This article appeared in print
This article was distributed in print.
Energy – it’s on everyone’s lips. Even more so, perhaps, if you heat with gas. However, parts of Karlsruhe’s city council and city administration were backing only one path: all-electric. Solutions that therefore only work with electricity. The crises of the past show that we must not rely on just one resource. Most recently, a power outage in Rastatt brought life to a standstill for a day.
Diversity, which is praised by many, should be on the agenda, especially when it comes to energy. Only a healthy mix creates reliability – should one source fail, there is another. Researchers have known for a long time: Energy can be stored and transported in many ways. The principle is called “Power-to-X”. In the Black Forest, electricity from photovoltaics was stored as heat in sand. Heat that can be used in the winter. At KIT, diesel is produced from electricity and CO2 filtered from the air. Commercially available cars can drive with it as usual.
We actually have a wealth of energy generation and storage types. As a group Free Voters and the Voters’ Group FOR Karlsruhe, we advocated precisely this CO2-neutral principle of “Power-to-X” in the climate protection concept. In the local council last for a biogas plant for the city and county. Another step to diversify – and get away from fossil fuels.
The demand for electricity is increasing, not least with electric cars. The network is not yet designed for this. Also, the surplus from the solar panels in the summer and the lack of electricity in the winter could be brought into a successful balance by storing it in gas, sand or all the other innovative solutions.
The future will show that we need a healthy mix of solar, wind and hydro energy, heat and biogas, synthetic fuels and hydrogen. Only when we link these resources, couple the sectors, can we supply our city with energy in a future-proof way.
All-Electric is not a solution. We need to think about all the possibilities.
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First hand info
The cold season is here and electricity and gas prices are rising rapidly. Karlsruhe is now taking a first step towards producing its own gas locally: With its own biogas plant in the Karlsruhe district, it can produce ecological gas and become more independent – a long-standing demand of our city councilors. Our 6th issue of Gemeinderatsinfo, the ePaper from the municipal council, is about energy security. But also themes such as the Festival of Lights.
If you prefer videos or a podcast, be sure to check out the episodes “Pretty KEK” with the Karlsruhe Energy and Climate Agency and “Climate Neutral Take Off” at the Flugangar in Rheinstetten.
Warm and economical through the winter:
Offers of the city of Karlsruhe
With the motto “The Energy Pact for Karlsruhe”, the city aims to overcome challenges posed by the war in Ukraine and the price explosion on the procurement markets.
The municipality helps with energy issues: the KA° platform is aimed at all tenants, but also at owners and entrepreneurs. A special initiative is the “KlimaBonus Karlsruhe”, with which the city supports new photovoltaic systems with up to 2,500 euros. The goal of the city administration is to double the generation capacity of renewable energy in Karlsruhe with targeted support programs.
The Karlsruhe Energy and Climate Protection Agency also helps with advice and the “Electricity Savings Check”. Even small measures like power strips and LED lighting make a difference here. It pays to inform!
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