BEEN-i Energy Efficiency Networks

Energy efficiency networks are promising - example from Northeast Upper Franconia

"Whoever does nothing for energy efficiency could get compulsory requirements." Even if this latent threat of regulatory constraints is certainly a reason for many companies to participate in energy efficiency networks, "The benefit is communication among the companies - and lots of actual energy saved and CO2 emissions avoided," Kathrin Vogl, energy management officer at Rauschert Heinersdorf-Pressig GmbH, is convinced.

In the district of Kronach in Upper Franconia, there are quite a number of companies that were involved in glass or ceramics production. The Frankenwald village of Pressig is the headquarters of the globally active Rauschert Group. Technical ceramics produced for the textile and electrical industries, but also for many other industrial sectors.

In ceramics production there is a lot of know-how and many trade secrets. But all companies in this industry have one thing in common: production is energy-intensive. The kilns in particular consume a lot of heating energy - a considerable cost factor. This can be reduced either through lower energy prices - or in a more environmentally friendly way: through lower energy consumption, i.e. energy efficiency. And unlike technology, there are no secrets between the competitors here either: All have the same goal: to produce energy efficiently and reduce costs.

BEEN-i gets underway

In 2015, the BEEN-i , the Bavarian Energy Efficiency Network Initiative, was launched in Bavaria. A year earlier, then-Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks launched the overarching IEEN , the Energy Efficiency Networks Initiative, as part of the National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency NAPE. Right at the start in 2014, the German government issued the goal of initiating 500 additional efficiency networks as part of IEEN. These were to save up to 75 petajoules of primary energy or five million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

The action plan was no coincidence: "NAPE also serves to implement the 2012 EU Energy Efficiency Directive," it said at the time. Environment Minister Hendricks linked the program launch to the hope that the "actors," i.e., the GHG-emitting companies, would take their personal responsibility seriously. And many did: "Thanks to the numerous efficiency measures, the CO2 savings target of five million metric tons of CO2 is expected to be achieved by the end of 2020," the Federal Ministry of Economics and the Federal Ministry for the Environment jointly reported in September 2020. Under the initiative, however, only 278 of the 500 networks originally envisaged by industry were established.

But the two energy efficiency networks within the framework of BEEN-i and IEEN, respectively, in which the Rauschert Group was involved and which have since ended, also have concrete savings successes to show. The first one, called "Rennsteigenergie" in the period from 2015 to 2017, involved Rauschert CEO Dr. Richard Metzler as moderator.

In addition to a few companies from his ceramics group, it included a screen printing company, a glass factory specializing in perfume flacons and others, plastics companies and a pharmaceutical technology company, all located on this side and on the other side of the former zonal border between Bavaria and Thuringia on the Rennsteig. All the companies had their sights set on the central energy topic of heat. "We wanted to save 11,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy - in the end, the commissioned monitoring institute determined that we had managed 13,000 MWh," Vogl recalls.

Rennsteigenergie 2 (RE2) follows

No wonder "Rennsteigenergie 2" (RE2) followed this success. While ten companies were involved in the first network, this time 16 took part, including even a quartz plant. For RE2, which has just ended, savings of 8,000 MWh were planned, "we actually achieved about 15,000 MWh," Vogl points out.

And how did these successes come about? "In glass companies, glass tanks were renewed, compressors were replaced, and in our case a ceramic furnace was also replaced." In order for the other network companies to learn about the successes, "the entire team meets two to three times a year - from management, energy management, production, technicians to purchasing. A topic is defined for each meeting and speakers are invited. This exchange of information brings the most benefits," says Vogl. The topics discussed include compressed air, photovoltaics, drives , batteries or E-mobility as well as about funding opportunities.

The cooperation is even maintained beyond the BEEN-i network. In the meantime, for example, there has been a group called "Interessensgemeinschaft Rennsteig" to improve the security of electricity supply. Because whether ceramic kilns or glass tubs: Power failure leads to loss of production and high costs.

At the end of 2020, RE2 also officially ended. But on January 19, 2021, a new network focusing on decarbonization was already launched at Rennsteig. "The new version of BEEN-i makes it possible - it's no longer just about energy , but also explicitly about the environment," explains Vogl. And she cites yet another aspect that speaks for energy efficiency networks: "Under this official framework, there are no antitrust problems."

