Weilheim and its climate goals: "Now everyone has to act"

Created: 11/30/2022, 10:00 am

By: Magnus Reitinger

According to “Energiewende Oberland”, additional solar meadows – such as here on the edge of the Trifthof industrial park – are essential for Weilheim.

In order to cover the total requirement, around 25 hectares are still needed.

© rudder

What is the current status of the energy transition in Weilheim?

And what needs to be done to achieve the city's climate goals?

This is in the energy use plan that has now been presented to the city council.

One thing is certain: action must be taken now, the pressure is great.

Weilheim

– For him, “today is a holiday”, said environmental and climate officer Stefan Emeis (Greens) at the most recent city council meeting: Finally, the energy use plan of the city of Weilheim is available, a kind of climate concept, as it was in autumn 2019 by 570 supporters “ Citizens' application” had demanded.

And in this "there is more in it than I dared to hope for," says Emeis.

The 113-page work costs around 48,000 euros

The competence center of the "Energiewende Oberland" (EWO) created the 113-page work on behalf of the city.

The costs for this amount to around 48,000 euros, according to the city council;

However, 70 percent of this is borne by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs.

For a year, "the energy situation in Weilheim was dealt with very intensively," said EWO employee Christiane Regauer at the presentation to the city council.

In addition to the current status, all existing and “usable potentials of renewable energy sources based on the current state of the art” were determined.

Trade and industry consume 56 percent of the energy

During the presentation in the town hall, Regauer and EWO energy manager Andreas Scharli – who lives in Weilheim himself – highlighted some of the issues.

Accordingly, the energy requirement in Weilheim in 2019 was a total of 465 gigawatt hours.

Commercial businesses and industry consume 56 percent of the electricity and heat, 18 percent private households and one percent municipal properties.

The remaining 25 percent is accounted for by transport (fuel consumption).

The time for talking is over, now everyone has to act!

Stefan Emeis, Environmental Officer of the Weilheim City Council

The "more difficult tasks", Emeis summed up, for the city "are more about heating and transport and not so much about electricity".

On the one hand, it is about using energy more sparingly - for example through better insulation, better controlled heating or a reduction in car journeys.

On the other hand, more non-fossil energy sources would have to be used;

it's about more heat pumps for heating, the expansion of district heating, alternative types of drive in transport or more solar roofs.

Conclusion of the environmental officer: "Now we know the numbers.

No further investigation is needed.

The time for talking is over, now everyone has to act!”

Another 25 hectares of open space PV systems required

In terms of electricity, around 16 percent of the total consumption in Weilheim currently comes from on-site renewable sources – 85 percent of which are photovoltaic systems.

Although the potential on the roofs is still great, Regauer emphasized, they would "never" be enough for the overall requirement.

Weilheim still needs about 25 hectares of open space PV systems for this (currently it is six hectares).

According to the EWO, the local potential for wind power is low.

Meanwhile, Scharli campaigned vigorously for the use of hydropower on the Ammer: For the Oderding weir, which has not yet been converted, one has to think about it;

The Großweil hydroelectric power plant shows that energy generation is possible today in a “fish-friendly” way.

For the Oderdinger weir, Weilheim's mayor Markus Loth referred to "clear statements" from the water management office,

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According to the EWO, only 5.5 percent of the heating requirement in Weilheim is provided by renewable energies (mostly biomass).

25 percent is heated with heating oil, 68 percent with fossil gas.

That's why the district heating network must be set up quickly, according to Scharli: The power plant locations planned so far at Kranlöchl and at the sewage treatment plant are "excellent, even if there are structural interventions".

The EWO would support the city in the development of further systems.

Turn off some street lights at night?

The energy use plan lists a total of 20 concrete proposals for measures for the city and its citizens.

For example, a discussion about turning off street lighting in residential areas at night, greater consideration of climate protection issues in development plans, a “solar theme day” or a “heating exchange offensive” is encouraged.

AfD city council asks “what such works basically bring”

The energy use plan was mostly well received by the city council.

Claus Reindl (BfW) found it to be a “useful practical concept”.

Now "all actors have to help together" to achieve the desired energy neutrality by 2035: "Everyone has an obligation." Klaus Gast (CSU) called the plan "very enlightening".

Above all, Petra Arneth-Mangano (SPD) called for efforts to save energy.

"We have never had anything so comprehensive and profound," praised Roland Bosch (ÖDP) and suggested "a similar plan for the traffic turnaround" - since traffic in Weilheim causes a quarter of the emissions.

Only Rüdiger Imgart (AfD) asked the question "what such works bring in principle": For him "the presented figures only confirm what everyone already knows in here".

Green City Council: “Put every cent that is free into climate protection”

Karl-Heinz Grehl (Greens), the city council's energy officer, saw things differently.

However, in the future there will be “no more time for any reports”: “Everyone in Weilheim is asked to implement this plan”;

there is "time pressure and pressure to act".

And the city must “actually put every cent that is free into the energy transition and climate protection”.

The energy use plan of the city of Weilheim

can be viewed and downloaded from the municipal website www.weilheim.de.