e5 for the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park: energy autonomy through improved efficiency and the use of renewable energies instead of excessive consumption and oil-planning phase

Within a two-year period, the communities in the Nagelfluhkette cross-border Nature Park aim to implement the following measures to come as close as possible to the goal of energy autonomy by 2015: data capture and assessment of the potential, feasibility study/studies, political decision-making process in all thirteen municipalities, planning for an information and motivation campaign, knowledge sharing with other (e5) regions, and planning for the first implementation measures by the local authorities.
Six municipalities in Oberallgäu and seven in the Vorderer Bregenzerwald have combined to form the Nagelfluhkette Nature Park. In the initial phase from the middle of 2005 to the end of 2007, the Nature Park is being developed in terms of content, planning, structure and legal form. This umbrella project is receiving funding from the Interreg IIIA programme. Main activities/milestones: creation of a development and management programme, foundation of an association, development of the organizational structures, mutual familiarization and knowledge sharing as a basis for co-operation, planning and implementation of suitable pilot projects, co-operation with partners within the Alliance in the Alps local authority network.

Nagelfluhkette
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Aims:

The goal is to make the whole region with its 40,000 inhabitants largely self-sufficient in terms of thermal and electrical energy through a package of energy efficiency measures and the use of regional resources. This requires sound preparations to be made between the beginning of 2007 and the end of 2008. The main goals for this preparatory phase for an energy-autonomous region are as follows: 1) Establishment of the basis requirements (data base, research e.g. into similar projects, technical alternatives, etc.) and completion of a feasibility study 2) Preparations for awareness-building among decision-makers and resident populations 3) Improvements to existing plant (e.g. seven of the thirteen municipalities already have a biomass plant, with two more in the planning stage) 4) Inclusion of energy autonomy in the mission statement for the Nature Park 5) Preparations for the implementation phase.

Realization:

The project will serve to complete basic preparations on the road to becoming an energy-autonomous region. This involves the following key activities: 1) Assessment of energy requirements and ways of satisfying them 2) Assessment of the potential in terms of both supply and demand (e.g. potential use of biomass in the region, age of oil-fired burners as a factor for an efficient replacement policy, etc.), and on that basis 3) Production of a feasibility study 4) Preparation of the implementation strategy with an information and motivation campaign for the local people and businesses 5) Excursions to promote knowledge-sharing with regions with similar goals 6) Organisation of an energy conference in the region of the Nature Park 7) Inclusion of energy as an item in the mission statement for the Nature Park 8) Action planning for the implementation phase and implementation support for (municipal) measures that can already be initiated.

Involved:

The initial (planning) phase involves local politicians and the local and regional authorities supported by regional organizations like EZA Kempten and Energieinstitut Vorarlberg.

Projectterm:

Jan 2007 - autumn 2008

Financing:

Subsidy from DYNALP² (in euros): 20,000
Own funds, funds from financial backers (in euros): 30,000
Financial backing: local authorities € 16,000; Bavaria € 7,000; Vorarlberg regional authority € 7,000

Contact person:

Gemeinde Oberstaufen
Walter Grath
Schlossstrasse 8
87534 Oberstaufen
DE
Telefon: +49 8386 93003 22
Fax +49 8386 93003 29
E-mail: Buergermeister@oberstaufen.de
Website http://www.oberstaufen.de

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