Wind Energy Planning

Vauben- The Renewable Energy Powered Car Free District

This month’s Time magazine ran a feature on the ‘Heroes of the Environment’. The feature celebrated those contributing towards green initiatives all over the globe.

The Times report identified and congratulated individuals and groups from those who have brought about sustainability codes for big corporations to developers of new nuclear lazer fusion technology.

My first prize for the ‘most effective’ Heroe(s) of the Environment goes to the residents of Vauben.

Vauben is an urban area on the edge of the city of Freiburg in Germany. The district’s own residents decided to physically ban cars from their own streets and also garages attached to individual houses. As a result of taking the rules into their own hands a car parking space in the district will set a resident back a whopping US $30,000. According to Time, the result is a car ownership rate of 220 cars per 1000 residents compared with 520 cars per 1000 residents in the wider Freiburg area and much higher rates in other European cities. Residents believe that there is now more space for community life without the cars.

What’s Hot and What’s Not – The Global Energy Scene

An article by Michael von Bülow yesterday reviews the Riso Energy Report 7 – Future low carbon energy systems and tells us which energy technologies are hot and which are not in the current global market.

The report outlines the current technological status and growth of our favourite energy technologies, together with the key challenges and barriers for further development.

Wind energy is top of the list – described as a mature option in sustainable energy with great potential and a rapid development over the past 25 years.