved with conviction and community spirit,” noted Schmidt.

The Rhein-Hunsrück district, in which the tour took place, has established itself as a nationwide pioneer in the energy transition. Two important awards, the “Renewable District Certificate” in platinum and the title “Energy Municipality of the Decade”, testify to the successes in the region. The willingness to invest in renewable energies has led to the district now having 285 wind turbines and 7,700 photovoltaic systems, capable of generating 390 percent of the electricity required from renewable sources.

The project has not only contributed to the creation of a green energy network, but also strengthened regional added value, which amounts to approximately 880 million euros. The successes are reflected not only in the statistics, but also in the daily lives of the residents, whose energy costs have been significantly reduced through sustainable measures.

Time will tell how more municipalities may look to this model for their own paths towards sustainability and energy efficiency. For further information on the activities in the Rhein-Hunsrück district and the projects implemented there, see the current reporting on www.rhein-zeitung.de.