Energy use of renewable raw materials; information and advice

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

Counties and independent cities offer citizens comprehensive advice, in some cases via 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 events entitled "Heat transition with wood" is held annually during the heating period to provide information on the use of wood to generate heat.

Various individual measures for the energetic use of renewable raw materials can be funded.

Important regulations on the use of renewable raw materials for energy:

• Electricity
  The Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) regulates the market access requirements and the remuneration that operators of wind power, hydropower, photovoltaic, geothermal and biomass plants receive for the electricity they feed into the grid of energy suppliers. The grid operators are obliged to purchase the electricity from plants that use renewable energies and to pay the prices and fixed remuneration rates determined via tendering procedures. In the case of bioenergy, the EEG is particularly important for operators of biogas plants, biomethane plants and wood-fired power plants. The Biomass Ordinance regulates which substances 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 maintaining economic efficiency. Owners of newly constructed buildings are obliged to use a proportion of renewable energy sources to cover their heating requirements. Depending on the energy - this can be solar thermal energy, geothermal energy, environmental heat from the air or ground or bioenergy - the proportion must be between 15 and 50 percent of the energy requirement. When using solid biomass (wood), for example, a share of at least 50 percent is required. In addition, subsidies are granted for the purchase of wood and wood pellet heating systems as part of funding programs. Applications for grants for the most important federal funding program - federal funding for efficient buildings - must be submitted to the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. From the 2nd quarter of 2023, the Free State of Bavaria will be funding the construction of biomass heating plants with a nominal heat output of at least 60 kilowatts and the construction and expansion of associated heating networks with the new "BioWärme Bayern" funding program.

• Fuels
  The Federal Immission Control Act (§§ 37a-g BImSchG) regulates the reduction of greenhouse gases from fuels. To reduce greenhouse gases, fuels made from renewable raw materials, biowaste and residual materials (biofuels) are added to fossil fuels, for example. Conventional diesel fuel, for example, contains up to 7 percent biodiesel. Conventional petrol contains up to five percent (Super E5) or up to ten percent (E10) bioethanol. Pure fuels (e.g. vegetable oils, rapeseed oil) are also used. The use of pure fuels is generally not possible in conventional engines. The combustion technology of the engine must first be adapted to the fuel properties. The engine manufacturer must give approval for this. The Tenth Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act (10th BImSchV) regulates the nature and quality of fuels and combustibles. The Thirty-eighth Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act (38th BImSchV) lays down further provisions on greenhouse gas reduction for fuels.