Climate strategy of Växjö

Transcription

1 Climate strategy of Växjö 1

2 Växjö the municipality in the middle of the woodshed Växjö has probably got its name from that it is the place where the roads meet the lakes, which is still reflected in the municipality. Until some decades ago, the lakes were severely polluted, but after massive restoration work, the city of Växjö is now ready to integrate the lakes in the townscape again. The municipality of Växjö has 78,000 inhabitants, of which 56,000 live in the city of Växjö. The rest live in the countryside or in the smaller urban areas. The area is km 2 and contain forests and lakes, and a small proportion of agriculture. Växjö is the central city of the region of Kronoberg, and it has over 7,000 companies. The service sector as well as commercial and educational sectors is the basis for the local businesses. Access to the many forests is the basis for the climate politics of Växjö. The municipality is actually lying in the middle of the woodshed the source of bioenergy. 2

3 Energy and CO2 in figures The municipality of Växjö monitors the use of energy and the emissions of fossil CO2 since Also, the municipal departments monitor their own contribution to the greenhouse effect since Energy supply The energy supply of the municipality of Växjö was 2 479,4 GWh in 2005, which corresponds to approximately 0.5 % of Sweden s energy supply. As much as 50.7 % of Växjö s energy supply was renewable in 2005, which is a very high percentage also for Sweden. The reason is mainly the large share of biomass in the heating sector. In total, biomass stood for 35.5 % of the energy supply, while fossil fuels stood for 37 %, mainly in the transport sector. The rest of the energy supply is mainly electricity that was produced in other municipalities and imported to Växjö. If based on the Swedish electric mix, this is more or less 50 % hydro power and 50 % nuclear power. Heating In Växjö we have come far with the conversion to a sustainable energy system. One of the big reasons is the massive expansion of the district heating, at the same time as the use of biomass in the district heating has become larger. High oil prices and favourable subsidies have also contributed to a change of heating system in households in the countryside. The use of heatpumps has increased dramatically in Växjö, which can cause problems for the connection of some neighbourhoods to district heating. During 2005, 858 GWh was used for heating (except electric heating). Nearly 88 % of this came from renewable energy sources (see graph). The absolutely largest share came from biomass, but there is also some use of peat (in the district heating), oil and geothermal (heatpumps). A very small proportion of solar energy is also used, and the public interest for solar panels is growing. Energy supply for heating in Växjö (GWh) Geothermal; 33,5 Oil; 58,1 Other; 6,7 Peat; 47,7 Biomass; 712,2 3

4 Transports In the transport sector it is much harder to convert to a sustainable energy use. Basically all the energy supply for transports is based on fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel. However, in Växjö, there are for the moment 4 filling stations for ethanol and during the spring 2007, a filling station for biogas is opened. Växjö s position as a logistic center of southern Sweden leads to many heavy transports, and therefore also large use of diesel. Therefore we have to introduce more biofuels, optimise the transports and see if some transports can take place on railway instead. It is also important for Växjö to influence the politicians in European Union to accept a higher blend of biofuels into gasoline and diesel. During 2005, 811 GWh was used for transports and machinery, of which slightly more than 2 % was renewable. The renewable sources mainly consist of ethanol blended into gasoline. Energy supply for transports (GWh) Ethanol; 15,2 RME; 2,3 Jet gasoline; 24,9 Diesel; 341,0 Gasoline; 427,9 Electric energy The largest share of energy is produced outside the municpality s borders, and is mainly based on hydro power and nuclear power. About one fifth of the use of electricity in Växjö is produced locally. In 2005, the supply of electric energy was 810 GWh, and except for lighting, ventilation etc, it is also used for heating and industrial processes. 4

5 CO2 emissions The monitoring process of CO2 emissions is being developed and refined every year. The total emissions of fossil CO2 have decreased by 24 % per inhabitant between 1993 and In total, every inhabitant emitted 3,512 kg fossil CO2 during This is very low for Sweden, and it is also below world average. The emissions from heating have decreased by 76 % in the time period, due to the massive conversion from oil to biomass. In the transport sector however, the emissions were 19 % higher in 2005 than in 1993, even if a decreasing trend have been seen between 2001 and The CO2 emissions from use of electric power are harder to monitor. However, the information we have tells us that we have decreased the emissions by 27 %. CO2 emissions (kg/inh) Total Transports Heating Power Goal The goal is to reduce the emissions per inhabitant by 50 % between 1993 and In the beginning of 2006, an analysis was carried out to see if the goal is possible to reach. The result of the analysis shows that, somehow depending on national and international policies and happenings, it is possible to reach somewhere between 40 and 50 % decrease until

