Energy Use of Renewable Raw Materials; Information and Consulting

Renewable resources are playing an increasingly important role in sustainable energy supply. Electricity and heat generated from renewable resources are making a growing contribution to meeting energy demand.

Counties and independent cities offer citizens comprehensive advisory services, in some cases through local energy agencies. “LandSchafftEnergie” (landschafftenergie@tfz.bayern.de) is an initiative of the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy and offers information and advice on implementing the energy transition in rural areas. As part of “LandSchafftEnergie,” a series of informational events titled “Wärmewende mit Holz” (“Heat Transition with Wood”) is held annually during the heating season to provide information on “heating with wood,” with a focus on the use of wood for heat generation.

Various individual measures for the energy use of renewable raw materials are eligible for funding.

Key regulations regarding the use of renewable raw materials for energy:

• Electricity
  The Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) governs the market access requirements and the compensation that operators of wind power, hydropower, photovoltaic, geothermal, and biomass plants receive for the electricity they feed into the energy suppliers’ grid. Grid operators are required to purchase electricity from facilities that use renewable energy and to pay the prices determined through tendering procedures and the established feed-in tariffs. In the field of bioenergy, the EEG is particularly important for operators of biogas plants, biomethane plants, and wood-fired cogeneration plants. The Biomass Ordinance specifies which materials are recognized as biomass within the scope of the EEG.

• Heat
  

  The Act on Energy Conservation and the Use of Renewable Energies for Heating and Cooling in Buildings (Building Energy Act—GEG) aims to significantly increase the share of renewable energies in final energy consumption for heating and cooling, while ensuring economic viability. Newly installed heating systems in new development areas must cover at least 65% of their annual heating demand with renewable energy. Longer transition periods apply to existing buildings and new infill developments; the requirement takes effect once a municipal heating plan is in place—no later than June 30, 2026, in large municipalities, and no later than June 30, 2028, in smaller municipalities. The law permits various technical methods to meet the 65% requirement (e.g., heat pumps, connection to a district heating network, solar thermal systems, biomass, or green gases). There are exceptions and hardship provisions for the 65% renewable energy requirement. In addition, as part of the Federal Funding Program for Efficient Buildings (BEG), grants are provided for the purchase of heating systems based on renewable energy sources, including wood and wood pellet heating systems—even in the form of hybrid heating systems combined with other energy sources. Bavaria supports the construction of biomass heating plants with a rated thermal output of at least 60 kilowatts, as well as the construction and expansion of associated heating networks, through the BioWärme Bayern funding program.

• Fuels
  The Federal Immission Control Act (Sections 37a–g BImSchG) regulates greenhouse gas reduction in fuels. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fuels derived from renewable raw materials, biowaste, and residues (biofuels) are blended with fossil fuels, for example. Conventional diesel fuel, for example, contains up to 7 percent biodiesel. Conventional gasoline contains up to 5 percent (Super E5) or up to 10 percent (E10) bioethanol. In addition, pure fuels (e.g., vegetable oils, rapeseed oil, HVO100) are also used. The use of pure fuels is generally not possible in conventional engines. The engine’s combustion technology must first be adapted to the fuel’s properties. The engine manufacturer must approve this. The Tenth Ordinance Implementing the Federal Immission Control Act (10. BImSchV) regulates the composition and quality of motor fuels and combustibles. The Thirty-Eighth Ordinance Implementing the Federal Immission Control Act (38. BImSchV) establishes additional provisions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fuels.