Introduction

 Community Energy Exchange Trip to Germany

Giving the power back to the people UK  

carbon saving targets 30% by 2020 80% by 2050

 

A group of six community energy practioners join a Professional Good Practice Exchange trip organised by My Embrace to the Green Heart of Germany. They visit national renewable sites of significant importance and are inspired by large scale city wide heat networks. During their visit they witness first hand just how Germany has gone about powering and heating their communities locally. 

 Through the eye of a Francis turbine (right to left) – Jason Hannah, Worthing Energy Shop; James Wing, Sustainables 4U; Nick Cheyne-Brow, Graduate; Nick Rouse, OVESCo; Callum Steveley, My Embrace; Ollie Pendered, OVESCo/Barcombe Energy Group; Richard Watson, Energise Sussex Coast. 

  

As we fly into Munich I overhear a child in the row behind us remarking at the sparkles on the ground – like stars on the ground, the solar panels shine from the roof tops. We come lower to the ground and see solar farm PV arrays running adjacent to railway lines, on the outskirts of villages, on large barn roofs, homes and industrial buildings.

 

We are guests of a training College, BCS Bildungs-Center Sudthuringen located at Suhl in Central Germany in the region of Thuringen. Suhl is in the Thuringen Forest known as the green heart of Germany and is a UNESCO Biosphere.