Alternative energy concept for Friedberg school complex

Alternative energy for school

For years the district has supplied its schools in Aichach with regenerative thermal energy via the town's biomass cogeneration plant. For the school centre in Friedberg, no alternative energy source has been available to date. As part of the extension of the Konradin Realschule school, where a small air heat pump and a photovoltaic system were planned for the new building currently under construction, the district's building department has again increased its efforts to find a more sensible, large solution for the whole school centre.

bifa had carried out studies on a regional Augsburg local heat network on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment, from which an idea was born: Mobile heat transport turns unused waste heat into heating energy for schools.

Pilot project: Mobile heat transport

Wastes from the region become energy for the region. The pilot project in Friedberg school centre has been underway since 7 January 2013. In view of the implementation contract, the company LaTherm has invested in the development again and optimised the containers, which are now more like tanks. The district's technical teams and the AVA waste incineration plant have worked together on the necessary controls since the middle of the previous year, in order to fill the containers optimally with heat, and to be able to empty them by the maximum possible amount. In the meantime, after a few operating days, approx. 2,000 kWh has already been transported with each delivery. If the containers produce their full output in the morning, then at approx. 0° C their own gas burners have a break. Two schools including the extensions, two sports halls and a swimming pool are now heated by the mobile heat.

Since school began in the new year around 50 % of the heat consumption of these buildings has been covered by waste heat. During this short time, 5,000 m³ gas have already been saved and therefore 10,000 kg CO2 have been avoided. The transport by truck by comparison only generates only two to five percent of this. The progress of the project is being monitored attentively by the biogas farmers in the region. Especially because many older plants are located a long way from buildings and have until now not been able to use the waste heat. The intention is also for the concept to be pushed into the awareness of industrial companies, because each kilowatt hour of heat used sensibly saves twice as much valuable raw materials.