An increasing amount of development land is being earmarked for the generation of electricity and heat using alternative energy. Introducing a bioenergy village with a difference: Vordere Viehweide II in the town of Wüstenrot. “Agrithermics” is big here. One hectare large, this residential and mixed-use land will have a demo unit installed for new geothermic technology. To plan the project and market the properties, town administrators called in the team at the Steinbeis Consulting Center Project Development for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency, as well as staff from a Backnang-based company called “Die Erneuerbaren”.
The German Federal Ministry of Economy asked the community to flesh out its initiative called “An Energy-Independent Wüstenrot by 2020” and submit a request for funding. Agrithermics is a completely new approach to energy in that the earth’s heat is used for heating and cooling by using a heat pump. The farmer or company begins by plowing in panel absorbers (plastic hoses) two meters below the surface. This cold geothermal heating grid supplies nearly 30 houses in the Wüstenrot building area with energy. This doesn’t exist anywhere else in Germany. Nearly 1½ hectares of collector surface is required. There are roof-mounted solar panels to deliver electricity. An intelligent energy management system uses and stores electricity in each household, allowing users to do all kinds of things such as recharge the battery in their electric vehicle. Since this blend of sources generates 1.6 times the amount of actual energy needed, any excess can be tapped into by adjacent buildings or the nearby outdoor swimming pool.
Sebastian Dürr
Steinbeis Consulting Center Development Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency (Wolpertshausen)
With its short consulting sessions, the Steinbeis Foundation helps small and mid-sized businesses tap into sources of technology and knowledge. The aim is to open the door to the latest scientific findings and technology. Other benefits of these sessions include direct contact with the Steinbeis network of experts and sound business advice.
Requests for a short consulting session can be submitted by companies, representatives of various chambers, the L-Bank, institutions of economic development and managing directors of Steinbeis Enterprises, specifying what the session needs to address.
All forms can be found online. Short consulting sessions must meet the following criteria:
Gisela Eggensperger
Steinbeis Beratungszentren GmbH (Stuttgart)
A German transport initiative called “Zukunftsmobilität” (Future Mobility), which is being spearheaded by the Steinbeis Consulting Center for Innovation and Energy in Trossingen, is also helping to coordinate a similar project by the same name in the Black Forest region. Part of an ongoing “Summer of Automobiles” event, which was launched to celebrate Baden-Württemberg as the cradle of the automobile, ZUMO looks to the future of the automobile and propulsion – plus the whole idea of transport and how it relates to tourism.
People who visit the ZUMO office get a hands-on opportunity to experience different modes of transport and enjoy a few hours of fun in the Black Forest. ZUMO holidays are carbon-neutral and include concept cars, local public transport, accommodation and locally-sourced food as well as vehicle fuel. The offers allow visitors to take alternative vehicles for a test drive and experience the Black Forest in a completely new way, from individual tours on e-bikes and Segway excursions to electric cars and vehicles running on biogas or fuel cells.
Christian Klaiber
Steinbeis Consulting Center Innovation & Energy Trossingen
su1301@stw.de