Characterization and technology

The Mainau as a company and a small island is one of the biggest tourism and gardening business in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. In the upcoming years, the current Mainau energy systems (mixture of renewable and fossil energy systems) shall be converted into 100 % renewable. Therefore, different (energetic valuable) types of biomass, arising from the business domains forestry, catering and gardening, can be used. The usage of storable energy carriers(e.g. biomass) for short-term and seasonal load shifting is one main goal of the case study Mainau. In general, the case study Mainau represents a wide spectrum of enterprises, which often can be characterized by energy-intensive infrastructure and high load fluctuations (seasonal).

Objectives and research questions

Biomass is a valuable biochemical energy carrier; therefore the case study Mainau focuses on using biomass efficiently. Within the project, concepts for energy storage and predicative load shifting, on the basis of biomass, will be developed. The existing and operating wood gasification plant and biomass heating plant, will be supplemented by a small biogas plant and furthermore by solar plants (heat, electricity) and heat storage tanks.

In collaboration with the Fraunhofer ISE and the university of Stuttgart (ITW),innovative storage concepts and the synthesis of methanol (on the basis of biomass) will be investigated. Both issues are a key factor for successful integration of biomass technologies in an energy system with fluctuating loads.

Type of settlement: commercial (rural)

Technologies: Biomass technologies (methanol production, biogas, wood chips, gasification), load shifting, long term heat storage, photovoltaics, solar heat

Energy management: Biomass as energy storage, load shifting in energy networks

Business models: Value networks of different stakeholders

Contact

Prof. Dr. Stefan Pelz

pelz@hs-rottenburg.de