The EU remains committed to generating 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. This video shows three examples of projects that use renewable energy solutions to generate economic benefit for businesses, local communities, and citizens.
FC Augsburg has developed the world’s first CO2-neutral stadium. Unlike most clubs, it uses pumps to pump water through pipes below the playing surface to heat its pitch. As groundwater has a temperature of around 8-12 degrees, it can be used for the majority of the season without the need for an external heating supply. This offers the club considerable savings as their previous system could use up to 10,000 litres of oil per match, just to heat the pitch.
In Brussels, Belgium, the ‘Green Crowding’ is a crowdfunding website that allows individuals or communities to discover and invest directly in ‘green’ projects near them. This gives people the chance to see practical results of their investments, as well as giving them a steady rate of interest throughout the course of the project. The innovative aspect for companies and organisations involved is that they can appeal directly to individuals and local communities for their funding, rather than relying solely on banks.
Finally, El Hierro, an island in the Canary Islands (Spain), has set the ambitious goal of being powered solely by renewable energy sources. Their plan aims to harness the island’s considerable renewable energy potential by using a combination of wind turbines and a hydroelectric plant to generate 80% of their energy needs. This will save the community millions of Euros currently spent on importing oil and will go a long way to achieving their overall ambition.
More info: wwww.mostra.com
Produced by: www.mostra.com
Year: 2013
Language: English, English subtitles
Region: Europe
