23/05/2014
Association Community Wallmerod is a pioneer: first fuel cell installed in the Westerwald, Germany.
Wallmerod - Association Community Wallmerod will save energy with an innovative concept.
Proven and new technologies are being combined in a new way: the first fuel cell of the Westerwald, Germany had been installed in the town hall to produce electricity all year round. The produced electricity is consumed by the association community itself. Mainly for the air conditioning of the computer and service rooms. The exhaust heat of the fuel cell is used to preheat the intake air for a gas-/ air- heating pump, so that it reaches an even better efficiency. For peak loads thirdly a cascade of two condensing boilers will be available. The heat output is controlled by a modern control system with specially created buffers. This displays the installed heating capacity is almost halved. Savings of around 50 percent are expected.
"The heating of the association community's administration building had to be renewed anyway." said Mr. Lütkefedder. Several options were tested. "With the installation of the first fuel cell in the region, we optimized the heat recovery and maximum efficiency in our town hall, so we operate at a three-fold energy saving." Mr. Lütkefedder summed up together the eco-friendly project.
The cost of the entire heating system amounted to a total of around 113,000 €. The state of Rheinland-Pfalz participates in this program with a grant of 50 percent of funds.
The project is part of the "Active Energy Program 2020" by the association community Wallmerod. In cooperation with the firm KEVAG, a gas supplier, the participation of the agency for efficient and renewable energy of the Bingen University and the engineering firm Wolf from Oberlahr the town hall's potential of optimization of the heating system was commissioned and now being implemented step by step. It requires a total of approximately 250,000 kWh for the building last year. This number should be halved by the modern forward-looking investment. In example about around 125,000 kWh can be saved. This corresponds to the annual requirement of six modern houses.
"I'm impressed by the association community's commitment for this innovative energy project." Gerd Thewalt (gas supply Westerwald). "That makes us as an energy supplier have fun to work with them," he said.
Marcus Baumermann (Ceramic Fuel Cells GmbH, Heinsberg) explained how the fuel cell based natural gas-powered and highly efficient micro power plant works. He emphasized the high electrical efficiency of the BlueGEN- System. The cost for customers electricity would be roughly halved.
"The overall efficiency is increased by the additional use in the percentage of thermal energy to as much as 85 percent" he pointed out. The system delivers up to 13,000 kWh of electricity per year.
A third of the cost have to be saved.
Not only the town hall was examined for potential savings, even 17 further properties owned by association community. After recommendations have been implemented, the heating system in the gymnasium Hundsangen was renewed and optimized too.
In 2010 the total cost of electricity and heating for these properties were around 250,000 €. In 2013 compared were about 25 percent less needed. The investments are already paying off.
The ambitious goal is to save a total of third of the cost. Despite higher heating and electricity costs the last year's spending totaled just about 30,000 € less and added 80,000 € revenue from photovoltaic systems. "We have now more than 100,000 € better available and permanent" Lütkefedder highlighted. With an energy-saving bonus the association community also inspired their six primary schools and secondary schools to save energy too. Half of the sum they save in a year on energy costs, they get back in cash. During the past year this amounted to 1,800 €.
Source: http://ow.ly/xdemd
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