Ulli Sima, Executive City Councillor for the Environment and Vienna Public Utilities, told Balkan Green Energy News that the local authority would install photovoltaic systems on all the buildings it owns and added special focus is on the electrification of public transportation.
Wien Energie's newest and largest citizen's solar project is built on a drinking water reservoir in Unterlaa, with 6,400 solar panels producing around 2.05 gigawatt hours a year. Construction is complete and it will come into operation in spring 2020. Part of the generated energy will be used for the reservoir.
How did Wien energy solve a problem?
Wien Energie solved that issue by handing the ownership of its solar and wind power plants to residents. Starting in 2012, Wien Energie had built wind turbines and installed solar panels on the roofs of large buildings, such as shopping centres, and in industrial areas such as the old Vienna harbour.
Will Vienna become a green city by 2050?
Vienna is also on track to becoming the country's centre for green energy: by 2050, the city aims to meet half its energy consumption from renewable sources – and be close to fully decarbonised for heating and cooling. These and other goals are in the Smart City Vienna Framework Strategy 2019-2050 .
Why is Vienna reducing its energy consumption?
Housing (especially heating) and transport are responsible for 90% of Vienna's energy consumption, which is why the city administration is especially eager to cut down emissions in these sectors.
What is Wien energy?
Wien Energie operates a 1,200-kilometre-long district heating network in Vienna, with an installed capacity of around 2,500 MW, supplying around 35% of all apartments and more than 6,000 business customers. The main source is the waste heat from the combined heat and power plants and waste incineration.
Is Vienna a sustainable city?
From sustainable urban planning, through geothermal engineering to blockchain technology, Vienna is contributing new ideas and sustainable solutions for the city of tomorrow. The city of Vienna is Austria's cultural and economic centre. The metropolitan area houses almost a third of Austria's 8.9 million inhabitants.