When Sepp Biesenberger helped put the citizens’ solar system on the roof in Herrmannsdorf 22 years ago, many still saw it as an action by some quirky eccentrics. At that time there were twelve piers, each with its own plot on the roof for harvesting electricity. Today, many wish they had understood earlier that fossil energies are not only finite and harmful to the climate, but in the worst case also make you dependent on megalomaniac autocrats. “Now there is a spirit of optimism,” says Biesenberger. Together with Bärbel Zankl, Franz Lichtner and Jürgen Friedrichs, the Grafinger city council and district chairman of the Bund Naturschutz organized the annual conference of the Bavarian solar initiatives in the district town. At the event, with a good 250 participants, it also became clear: although things have started to move, there is still a great deal to be done.
Board members and active members of the solar, energy transition and climate protection associations, employees from municipalities and administration, experts from science, trade, industry and trade spent two days finding out about current developments and ongoing political blockades. For a long time now, the solar conferences have not only been about photovoltaics, but rather a regenerative energy mix is the focus. In particular, Biesenberger emphasizes that it will not work without wind power in order to ensure a good energy yield in summer and winter, day and night.
A lot has happened since the war in Ukraine
The BN district chief has observed that things have been happening at the regional level since the start of the war in Ukraine. In the past, he says, a mayor would have been criticized during the election campaign for campaigning for wind turbines. In the future it will be the other way around, at least Biesenberger is convinced of that. The expansion of renewables, which has been quite sluggish so far – it is currently just 15 percent in the district – will now pick up speed. It is still questionable at this point in time whether the energy transition will be achieved by 2030, as the district actually intended, but one should not simply give up the goal, said Biesenberger.
In addition to nationally active scientists, company representatives and politicians, experts from the Ebersberg district also had their say at the conference. For example Markus Henle, managing director of Eberwerk, the regional energy supply company in the district. Among other things, he addressed the sluggish grid expansion and the consequences for the energy transition. Legal framework conditions pushed the network economy per se into a “reactive and wait-and-see” role, said Henle. Bureaucracy, a shortage of skilled workers and the delivery situation of material also caused problems in the network economy. Nevertheless, “generation geared to local electricity needs can be realized in almost all cases”.
Hans Zäuner reported on his experiences with the only wind turbine in the district to date.
(Photo: private)
There was a lot of applause for Hans Zäuner, the wind power pioneer in the district. Together with 15 other comrades, he is the owner and operator of the only wind turbine in the district in Hamberg near Bruck, a project that was applied for shortly before the 10-H brake was introduced and still had to overcome many hurdles. “Bürgerwind is regional value creation,” says Zäuner, “starting with lease payments to the local property owners, business tax revenue for the local community, distribution to the local shareholders and financing with regional banks.” Community, home, preservation of living space, that is his credo for future wind energy projects in the region.