Dorfenergie Schwabsoien GmbH, founded in 2022 in the Bavarian district of Weilheim-Schongau, has developed a local heating network that is considered a model project for renewable energy. Over 80 households, the town hall and the community kindergarten are supplied with heat, which is transported through pre-insulated pipe systems from the regional manufacturer Rehau.
Energy from regional wood chips
Dorfenergie Schwabsoien GmbH is managed by Herbert Hefele (Innoinfra GmbH) and Markus Eirenschmalz (Blechbearbeitungsbetrieb Schwabsoien). The aim is to have over 120 connections by the end of the year. Five wood gasification combined heat and power plants (CHP) with an electrical output of 350 kW and a thermal output of 725 kW are currently in operation.
Three additional wood chip boilers with an output of 1,700 kW secure the heat supply. These utilise waste wood and disposable pallets from the region. A buffer storage tank with a volume of 1,000 m³ ensures security of supply and can supply heat for up to five days in the event of faults.
State-of-the-art pipe systems
The eight kilometre long heating network uses the Rauthermex pipe system with PU foam insulation and corrugated outer casing, which enables low heat loss and high flexibility. Main pipes with diameters of 90 to 125 mm and house connections with diameters of 25 or 32 mm ensure efficient distribution.
The PE-Xa medium pipes are durable, corrosion-free and temperature-resistant thanks to oxygen barrier layers and special stabilisation, according to the manufacturer. They are laid by local civil engineering companies using modern joining techniques such as Rehau's push-fit sleeve technology and its Fusapex electrofusion sockets.
Local acceptance and economic attractiveness
The network operates with a flow temperature of 80 °C and a return temperature of 50 °C. Transfer stations from Aqo-tec GmbH control the heat transfer and automated data collection for billing. The current costs are around 10 ct/kWh, supplemented by basic and heat meter charges. The pricing is transparent and based on official data from the Statistisches Bundesamt.
With a maximum heat output of 2.6 MW, the network is equipped for a further 100 households in future and demonstrates how successfully renewable energies can be implemented in rural regions.
