NEWHeat Study Tour to Austria, 12th – 14th November 2008

Author: David Clubb

Northwoods Project Director Cockle Park Morpeth Northumberland NE61 3EB 01670 790444

 

Contents Study tour aims ................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Study tour participants ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 Study Tour Schedule ........................................................................................................................................................... 3 

Wednesday 12th November ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Berufsschule, Linz. Vocational school for eco-energy installation .............................................................................. 3 

Thursday 13th November................................................................................................................................................. 4 Bauerliche Bioenergie District Heating System (Bioenergie Fröling GmbH & Co KG) ............................................... 4 Biogas CHP plant ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Guntamatic boiler manufacturers ................................................................................................................................ 7 Domestic pellet heating system ................................................................................................................................... 8 

Friday 14th November..................................................................................................................................................... 8 Genol pellet distribution centre .................................................................................................................................... 9 Lagerhaus district heating scheme ............................................................................................................................ 10 Solar-City, Linz .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 

Annexes ............................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Feedback ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Upper Austria ................................................................................................................................................................ 13 

Study tour aims The aims of the trip were as follows:

1. To bring biomass to the attention of regional or UK journalists who may not have been aware of the possibilities offered by the technology

2. To raise the idea that biomass technology can be a strong driver for environmental benefits, economic benefits and local and export markets for manufacturing

3. To engage the participants with the NEWHeat project and the Ignition09 expo

The NEWHeat project is the biomass support programme for the north east of England which is funded by One NorthEast. For further information about the project, or about the Ignition09 woodfuel expo (which is part of the NEWHeat project) see www.newheat.org and www.ignition09.co.uk

Study tour participants The target audience for the trip was both regional and UK business press. It became apparent as attempts were made to secure participation that some high-profile attendees would not be able to attend, either because they could not spare the time out of the office, or because it was company policy not to accept free trips. Despite this, a good turnout (9 out of 12 places offered, with 3 cancellations close to departure) was obtained. Study tour participants represented a cross-section of interests including representatives from forestry and farming and journalists from the business, architecture, timber and environmental sectors.

• Alistair Yeomans, Slyva Foundation • Arthur Girling, Freelance Journalist, commissioned to write about biomass by Clean Tech Investor Magazine • Ben McLoughlin, Energy & Environment Technical Advisor, One NorthEast • Brian Nicholls, Editor, Business Quarterly • David Clubb, Project Director, Northwoods • Jacinta MacDermot, Tirglas Energy – Organiser • Jan-Carlos Kucharek, Assistant Editor, RIBA Journal • Jonathan Scurlock, Chief adviser for Renewable Energy & Climate Change, NFU • Keren Fallwell, Chief Sub-Editor, Timber Industry Magazine, Timber Building Magazine

Study Tour Schedule 12th November 2008 1400: Berufsschule 8, Linz 13th November 2008 0830: Arrival at Energiesparverband 0845: Presentation by Christine Ohlinger 1015: Bus to Grieskirchen (53km) 1100: Biomass heating plant tour 1145: Biogas CHP tour 1215: Bus to Peuerbach (15km) 1415: Tour of Guntamatic biomass boiler production plant 1530: Trip to see pellet boiler in residential property 1645: Return to Linz 14th November 2008 0900: Bus to Eferding (27km) 0930: Biohof Achleitner 1030: Gennol pellet distribution centre and biomass district heating system 1215: Bus to Linz/airport1400: Tour of solarCity, Linz

Wednesday 12th November Berufsschule, Linz. Vocational school for eco­energy installation

The Berufsschule, Linz (Director Alfred Pfob) is a vocational training school providing vocational training for students over the age of 15 as part of an apprenticeship scheme. Typically students will work for their company for 40 weeks of the year, and are released for a 10 week course each year at the vocational college. Students continue to be paid by their employers during their training, though training costs are met by the government. The majority of students are between 15 and 19 years of age, although there are some mature students who come to the college to re-train or top-up skills. In total the college has 1500 students, studying a range of subjects including plumbing, air conditioning and heating, electrics and catering. Students come from all over Austria, and the college offers accommodation, in a newly re-furbished accommodation block, for up to 230 students. A pilot course in eco-energy installations was launched in 2002, covering solar water heating, biomass, heat pumps and ventilation, the success of which has led to replication in other regions of Austria. In the first year there were 34 students on the course, rising to 104 in 2008, with 56 eco-installation companies in Upper Austria now take part in this

apprenticeship scheme. Within the college as a whole there are only 20-30 girls, though the proportionally there are slightly more on the eco-energy course. The college also offers training in wind and photovoltaic installations as part of its electrical course.