Energy Efficiency - More Efficient in Networks

Shortly after one another, both the continuation of the nationwide Initiative Energy Efficiency Networks (IEEN) and its Bavarian counterpart BEEN-i, the Bavarian Energy Efficiency Network Initiative, had been announced in the fall of 2020. In Berlin, Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier (CDU) had signed the "Agreement on the Continuation of IEEN". And in the Free State, Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (FW) has launched "BEEN-i 2.0". His goal is to give the highly successful BEEN-i initiative even more impetus.

BEEN-i is essentially part of IEEN, confirms Leonard Höcht of Cluster Energy Technology at Bayern Innovativ GmbH in Nuremberg. The technology project manager is coordinator of the Bavarian Network Initiative, sees Bayern Innovativ as a "linking point" both between companies and the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and to the federal initiative IEEN. This in turn is organized by DENA, the German Energy Agency, and supported by the umbrella business associations involved. They range from AGFW, the "Energy Efficiency Association for Heating, Cooling and CHP , to the German Retail Association HDE and the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association ZVEI. DENA, in turn, has commissioned the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI and the consulting firm Adelphi to monitor network savings nationwide.

Over the next five years, 350 more IEEN networks are to be created so that the many millions of tons of CO2 already saved will no longer be blown into the air. In Bavaria, the number of networks is to rise to around 80 by 2022, and the number of participating companies from 400 to 700. But this requires companies to join in. Network executives and moderators are needed for the practical organization of the collaboration.

But how do efficiency networks come into being in the first place?

"Energy-intensive companies in particular are concerned. The challenges are often similar in an industry. That's why it proves worthwhile to rely on the associations' leap of faith. The companies set their own savings targets. The network companies also determine the frequency of the meetings and who they want to be the network sponsor. The associations should emphasize the urgency," Höcht explains.

Everything is laid down in a contract, he adds. The work of the network carriers is financed from low annual contributions of the member companies. In this country nobody must take part: In Germany still a voluntary self obligation applies. The situation is different in Austria, where there is an energy efficiency law that forces companies to use energy sparingly. In our country, however, the CO2 pricing scheme launched in 2021 could increase the pressure on companies to participate in efficiency networks. Project manager Höcht sees network participation as an incentive to counter the additional energy costs. The companies want to position themselves for the future.

The network coordination office at Bayern Innovativ is doing its bit to attract more companies to the efficiency networks with advertising measures, information events , but also by arranging funding opportunities or speakers. In addition, the "BEEN-i 2.0" stage that has now begun is no longer just about pure energy efficiency, but also about the topics of sustainability in general and decarbonization of production in particular. And so Höcht sees a great many chances that the expansion will also succeed.

What's next?

In Bavaria, the number of efficiency networks is to increase to about 80 by 2022, and the number of participating companies from 400 to 700 so far - that's the state government's plan. In addition it needs further companies, network carriers and moderators. Also the Zweckverband Laber-Naab (ZVW) from Beratzhausen would like to create a network in the future.

"The avoidance of CO2 emissions should belong to the essential competences of a public drinking water supplier. There is a role model function of the public hand. We have the task of acting as resource-conserving and climate-friendly as possible," says plant manager Franz Herrler, explaining his ZVW's fundamental commitment to climate protection. He adds that studies in Switzerland have shown that energy efficiency measures can save an average of 30 percent of the electrical energy used by water utilities. For Herrler, therefore, energy efficiency is of central importance.

And Leonard Hoecht from the energy technology cluster at Bayern Innovativ sees "the Zweckverband Laaber-Naab as a positive example of this. It could serve as a nucleus for a BEEN-i network in the water supply sector."

That is why an information event will be held on July 6, 2021, in the ZVW member municipality of Beratzhausen : At this, the benefits of energy efficiency networks will be explained and participants will be motivated to establish a network. "You will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded people, learn from the experience of a network participant and get to know the technical details of a project in Beratzhausen on site with a guided tour," highlights Prof. Brautsch. His IfE, together with the ZVW Laber-Naab, the Forschungsstelle für Energiewirtschaft München and Bayern Innovativ on behalf of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, invites interested parties from Bavaria's water industry to join.

Autor

Heinz Wraneschitz bildtext.de