6 Climate strategy of Växjö The background to the climate strategy of Växjö is a wide knowledge about climate change and the ability to see solutions instead of problems. This has lead to a common understanding from politicians, businesses, inhabitants and organisations. We have to stop using fossil fuels. Climate change is one of our time s most urgent environmental problems. Mankind s emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide produced when burning fossil fuels, contributes to the climate change. With Växjö s efforts to become fossil fuel free, we are taking our global responsibility in terms of reducing our impact on the climate. (From the Environmental Program of Växjö) Goals In 1996, a unanimous decision was taken Växjö shall be a Fossil Fuel Free City. It has not been decided when the goal should have been reached, however, a regional goal which Växjö also has approved, says that the region of Kronoberg shall be Fossil Fuel Free by year In 2006, a new Environmental Program for Växjö was adopted. One of the profile areas in the program is Fossil Fuel Free Växjö. The following visions and goals are in the Environmental Program: Vision We have the vision of a Fossil Fuel Free Växjö, where our use of energy does not contribute to climate change. Goals to be strived for The Municipality of Växjö strives to use energy from renewable sources The Municipality of Växjö strives to use energy efficiently The Municipality of Växjö strives to change over to a fossil fuel free transportation system Goals to be achieved To reduce the fossil CO2 emissions per inhabitant by at least 50 % by the year 2010, and by at least 70 % by the year 2025, compared to To reduce the use of electric energy per inhabitant by at least 20 % by the year 2015 compared to To increase cycle traffic in the City of Växjö by at least 20 % by the year 2015 compared to To increase the travels by local public transport by at least 20 % and the travels by regional public transports by at least 12 % by the year 2015 compared to To stop the use of oil in the municipal operations, other than for complementary uses, by the year To reduce the fossil CO2 emissions from municipal operations transports and services by at least 30 % by the year 2015 compared to

7 Actions for a Fossil Fuel Free Växjö Here follow some examples of actions that have been performed, are in the progress or will be performed in the future, to contribute to a Fossil Fuel Free Växjö. Actions related to district heating and district cooling based on biomass Rapid extension of district heating systems 1970 The Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant, Sandvik I, starts using biomass in 1980 small scale Contsruction of Sandvik II, a CHP plant using biomass in large scale 1997 Small scale district heating in the village of Ingelstad 1997 Small scale district heating in the village of Rottne 1998 Small scale district heating in the village of Lammhult 1998 Small scale district heating in the village of i Braås 1999 Mobile boiler fired by wood pellets in the neighbourhood of Räppe 2000 Successful conversion from electric heating to district heating in family houses 2001 Absorption cooling based on district heating introduced at the offices of Växjö 2006 Energy Ltd Industries in the village of Lammhult connected to district heating Absorption cooling based on district heating at Växjö University 2008 Absorption cooling based on district heating at Växjö hospital 2009 Pipeline for district heating connecting Växjö with neighbouring Alvesta 2011 Possible construction of a new CHP plant fired by biomass 2012 Other actions related to heating Large scale project to use solar energy in the village of Ingelstad 80 s Installation of solar panels at the swimming hall 1998 Sankt Sigfrid s Folk high school installs boiler for wood pellets 1998 Installation of boiler for wood pellets at Växjö Airport 1998 Municipal subsidies to private households for installation of solar panels Municipal subsidies to private households for installation of boilers for wood or pellets instead of oil Conversion from oil to wheat bran as energy source for heating at a foodstuff 2009 industry Actions related to energy efficiency Exchange to energy efficient light bulbs in street lighting starts 1994 Energy efficiency measures in the properties of the regional Health care 2000 organisation Energy demands when building on properties that was sold by the 2003 Municipality of Växjö Energy efficient Växjö a bunch of measures to promote energy efficiency in municipal construction companies Individual metering of electricity in student dwellings 2005 Construction of energy efficient wooden buildings at Välle Broar district Construction of houses with no conventional heating system

8 Other actions related to energy Växjö Energi Ltd starts to produce electricity from biomass 1983 Electricity from Växjö Energy Ltd certified with Good environmental choice 1997 Free energy advice to inhabitants 1997 Opening of Energy Information Center EnergiCentrumEtt 2004 Production of a climate map an electronic map that shows climate actions in Växjö Installation of photo-voltaics on houses constructed by municipal construction company Hyresbostäder Växjö 4H club take actions to make its small farm sustainable from energy point of view Actions related to car traffic Cars fuelled by gasoline converted so that they can use ethanol Municipal car-sharing with environmental vehicles 1999 Free parking for environmental vehicles 2002 Education in eco-driving Växjö Taxi reduce the number of km driven by 20 % thanks to a positioning system Municipal subsidies for buying environmental vehicles Actions related to heavy transports and public transports Forwarding company introduce positioning system and saves 30 % 1995 Biofuels are used in public transports Actions to improve bus stops Construction of railway to the CHP plant, to make it possible to transfer some transports of wood chips from truck to train Actions related to biofuels First discussions on developing bio-dme as an alternative to diesel 1997 First filling station for ethanol established in Växjö 1999 Centre for biomass gasification established at Växjö University 2003 First filling station for biogas opens. The biogas is produced at the sewage ater 2006 treatment plant Filling station for DME installed 2007 Three forwarding companies start using DME in their transports 2007 Fullscale production plant for gasification of biomass, to produce bio-dme 2015? Actions related to cycling Cycling road network continously expanded Continously Adaption of a municipal cycling strategy 1995 Växjö the city of cycling a project where the establishment of new 2001 cycling roads are combined with information campaigns 8