The college is extremely well equipped with spacious, naturally-lit classrooms and up-to-date equipment, supplied by leading manufacturers. A tour of the college included classes using heat-detecting cameras to examine losses from solar water heating systems as well as a range of wood pellet boilers. Sponsor companies supply the college with their most up-to-date equipment on a yearly basis, so students are always working on the latest installations.

When the students in a solar water heating laboratory session were asked why they had picked this particular subject (there is a wide range of vocational choices available), one simply replied, "it is the future". This sums up the general opinion in the region about the role of renewable energy and its importance.

Thursday 13th November Bauerliche Bioenergie District Heating System (Bioenergie Fröling GmbH & Co KG) 

This woodchip district heating system is owned and operated by a farmers' co-operative based to the west of Linz, and managed by one of the farmers, Hans Wilfener, who was instrumental in seeing the project realised. Planning began in 1999 during this phase the farmers involved formed an operating company, contacted buyers and began to organise the supply of fuel. The construction phase itself was extremely quick, with working beginning in April 2004 and the boilers commissioned and running by December 2004. The plant cost around €3 million to construct - €1 million for the building itself, €1 million for the technical equipment €1 million for the pipeline. Funding was secured through subsidies from national and local government (€900,000) and through investment by 26 farmer-members of the co-operative, who each own between 2 and 4% of the company. The manufacturer of one of the boilers, Froling, also hold a 24% stake in the company, and are involved in its marketing. The plant consists of two heat boilers - a 3MW Urbas boiler and a 500kW Froling boiler. The use of two different boilers allows more efficient running of the system as a whole - the low heat demand during the summer can be met by the smaller boiler, and in the winter it can be used to supplement the larger boiler during periods of high heat demand. There is sufficient space within the building for the installation of a further boiler, and it is anticipated that another 4MW may be added to the scheme at a later date.

Heat is supplied through a total of 3.5kms of heat-main (flow and return) super-insulated pipe and transferred to the customers by heat exchangers within the users' buildings. The water goes out at a temperature of 90°c which allows it to meet the needs of the industrial customers. The first customers that were targeted were industry, schools and public buildings, with heat then offered to local residents within the area. When the project first commenced in 2004 it proved difficult to secure customers, particularly as the company were keen not to be involved in trying to supply at lower prices than oil and gas, which were relatively cheap at the time. They successfully marketed the heat on the basis that it was environmentally friendly and also that it promoted supply of fuel from local sources and supported local farmers. The managing director of the project, Hans Wilfener, is well known locally and promoted his 'brand' through personal contacts and a targeted approach. With recent fluctuations in the price of fossil fuels, heat from the biomass scheme has become more economically attractive for potential customers. The biggest clients are 2 industrial companies (a boiler manufacturer and an agricultural manufacturer), 2 schools, some housing units and some farms. Customers pay around €80 per MWh . Wood chip fuel for the plant is supplied from a variety of sources, including the 26 farmers who own shares in the

scheme, who own 700ha of forest between them. Although the intention is to buy from these farmers when possible, there are no fixed contracts, allowing greater flexibility for fuel purchase. The plant requires 9,000 - 10,000 m² per year of wood chip, around half of which can be stored under cover. The boilers will accept chip of up to 50% moisture content, though most chip is around 25%. Woodchip is bought in for around €50 per tonne, depending on the moisture content and quality of the chip. The plant is highly automated with a phone monitoring system. The managing director spends around one hour per day at the plant, and one employee spends an hour a day on general operation and maintenance

Biogas CHP plant Adjacent to the wood chip district heating plant is a biogas plant, operational since 2006. It is run by a separate company, set up by 7 of the farmers who own shares in the wood chip heating plant.

Fuel stock includes maize, sorghum and flower seeds, and around 12 tonnes of fuel is need per day, producing around 6MW of electricity and 6MW of heat. The fuel stock is anaerobically digested, and the methane produced can be stored in a 360 cubic meter flexible container, which holds it in balance. The gas is then passed through a Jenbacher generator.

Since the plant has been running a relatively short time, adjustments are still being made to optimise efficiency. Payback on the scheme is estimated to be around 10 to 12 years. Again the plant is highly automated and is remotely

monitored - actual time required at the plant is limited to only an hour a day.

