Gussing: Renewable energy exemplified?

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 Can 100% renewables be achieved?

The Country of Iceland has already achieved a 99% renewable

electricity mix and 70% overall renewable energy portfolio from
hydro and geothermal sources.

The Costa Rican government had already set a goal for the country to
become carbon neutral by 2021. In 2015, the nation had achieved
supplying 95-99% of electricity demand with renewable sources,
approximately 80% of which was by hydropower. 

Wind and solar generation met up to 50% of Denmark’s electricity

demand during 2019. Denmark is likely to meet its goal of at least
50% wind in the electricity system by the end of 2020.

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This talk is based on an original presentation by

European Center for Renewable Energy in Güssing

2008 D.I. Dean Marcelja
Once upon a time, somewhere in Europe …

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… where the roads ended…

Güssing

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…problems, problems…

 50 years border region to Hungary

 no industry
 high rate of unemployment
 70% population commuting to Vienna…
 high migration rate
 small structured agricultural fields
 no traffic infrastructure

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 Solution

Concept
for a local energy supply
from renewable energy sources

 The Güssing Model

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 Energy Demand

OIL / GAS
ELECTRICITY €€€
FUELSEnergy Supply CONSUMER

SUN HEAT
Power Plants

WOODS ELECTRICITY €€€

AGRICULTURE FUELS
CONSUMER

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 Background Idea

Cash flow - expenditures for energy imports

(mostly of fossil origin)

€ 6,2 Mio

1991 2007

€ 652.700
+ € 14 Mio > € 14,5 Mio
Achieved regional benefit (City of Güssing)

© EEE 2005

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Energy-Turnaround

Benefits of going for

regional renewable energy supply

 Values remaining within the region

 New jobs (tax income raising)
 Less traffic due to less commuters
 Independency
 Stable prices
 Secured supply
 No political tensions
 CO2 - reduction
Kap.2
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Values achieved within the past 10 years

Güssing City:
50 new companies
over 1.100 new jobs
net income of 9 Mio. EUR/year
energy sales volume > 13 Mio. EUR/year
wood consumption of 20.000 t/year

Güssing County:
Due to 45% self-sufficiency in total energy supply, th
region profits EUR 18 Mio p.a.
Potential when 100% self-sufficiency goal achieved: -
EUR 37 Millionen p.a.
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Municipal Tax Development

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Renewable Energy Ratio
Comparison (%)

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Global energy mix until 2100
The future of Photovoltaic

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Resources Technologies Energy Forms

Photovoltaics Heat
Public Electricity Grid
Sun
Solar plant
District Heating Grid

Biomass
Waste Wood
Combustion Electricity
Gas
Pyroforce Gas Engine

Biomass Dampf
Sawdust Steam Turbine
Combustion
Gas
Thermical Gas
Wood Chips Gas Engine
Gasification
RME
Fuel Cell
Grass, Corn,
Biogas Methanisation
Clover Gas
Fuels
Glycerin

Rapskuchen Fischer-Tropsch
Canola Oil,
Cooking Oil Trans-
esterification RME
 Energy Self-Sufficient Region
Güssing County

Potential

For self
sufficency

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Energy Independent County
Distribution of Power Plants

District heating
Combined heat and power

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Power Plants in Güssing

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Biomass Power Plant

fluidized bed steam gasification technology 19

District Heating Plant Güssing

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Costs of heating
Urbersdorf Combined Plant

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Biogas Power Plant

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Biogas Plant

Since 2004, investments: 2,4 Mio€

Feedstock: corn and grass
Electrical output 500kW
Thermal output 600kW
Annual produced energy:
4.350 MWh electricity and 5.220 MWh heat
Annual need of silage: 17.800 t
Power Plant „II“ Güssing

produces 2,000 kWh electric power as well as 4,500 kWh heat for
district heating at a feed rate of 2,300 kg wood per hour 25
Biomass Power Plant
since 2001

CHP-plant based on FICFB

Wood gasification

Fuel: wood chips

Fuel capacity 8MW

Therm output 4.5MW
Electr. Output 2MW
Total efficiency 80%

Investments 10Mio €

Annual need of
Wood chips:
Ca. 16.000 t
 The ̏ ökoEnergieland˝
Eco- Tourism

Overnight stays:
Güssing City Güssing Region
1995 1.700 27.000
2005 22.047
2006 24.164
2007 27.658 > 200.000

Source: EEE Güssing GmbH; municipal office Güssing: Feb. 2008

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 Güssing Highlight

1st hi-tech production

Worldwide
of renewable energy
hardware equipment
powered entirely
with renewable energy
from within the region…

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BLUE CHIP ENERGY GmbH
1st Austrian High-Efficiency Solar Cells Production

- Production Start Q2/2008

- Full Capacity as of Q4/2008
- 100 MW/year (~ 20 Mio. Cells)
≙ electricity consumption of 20.000 households
- 140 highly trained employees
- Investment: € 60 Mio.

