European Commission Renewable Energy for Europe
Directorate - General for Energy and transport Campaign for Take-Off
INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES: QUESTIONNAIRE
RENEWABLE ENERGY PARTNERSHIP
Title: Renewable Hostětín
RE Partnership Category:
100% Communities in rural areas
Promoter:
Name : RNDr. Yvonna Gaillyová
Position : director
Institution: : Czech Union for Nature Conservation, Ecological Institute Veronica
Contact Person:
Name : Mgr. Radim Machů
Position : vice-mayor
Institution : Municipality of Hostětín
Description of the RE Partnership's programme/action/project:
1. Background
The village of Hostětín (230 inhabitants) is situated in the district of Uherské Hradiště in the east of Moravia, Czech Republic. It is surrounded by picturesque cultural landscape with a varied mosaic of mostly foliate forests, arable land, blossomy meadows and fruit-tree orchards. The village is situated in the protected area of Bílé Karpaty (White Carpathians), which was proclaimed the Biospheric reserve of the UNESCO in 1996. Since 1994 the village has been taking part in a village restoration program. There is a dynamic development of many environmental projects going on in the village. The projects are carried out by the village administration, as well as environmental associations, especially those of The Czech Union of Nature Protection, called Veronica. Most of the projects are developed and realised in close co-operation of the above mentioned partners.
A reed bed water treatment plant, finished in 1997, was the first of these projects, and its completion resulted in cancellation of a ban on house building in the village. Next was a program of do-it -by-yourself solar collectors (Veronica - The Sun for Bílé Karpaty) and a reparation of a traditional fruit drying-plant, carried out by local environmentalists themselves. They also take care of several important meadow habitats, surrounding the village. The construction of a municipal biomass heating plant, running on waste wood, was completed in autumn 2000. It provides heat and hot water for 90 % of local households. Another project finished by Veronica in August 2000 is a construction of an apple-juice plant.
In 2000, a project was developed to set up a ``Centre for Sustainable Regional Development`` in Hostětín. This centre is intended as a follow-up of a number of pilot projects (solar program, fruit-growing, processing and marketing, biological waste water treatment, use of waste wood to produce energy), developed by Veronica in Hostětín and the region of Bílé Karpaty for many years. The centre in Hostětín should become a place of further development of the pilot projects, and it should support their dissemination and repeating. The idea is, to establish an educating centre with practical courses here. Veronica owns arable land and forests in Hostětín as well, and they will be used for organic farming. Unlike in traditional educating centres, the village and its surroundings serve as an ideal ,,laboratory`` for practical environmental education. The centre´s quarters will be constructed strictly according to environmental building principles, using solar and passive architecture and will serve as an example of environment-friendly constructing in one of its education modules.
The current stage of the project
The centre's program will be based on the following model projects of Veronica, a Brno ecology institute. Veronica has been co-operating with the local and district authorities and local residents of Hostětín for a long time and the first results of the Cupertino are already there:
sewage works construction, which unmade the ban on house building in the village. This vegetation root sewage works has been operating since July 1997. It was the first of the kind in the protected territory of Bílé Karpaty and eastern Moravia. It is growing into a local biocenter and it is used for educational purposes as well. Water quality monitoring takes place here.
ten buildings were equipped with solar facilities for water heating in July 1997. The residents took an active part in mounting this equipment. Setting up of a solar facilities-producing workshop in the village is planned as a part of the ``Sun for Bílé Karpaty`` program. Annual energy savings mount up to 2.000 kWh per one system unit, according to efficiency measurements. The total number of installed systems so far in public and private houses in the whole region of White Carpathians is 35.
Recently, in summer 2001 a big solar system (36 m2 ) in an advanced TiNOX technology was installed on the roof of the apple juice plant. Nowadays, Hostětín with about 200 inhabitants posses nearly 100 m2 of solar collectors.
``The Bílé Karpaty Traditions`` project, focused on the preservation and exploitation of regional kinds of fruit has been running in Hostětín since 1991. The project also supports traditional extensive fruit growing and its local processing and marketing. Pomologists, fruit-farmers, local fruit-processers, the village authorities and consumers are co-operating in the project. We would like to use the market mechanisms for the protection of cultural land - a marketing strategy for fruit products is being prepared, small-time fruit manufactures are being reconstructed in Hostětín.
an old wooden fruit-dryer was reconstructed on the Veronica Foundation's farm in fall of 1998. Each year people from 16 surrounding village use the facility.
an old barn was turned into an apple juice plant during the year 1999. An unfiltered juice, made from regional, ecologically grown kinds of fruits was firstly produced there in the fall 2000. The production was 150 000 litres from 200 tons of apple. The plant provides products for the Czech market, in bio-quality (labelled ``the eco-farming product``).
in October 2000, a biomass heating plant (732 kW), for burning waste wood from the surrounding forests run into operation after one year construction. It provides heat for the whole village. This unique investment was supported by a Dutch subsidy and the project should also be used to test an international mechanism, designed for lowering CO2 emissions, called `` joint implementation``. The alternative energetic program will be combined with a complex thermal insulation of buildings. An information, documentation and education centre is yet another part of the project, guaranteed by Veronica.
pilot project under planning - model low-energy building for the Centre of sustainable regional development.
Following requirements are demanded on the planned centre :
The design of the centre and all its parts, should serve as a model for other small towns, communities and small businesses.
The building will respect local architectonic style, it is necessary to utilise the existing buildings as much as possible (e. g. the old barn).
The building will satisfy all criteria of a low-energy and passive housing and it will serve for demonstration and education purposes.