Guntamatic boiler manufacturers Guntamatic have been manufacturing boilers since 1963, originally log and oil boilers, now solely biomass (log, chip, pellet and grain boilers) with a turn-over of €40 million. They currently produce 12,000 boilers a year, 70% of which are exported. Main export markets include Germany, France and increasingly the UK through Treco Ltd (www.treco.co.uk).

The factory employs 180 people, 100 – 120 of whom are directly involved in the manufacturing process, and almost all parts of the boiler, storage and feed systems are manufactured in-house.

Guntamatic offers a variety of feed systems including worm-screws (augers) and suction systems which are fully automatic. Manual systems are also available.

Pellet systems range from 3 to 50kW, with boilers that can also run off energy crops such as barley or triticale at the flick of a switch. They also manufacture boilers suitable for wood chip, and log boilers of up to 44kW. Further information on their range of boilers can be found at http://www.guntamatic.com/gb/pdf/Prospekt-english.pdf

Domestic pellet heating system A visit to a local 25kW domestic pellet heating system (Guntamatic) was included. Pellets are blown into the fuel store through a pipe from the distribution lorry, and the fuel store was capable of holding two years supply of pellets. Pellets are fed into the boiler, housed in an adjacent room, using an auger. User-input is minimal, and includes emptying the ash from the boiler every couple of months and cleaning of the heat-exchangers. The house is of average construction (by Upper Austrian standards) and uses around 50 - 60 kWh per m² per year.

Friday 14th November Biohof Achleitner GmbH, Eferding This building was built in 2005 by an organic food distribution company, looking to re-locate after existing farm buildings had been damaged by flooding of the Danube. The warehouse, shop and distribution centre is built to Passivhaus standards using a timber frame construction, clay plasters, straw bale sections and lots of natural wood. The building houses a shop for organic produce, an organic cafe, an organic fruit and vegetable wholesale business and offices.

The entire building has been designed to maximise energy efficiency and natural processes, with triple glazing in some

areas and the inclusion of many plants, which provide clean air and regulate the temperature and moisture levels. A heat pump with a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 4 provides heating in the winter through underfloor heating, which is also used for summer cooling is provided through the underfloor heating system, using ground water. 80% of the electrical energy used by the heat pump is provided by a 60kWhp PV array on the roof. There are also 16m2 of solar collectors feeding into a 1000 litre Accumulator tank. Vehicles for the wholesale business were fuelled from a sunflower oil pump in the forecourt, though currently they are operating off petroleum diesel because of the high prices of virgin oils. They are currently looking into producing bio-diesel from used vegetable oils.

It is estimated that the environmental features of the building may have increased the overall price by 15-20%, though this additional cost was largely covered by subsidies and grants received.

Genol pellet distribution centre Genol is an Austrian company with headquarters in Vienna. They operate a fuel supply business, which includes the supply of oil, logs briquettes, bulk and bagged pellets. In Upper Austria they operate a pellet distribution centre based at the Lagerhaus farmers' co-operative, with 1200 farmer-members, on the same industrial estate as the Biohof building.

Over the last 5 years the company has seen demand for pellets and other biomass fuels increase continuously. Pellets are sourced from Tyrol and are stored in silos at the site, from where they are distributed via blower lorries to 1,000 local customers. Customers include single-family homes as well as companies and other distributors, and a total of

around 20,000 tonnes per year are distributed annually. Their log distribution from the centre accounts for around 2,000m³ annually, and logs imported from companies such as the Ukraine and Czech Republic.

Lagerhaus district heating scheme The Lagerhaus Co-operative also owns and operates a biomass district heating system which was constructed in 2008 at a cost of €3 million. The plant consists of two Urbas boilers (2.5MW and 800kW), with capacity for an additional boiler as the customer base grows. It is currently running at 2.2MW, using woodchip supplied by local farmers. Fuel is stored in a 8,000 m³ fuel store.

Heat is distributed via 3km of pipes to public buildings, a school and a few one-family homes. By the end of December an additional supermarket and block of flats will be connected, and talks are on-going with another company that currently uses 90,000 litres of oil annually. Heat is also used to dry maize at the farmers' co-operative, and is estimated to displace around 5,000 litres of oil per day.

Solar­City, Linz The Solar-City is a residential housing scheme built on the outskirts of Linz to meet demand for housing within the city. The scheme was constructed between 1999 and 2005 and consists of 1294 homes, built in 4 stages. The scheme was a collaboration by not-for-profit organisations, the City of Linz, the European Union General

Directorate XII for research and development and a team of architects including Norman Foster and Richard Rogers from the UK.

