Multifunctional energy-centre Deutschlandsberg on the example of „Model-system Güssing“ (DEGÜSS)

The community of Deutschlandsberg in Styria has agreed and targeted on becoming energy-autonomous until the year 2015, this means producing exactly as much energy from renewables as are consumed within the community/region. Within the project it was analysed how such an undertaking could be realised technically, legally, economically and organisatory, taking into account all local framework requirements. To do so, the productive side (further renewable energies) as well as the consumption-side (potentials for efficiency-measures in homes, services and industry as well as in the public sector) are taken into account.

The activities cover:

• Analysis of the energy-household in regard to optimisation and comparing with other regions
• Building-oriented energy-book-keeping for the commune
• Development and implementation of a priority-list in order to switching communal buildings’ energy-supply to renewables
• Pinpointing areas of priority for renewables (biomass, island position, solar)
• Search for saving-measures in communal space (e.g. streetlights),
• Analysis of experiences made by the municipality of Güssing regarding chances and risks for Deutschlandsberg
• Development of a questionnaire to local households and companies within Deutschlandsberg in order to pinpoint possible saving-potentials
• Biomass-power plant: Investigation of the need for district heat within the area in question (companies, homes with electric heating) for economic and energetical optimisation of the plant.
• Investigation of thermal retrofitting for the „Sternsiedlung“ and the „Lindenweg-settlement“ (lokal residential areas)
• Converting the energy-supply of island-positions to renewables (Energy Cabin), 
• Arrangement of the „Energietreff” on the main-square No.38 (opened on 11-18-2006),
• Arrangement of the “Energy-regulars-table” (1st gathering 02-08-2007),
• Initialisation of an interest-group „passiv-house“ including info-happenings and excursions
• Cooperation of local developers in planing and retrofitting of buildings to achieve passive-house-standard (row-house-settelement and retrofitting of an officebuilding)
• Switching from electrical heating to district heat (e.g. a school building)
• step-by-step conversion of municipal builidings to renewable energy (nursing home, Koralm-stadion, Koralm-hall)
• Efficiency-measures within the communal household: The commune Deutschlandsberg is currently planning the thermal retrofitting of a school-building (Hauptschule I)
• Construction of further biomass power plants for the supply of companies (e.g. building supplies store Wallner) and family home settlemets (e.g. at the Leibenfelderstraße)
• Construction of low-energy-homes "Am Sonnenhang"

Project partners:

Consortium members:

• Dipl.-Ing. Ottokar Indrak (Engineering-consulant for urbanism & regional development, project-leader and -contractor, Vienna)
• Municipality Deutschlandsberg
• Corp. Liechtenstein Holztreff
• Gemeinnützige Wohn- und Siedlungsgen. Ennstal (Liezen), Charitable Development Association
• Municipality Kaindorf (Represented by major Friedrich Loidl)

Contractors, consulants:

• Austrian Society For Environmen And Technology (OGUT)
• Technology-centre Güssing - European Centre for Renewable Energy
• Technology-Centre Deutschlandsberg
• Corp. Solar Projects Ltd.
• Corp. RENET – Centre Of Competence Güssing, Research-Institute For Renewable Energies Ltd.

Office of Coordination Deutschlandsberg:

• Gustav Gründler (coordinator and contact person on the ground)
• Dipl.-Ing. Paul Pfleger (diploma-thesis "Economic analysis of variants of thermal retrofitting of an apartment block and development of recommendations of action" within the project)

Close cooperation exists with the county of Styria, the “LandesEnergieVerein Steiermark” (Styria County Energy Association), the local Energy Agency (EA) South-East Styria respectively EA West-styria, Bios Bioenergiesysteme Ltd. (plannings for energetic use of biomass, Graz) and Conness Inc. (energy-consulting-, planning- and operations Ltd., Graz).

Project timeframe: 2006 - 2008

The project was supported by the programme-line „Energy Systems of Tomorrow “ of the Federal Ministry of Transport Innovation and Technology (BMVIT).

Österreichische Gesellschaft
für Umwelt und Technik
Hollandstraße 10/46
A-1020 Wien
Tel +43.1.315 63 93
Fax +43.1.315 63 93-22
E-Mail office@oegut.at

Further Information