The design and construction should become a permanent process of adopting of experience from abroad - low-energy and solar architecture.
The construction materials will be predominantly used from local resources and they will be applied in accordance with bio-construction principles.
The principles of solar architecture will be used, applying the latest technologies of passive and active exploitation of solar energy.
Voluntary participation of local residents will be preferred in preparatory and constructing tasks - the expected lower energy expenses are just one of its many benefits.
The construction is supposed to represent an economic model of construction costs, lowered operating costs and external costs.
A step-by-step module construction variant has been chosen, depending on priorities and available resources, and the existing buildings to be utilised as much as possible.
The function of the building :
A seminar centre for about 30 persons with a complete infrastructure for training and accommodation.
Working rooms for its staff and long-term training courses.
2. Objectives
The main objective of the REP is to bring Hostětín in the society of 100% non-fossil communities by means of social, organisational and technical tools. Achieved awareness of citizens will be used for further development and involvement.
Main objectives in the technical sector:
employment of bio-fuels instead of mineral oil for in existing facilities (vehicles, burners)
reduction of energy use in houses (heating)
new approach when building new houses
further development of the use of solar systems
autonomous electricity production
improvements in street lighting (dark sky association)
Organisational tools:
reduction of emissions due to reduction of transport - creation of local jobs (juice plant, employment connected with the use of biomass, workshop for solar installation, etc.)
continuous awareness raising on efficient energy use in households
continuous improvement of the education level and understanding for the necessity of non-using fossil fuels and for effective use of energy.
3. Actions planned
Remark: The responsibility for the planned action will be on both parties - municipality and Veronica - if not mentioned anything else.
Develop an action plan for 100% non - fossil with citizens of Hostětín - January -March 2002
Substitution of mineral oil in the burner of the apple juice plant (during 2002). Co-operation with the producer of burner. (responsible - Veronica)
Development of plans for a low -energy (or passive) house for the Centre for Sustainable Regional Development - model for the future buildings. Start of the construction in spring 2002.
Co-operation with Austrian architects and other parties involved in passive building. (responsible - Veronica)
Planning of non-fossil reserve source for the biomass heating plant - probably CHC - this would mean also electricity production. - planning during 2002. The realisation is dependent not only on financial sources, but also on the necessary improvement of the Czech energy legislation - communal ownership of the electricity grid must be possible.
Regular meetings with citizens, continuous improvement of the action plan based on financial conditions, technological improvements and raising involvement in different programmes.
Fulfilling the action plan in concrete steps.
Involvement of citizens, private contributions (improvement in own houses), changes in lifestyle.
4. Financial resources
Even very small, the village of Hostětín has good
experience with development of big projects and their realisation
(e.g. water treatment plant, biomass heating plant). But the main
experience gained is, for sure, the power of the partnership
projects based on co-operation among different parties even on an
international level - municipality, different NGOs,
companies.
This lesson will be used also for the future ambitious plans:
The municipality will mostly apply for state and regional funds, using at the same time also limited. own sources .
The NGOs involved (mostly Ecological institute Veronica) will apply for grants mostly for educational purposes.
Together all partner will search for financial means within appropriate national and international programmes.
For model project - like the low-energy building - we expect contributions also from private companies and sponsors.
Inhabitants will take many measures on their own based on their own decisions.
Veronica Ecological Institute will carry out management and monitoring. For monitoring also independent bodies will be asked. Financing of these activities will run through funding of project formulated by Veronica staff. These are project managers used to work exclusively for projects.
5. Results
We expect besides the clear results in the energy and environmental field, mainly huge effect in the field of education - by means of the Centre for Sustainable Regional Development the example of Hostětín and the local pilot project will be disseminated and replicated in further places and region.
As the main target groups for education are the local administration and SMEs, we expect also important economic and social results - creating new jobs, contribution to attractiveness of life in rural areas. .
6. Favourable environmental impact
Direct: protection of Earth climate
saving resources
Indirect: creation of jobs in clean technologies (solar facilities, elements for
sustainable forest management (use of biomass, using wood for constructions)
support of organic farming
sustainable landscape management
change in the consumer patterns
7. Management
The general management of the ,,Renewable Hostětín`` programme will be in hands the mayor of the village Hostětín - at the moment, it is Mr. Drahomír Orsák. Executive manager will be appointed within Veronica Ecological Institute. Nowadays, the responsibility for the projects in Hostětín - mostly the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development is in hands of Veronica director, Dr. Yvonna Gaillyová.
For concrete tasks, members of local council will be appointed.
8. Monitoring
Ecological Institute Veronica will secure monitoring of the programme.
Until now, the institute is conducting several monitoring activities in Hostětín energy projects, namely, monitoring of solar heating efficiency, co-operation in the monitoring of AIJ project ,,Biomass heating plant`` inclusive the base line monitoring.
For specific tasks, external experts will be involved.
CONTACT PARTICULARS:
Promoter:
Name : Dr. Yvonna Gaillyová
Position : Director
Institution : Czech Union for Nature Conservation, Ecological Institute Veronica
Street + Nr : Panská 9
Code + City : 602 00 Brno
Country : Czech Republic
Telephone : 00420 (0)5 4221 8353
Telefax : 00420 (0)5 4221 0561
Email : yvonna.gailly@ecn.cz
Contact Person:
Name : Mgr. Radim Machů
Position : vice-mayor
Institution : Municipality of Hostětín
Street + Nr :
Code + City : 687 71 Hostětín
Country : Czech Republic
Telephone : 00420 (0)633 64 10 40
Telefax : 00420 (0)633 64 16 12
Email : machu@sci.muni.cz
Web site (URL) : www.veronica.cz