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 PV Supply Chain

Ingot
Sand Silicium
65% value added in Austria!

Modular Solar cell Wafers

system

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 Win Win Situation for ALL

Craftsmen Industry

Agriculture Public
Sector

Wood Industry Households

YOU HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF!

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 Public Private Partnership - Model

CEO
Energy
Manager

51% 49%
Local Strat.
Community Local Energy Partners
Supply Co.

central biomass power biogas

PV power
district power plant
plant Ltd. plant Ltd.
heating Ltd. Ltd.

energy
contracting
saving

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 Services provided in Güssing

Education
Schooling
 Solarteur
 Energy Manager
for Communities

Energy Concepts Technology

Feasibility Studies Moderation

(Power Plants, Financing, ...)
(neutral)

Investments in Local
Energy Supply Companies
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Energy Partnerships
Networking of Communities

Renewable Energy Development

Plan
means
Integral Concept !

There is not much time left,

we have to act fast!

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Centralised (monopolised) Energy Supply (-
concepts) means DEPENDENCY!

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 Decentralised Energy Supply
10.000-s Güssings in Europe

Your Place?

Güssing

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The Message

EU is over 90 % DEPENDENT on conventional / fossile energ

and energy imports!! -> NO FUTURE THIS WAY

Decision making regarding energy supply must be within the

Community itself!!

We stand AGAINST monopoly of knowledge and any other

kind of monopoly, we stand FOR really free exchange and equa
equ
level play.

Communities can and should show the way!

RE-think!

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 Güssing
Renewable Energy
Village

This was the story

of a small,
unfaltering
renewable energy
village, surrounded
by legions of fossil
energy sources
trying to take over
the little village.

But the village has a

magic potion -
- ENERGYMIX -
made of renewable
energy sources!
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Global technical potential of renewable power

Enough potential

Largest potential: wind & solar

Largest problem:
meteorological dependency
 Güssing as a Model for regional Economic Improvement
The so-called „Güssing Model“ is the strategy of de-
centralised, local energy production with all available
renewable resources in a region. This model came into
being so to speak out of necessity and is the quintessence of
what has been happening in Güssing since the early 1990s
with decisive involvement of EEE. Since every region has
certain resources in different measures, the model can serve
as an example for many communities.

Video
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 Ability to change
CO2
Description Production in in Percent
t/year

without use of Renewables – (before

36.995 t/a 100%
1995)
2005 24.020 t/a 61%

Full capacity 2.782 t/a 8%

In 2008, Güssing, ceased production of biodiesel. New focus on the

production of synthetic fuels such as wood methane, wood gasoline
and wood diesel. A portion of the product gas from the biomass
power plant was used for the production of these energy sources.

The methanisation plant, is able to provide 7,500 MWh/year in the

form of synthetic natural gas as a propellant fuel or power fuel,
which will raise the proportion of locally produced energy back up to
56%. This will produce a reduction of CO2-emissions by around
2,500 t/year.
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GRE DFB multi-fuel gasification

World’s first functioning FICFB (Fast Internally Circulating Fluidized

Bed) plant
Two inter-connected fluidized bed systems form the core
of the fluidized bed steam gasifier (reactor).

In the gasification zone the cut-down biomass is whirled

up and gasified in anaerobic conditions at approx. 850°C
is reached in the shortest time possible by introducing
steam.

The bed material (olivine sand) has the function of a heat

transfer medium and provides a stable temperature in the
reactor.
Resulting gas then cooled, filtered and tar removed using
BIO-DIESEL.

March 2015 The DFB reference plant in Gussing set a new record for
operating hours: 728 operating hours on the gas engine, equal to 98%
uptime, exceeding previous records. 42
Fuel produced.

During gas purification neither solid waste nor waste water arises, and
the product gas is completely free from nitrogen.

A downstream engine optimized for gas operation can produce electric

power and heat from the product gas (combined heat and power,
CHP), with the overall efficiency being higher than 85%.

Alternatively, a methanization plant also allows the generation of bio

synthetic natural gas (BioSNG) from product gas in certified quality.
The product gas consist of up to 40% of hydrogen, which can be
extracted; in Fischer-Tropsch-Synthesis high-grade fuels can be
synthetisized from the product gas.

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Co2 emmisions In Gussing
 The added value

for the town of Güssing

More than 50 new companies
More than 1.100 new jobs netting € 9 Mio. a year
Total sales volume of energy € 13 Mio. a year (2005)
Total wood consumption 44.000 tons a year

for the district of Güssing

• 45% self sufficiency netting18 Mio. EURO
• Potential in case of 100% self sufficiency 37 Mio. EURO

In 2013, the entire region produced enough locally

produced electricity to cover demand. 
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