A key element of the housing development is low-energy design, and the average energy demand throughout the urban district is 36kWh/m²/a. This corresponds to the 'lowest energy' building rating of 30kWh/m²/a and 10kWh/m²/a for 'passivhaus' standard. Both passive and active solar energy systems are used within the development. Buildings are orientated to make the most of available sunlight, with buildings separated to avoid overshadowing even in winter. Around 50% of the hot water within the solarCity housing developments is provided by solar water heating systems, with a total of around 3500 m² of solar collectors located on the roofs of the buildings. All the buildings are connected to a district heating network which is fuelled by biomass (17%) and fossil fuels. Innovative drainage and waste-water treatment systems are also installed, with urine separation units installed in 88 of the residential buildings as well as the school, constructed wetlands treating grey water and sustainable urban drainage systems in place for rain water. Further information on the project can be found at www.linz.at/english/life/3199.asp .A book about the project was published in 2008 by SpringerWienNewYork (solarCity Linz-Pichling - Sustainable Urban Development).

Annexes 

Feedback 

Upper Austria The following information is provided to demonstrate what can be achieved in a relatively short time given appropriate political and economic drivers.

Upper Austria has become a European leader in the manufacture and installation of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and its success can be attributed to a range of legislative incentives and measures (sticks, carrots and tambourines) introduced by local and national government. The energy mix for the region (heating, transport and electricity) is seen below:

In Upper Austria the O.Ő Energiesparverband (ESV - Upper Austrian Energy Agency) plays a leading role in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and in delivering programmes on behalf of the state government.

The graph below shows the increase in installed area of solar thermal systems in the region. Note for comparison that the UK total is 300,000m2 (this figure was passed by Upper Austria - population 1.3m - in 1995).

More than 30% of energy in the region is produced from renewable sources, and between 1994 and 1999 energy consumption in new housing was reduced by 30%, with the aim of continuing to reduce it by a further 1% year on year to 2010. The high proportion of renewable energy is largely due to the regional energy action plan (1994-1999) which was passed in 1994 by the regional government. This resulted in:

• 15,000 modern wood chip installations • 626,000 m² of thermal solar collectors • 15 wind installations • 40 PJ from hydro power, more than 500 small-scale plants (20 kW to 10 MW) • 5 geothermal plants are in operation with a total power of about 50 MW • More than 30 biogas and sewage gas plants • More than 30,000 heat pumps • More than 500 grid-connected PV installations

Following the success of the 1994 regional energy action plan, the regional government have set further ambitious targets with an Energy 21 Action plan. Targets include:

1. Additional 10 PJ from RES until 2010: 2. Doubling the share of modern biomass heating system, 3. 3 % of electricity to be generated from RES (except hydro) by 2005 4. 1 million m² of thermal solar collectors to be installed by 2010 5. Overall as well as industry-specific energy efficiency will be increased by 10 % in 2010 6. The energy consumption for heating and hot water supply will be reduced by 20% 7. 30 new companies in the fields of RES technology and energy efficiency are to be established until 2010, thus

creating a total of 1500 new jobs 8. 15 new energy RTD research and demonstration projects are planned annually

The graph below shows the installed biomass capacity in Upper Austria. Note that the north east of England has an installed capacity of approximately 100MW - a figure eclipsed by Upper Austria in 1985. It is therefore not an exaggeration to state that we are currently more than 20 years behind 'best practice' in Europe.

Legislation and financial support from the regional government have promoted and supported the up-take of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Measures include obligatory energy efficiency advice sessions for home-builders, ‘soft loans’ for builders or renovators, which increase with the energy efficiency of the house and energy efficiency criteria for building renovation. There is also grant support and tax incentives for renewable energy installations.

In the longer term, beyond 2010, the regional government and regional parliament has set targets for its Energy Future 2030. Through studying and analyzing the potential for renewable energy in the region, and looking at different scenarios for energy production, they have set the following targets for 2030:

100% electricity from renewable energy sources 100% heating from renewable energy 41% less fossil transport fuels 65% reduction in CO2 emissions

ESV attributes this success in Upper Austria to a consistent and long-term policy approach. Not only have they been able to achieve their ambition targets to date, but their renewable energy manufacturing and services industry provides economic benefits to the region. ESV operates a ‘Green Energy Cluster’ – a network of renewable energy companies in Upper Austria. Current membership is made up of 148 companies, between them employing over 4,000 people with an annual turnover of € 1570 million.