Städtische Works AG from Kassel supplies around 150.000 citizens and companies across Germany with clean energy and energy services. The company is committed to the energy transition in the region and invests millions every year in the expansion of renewable energies locally. In addition, it operates the public pools and street lighting in the city of Kassel as well as drinking water production and distribution. In 2007, Städtische Werke AG was the first large municipal utility to supply all tariff customers with 100 percent clean electricity from renewable sources and, since 2010, with CO2-compensated natural gas. Städtische Works AG is a subsidiary of Kasseler Verkehrs- und Versorgungs-GmbH.
A key company goal is to expand renewable and decentralized in-house generation. The focus is on wind power, photovoltaics, biomass and hydropower. Other business areas include the operation of Kassel's swimming pools and street lighting as well as the generation of district heating and electricity through its participation in Städtische Werke Energie +wärme GmbH.
The wholly owned subsidiary Städtische Werke Netz + Service GmbH operates the electricity and gas networks in Kassel. On behalf of the city's own company KASSELWASSER, it operates water production and distribution in Kassel and the neighboring town of Vellmar.
Commitment to renewable energies
Due to its central location in the German interconnected network, Kassel has the advantage of having a very stable connection to the high-voltage transmission network: wind and solar power from the north and east, photovoltaics and balancing energy from the south and many of its own systems right on the doorstep now ensure a reliable energy supply . The 380 kV connection to the high-voltage network makes it possible to combine the energy transition pushed by the federal government with the self-imposed goal of achieving a climate-neutral energy supply.
To this end, generation capacities are being expanded. In order to achieve the set goal, a lot of specialist skills are required. Together with other municipal utilities, the Stadtwerke Union Nordhessen was formed (SUN) founded, which brings together the specialist knowledge.
In order to be able to plan an energy transition at a local level with the involvement of the public, inventories were carried out in advance. Together with researchers from Fraunhofer IWES, the Institute for Decentralized Energy Technologies (IdE) and the University of Kassel, we examined how large the proportion of decentralized renewable energy was in the region's energy mix, whether and how this could be increased, and which energy mix should be aimed for and what economic impact this would have. The result of the Study “Energy Transition in North Hesse” exceeded all expectations and showed that the turnaround was feasible on site. The city of Kassel and the surrounding area complement each other perfectly in terms of generation potential and demand.
All actors are of the opinion that the desired energy transition can only be successfully implemented at regional level if there is a constant open exchange of ideas with those involved and those affected. That is why citizens, communities and local authorities are regularly informed and invited to technical discussions and construction site inspections. The top priority is to convince citizens and municipalities of the use of renewable energies in an open and transparent dialogue (“inform, listen, talk”) and to create ways to involve them financially. Under German law, the construct of the citizen energy cooperative is ideal for this purpose.
In the case of the wind farms planned and built by Städtische Werke AG, up to 74,9 percent of the shareholding is to be transferred to citizen energy cooperatives in the long term.
Next to wind plays Solar an – albeit smaller – role. The first ground-mounted PV system is located on Sandershäuser Berg and feeds 0,6 GWh directly into the grid annually. The special thing about the system: Due to its east-west orientation, it produces a particularly large amount of electricity in the morning and evening, but less at midday. This means that the system feeds into the grid when other systems, which are usually south-facing, are not yet producing or are no longer producing. Other large-scale PV systems have been built, for example, on the roofs of the sister company KVG.
In addition to wind and solar, the municipal works also rely on this Biomass. At the Kassel power plant site, the combustion of coal is being converted to the renewable energy sources waste wood and sewage sludge. For this purpose, the entire location will be rebuilt and renovated. From 2025, even cleaner district heating and electricity will be created here. The power plant is already running on resource-saving combined heat and power technology.
Projects
Stadtwerke Union Nordhessen GmbH (SUN)
In March 2011, the municipal utilities of Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Eschwege, Homberg (Efze), Kassel, Witzenhausen and Wolfhagen officially merged to form the Stadtwerke Union Nordhessen (SUN). The partners' declared intention is to actively shape the regional energy transition. The SUN wants to create values for the future that stay local and benefit the region. Further information about the project SUN
Wind energy
Actively shape the energy transition locally. That is the goal of the wind farm companies. Together with citizens and other local partners, the expansion of renewable energies in the region should be further promoted. Further information about Wind energy.
STUDIES
Potential studies for the energy transition in North Hesse
The potential for implementing the energy transition in northern Hesse was examined in three consecutive studies. The focus was on converting the electricity supply to decentralized and renewable generation structures, the technical and economic linking of the regional electricity and heat markets and the potential for reducing CO2-Emissions and the switch to renewable energies in the regional transport market in focus.
Studies as download
Regional value creation in the wind industry using the example of North Hesse
A study commissioned by the Stadtwerke Union Nordhessen (SUN) from the IdE Institute for Decentralized Energy Technologies showed that a wind farm developed by regional actors with the participation of municipal partners generates regional added value that is almost eight and a half times as high as a wind farm built by external project developers .
Study as download
