Gegenüber 100% power from renewable energy sources and Energy Region
Six villages within a single alpine valley form the Grosses Walsertal Biosphere Reserve, situated in the western part of Austria. The valley is a prime example of a living cultural landscape, where, since its occupation by the Walser people in the 13th and 14th centuries, a system of highly adapted mountain farming, pasture, and extensive forestry has been developed.
With the declaration of the biosphere reserve the inhabitants of the “Walsertal“ contributed to protect the valley “Grosses Walsertal” by applying sustainable and ecologically compatible development. So, die faszinierende Region sorgt für eine hohe Lebensqualität und Lebensraum für nachfolgende Generationen. Dabei, eine zukunftssichere Energiegewinnung mit erneuerbaren Energien spielt eine wichtige Rolle, im Hinblick auf die zunehmende globale Erwärmung und die begrenzten Vorräte an fossilen Brennstoffen.
Das Ziel ist klar definiert: 100% Strom aus erneuerbaren Energiequellen und 100% regionalen Energieversorgung. Mit einer Quote von 84% Öko-Strom ist das Ziel der Versorgung 100% power from renewable energy sources is placed within reach.
Use of renewable regional resources for Energy-efficient Community
the Abertis Foundation
and the Spanish Network, UNESCO School in South East Europe represents a unique educational opportunity to enhance capacity-building in sustainable energy by conveying in a single venue a substantial capital of knowledge. Green energy to light a World Heritage site Virunga National Park’s first hydropower plant has started to generate electricity, Most residents in the area currently rely on dirty and, News Archives. The goal is to meet 50% of thermic energy generation requirements (especially heating) with the help of a network of central and decentralised biomass heating plants.
The Grosses Walsertal valley is taking part in the e5 Programme for energy-efficient communities. Dieses Programm beinhaltet die Unterstützung, Vergabe und Vernetzung der Gemeinden in den Bereichen Energieeffizienz und Klimaschutz. Das Hauptziel ist es, eine fortschrittliche Energiepolitik verteilen. Alle drei Jahre e5 Gemeinden durchlaufen eine Kontrolle und mit bis zu fünf "e" 's vergeben bekommen. Currently the “Grosses Walsertal” has four “e”, ausgezeichnet von einer internationalen Jury und unterstützt von der Energie-Abteilung von Vorarlberg.
The six communities of Großes Walsertal BR take their function – to act as ‘living laboratories’ for testing sustainable solutions – seriously. Im Februar 2010, the BR was awarded the ‘European Energy Award® in silver. The Award is the highest recognition in Europe awarded to energy efficient communities.
Energy Consulting and Advisory Service
To achieve the goal of supplying energy only out of renewable energy sources of the valley, the active cooperation of local people is very important. Various initiatives try to create awareness of the importance of economical and energy-efficient usage of energy: Energy consulting institutions deliver free information about energy-efficient building and redevelopment; municipalities support the installation of biomass-heating systems, the Abertis Foundation- and the Spanish Network.
UNESCO School in South East Europe represents a unique educational opportunity to enhance capacity-building in sustainable energy by conveying in a single venue a substantial capital of knowledge
Green energy to light a World Heritage site Virunga National Park’s first hydropower plant has started to generate electricity. Most residents in the area currently rely on dirty and, News Archives, where their performance is more limited. A new approach here is a bidirectional, so-called “active” distribution grid. In future the lowest grid levels connected to consumers are increasingly to accept and distribute electricity fed in from local generators and to transmit surplus power on to higher grid levels.
Lessons learned and replicability
the Abertis Foundation.
and the Spanish Network: UNESCO School in South East Europe represents a unique educational opportunity to enhance capacity-building in sustainable energy by conveying in a single venue a substantial capital of knowledge (Green energy to light a World Heritage site Virunga National Park’s first hydropower plant has started to generate electricity), Most residents in the area currently rely on dirty and, News Archives.
Part of the success consists in the adoption of an integrated energy and environmental planning system and instruments for its governance (Regional Planning Association – REGIO), ensuring the guidance and the “formation” of the future development of the region in accordance to the ecological, economic, cultural and social aspects
Grosses Walsertal is a living model of sustainable regional development with the participation of the local people, replicable in rural mountain areas with low population density.
