Owners of new or extensively renovated properties must already cover part of their heating requirements with energy generated from renewable sources. This is stipulated by the Renewable Energies Heat Act. Building owners also fulfil this obligation if they decide to connect to a local or district heating network. For this reason, some local authorities in the district of Giessen have had their new development areas equipped with local heating networks from the outset in recent years - including the town of Hungen.
In the "Stümpfenweg" development area, Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) has built a heating centre and laid the local heating pipes to the 37 building plots.
Project manager Christian Launhardt from the heat supply department at SWG explains: "With the local heating network, the town of Hungen is creating the conditions for a climate-friendly and cost-effective energy supply for the new residential buildings here."
Heat and electricity at the same time
The centrepiece of the system is a combined heat and power plant (CHP) with a thermal output of 36 kilowatts (kW) and an electrical output of 20 kW. As the CHP works on the principle of combined heat and power (CHP), it generates heat and electricity at the same time. "Compared to the separate production of heat and electricity, CHP is an efficient and climate-friendly supply solution." In combination with the heating network, the system in Hungen reduces fuel requirements by around 30 per cent compared to separate electricity and heat production - and CO2 emissions by around 40 tonnes per year. While the heating energy is consumed directly on site in the development area, the CHP electricity flows into the public grid.
The heated water from the heating centre reaches the properties via well-insulated pipes and house transfer stations. There are several advantages for homeowners: they do not have to install their own heating system, which saves them a lot of space and sometimes a lot of money. In addition, there is no need for regular maintenance work on a boiler or the costs of a chimney sweep.
At peak load times - for example during the morning hours in winter - the CHP is supported by two additional natural gas condensing boilers, each with a thermal output of 160 kW. They ensure that sufficient climate-friendly and cost-effective heat is available at all times for all future residents of the development area.
Anyone interested can find out all about local heating from the energy advisors at the Stadtwerke Gießen customer centre on Marktplatz - either in person on site or by telephone. Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., telephone 0800 23 02 100
07.10.2015