The focus on the energy transition: This is how our municipality becomes an energy city!

The focus on the energy transition: This is how our municipality becomes an energy city!

The city of Lichtenau has officially positioned itself as an energy city and thus plays an important role in the field of renewable energies. With a total of 187 wind turbines, the municipality produces around 900 gigawatt hours of electricity every year. In addition, 1200 installed solar systems with another 25 megawatt lessons contribute to energy production. The biomass is also present in Lichtenau: four biogas plants together generate around four megawatt hours of electricity and make an important contribution to sustainable energy supply. This is reported by the Westfalen Blatt .

The use of wind and solar energy has increased in Germany in recent years. According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable energies covered around 19 percent of global final energy consumption in 2021. By 2023, electricity generation from renewable sources rose to a total of 9,029 terawatt hours (TWH), which corresponds to an increase of 5 percent compared to the previous year. In particular, hydropower, wind energy and solar energy contribute significantly to this growth.

A look at biomass

biomass, especially in the form of biogas, plays a central role in energy generation and supply. Biogas arises from the fermentation of organic materials such as manure, solid manure and waste. This technology not only has a high level of efficiency and supply, but can also be used in a combined heat and power process. Biogas can also be made and can add wind and solar energy, the production of which can be fluctuating. The energy future portal explains that the choice of the right plants is crucial when the efficiency varies depending on the type of plant.

At the moment, space consumption is a central topic in the discussion about biomass. Targeted cultivation can compete with food -producing areas, while the use of residues is less problematic. Although new biomass plants are to be created, the expansion should not be promoted significantly, so that the pressure on agricultural areas remains lower.

renewable energies as a climate protection factor

In a global comparison, it turns out that countries such as Sweden, Brazil and Canada have high proportions of renewable energies in their energy mix, which contributes locally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While the proportion in Sweden was 58 percent in 2021, it is only 1 percent in the United Arab Emirates. This also illustrates the challenges the opportunities that are available in the global energy market.

The progressive energy transition requires access to clean and affordable energy as one of the UN sustainability goals by 2030. The energy sector is responsible for a large part of greenhouse gas emissions, which is why the promotion of renewable energies is crucial for combating climate change. Data prove that the technologies used and the increasing capacity in the production of renewable energies are of increasingly central importance in both Germany and worldwide.