Online software helps Thuringian communities to initiate energy system transformation projects

Published on: May 26, 2020 / Update from: August 17, 2020 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

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TRAILstarter software is designed for communities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants - online tool can be used free of charge at www.trail-energie.de - TRAILplus with additional options will be published at the end of June.

• TRAIL helps smaller Thuringian communities to determine their energy needs and initiate energy transition projects
• TRAILstarter software is designed for communities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants
• Online tool can be used www.trail-energie.de
• TRAILplus with additional options will be released at the end of June

The state energy agency ThEGA has published “TRAILstarter” with partners from Thuringian science and business. The free online software is available at www.trail-energie.de and is primarily intended to help communities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants to optimize their own energy supply and reduce energy costs. In rural areas, the potential for heat supply based on renewable energies such as solar thermal energy or biomass is often particularly great. “However, in smaller communities, some of which have volunteer representatives, there is often a lack of time, specialist knowledge and budget to implement the energy-efficient renovation of public buildings or complex processes such as the development or expansion of the local heating network,” says ThEGA managing director Professor Dieter Sell. “TRAILstarter is a practical planning aid for local administrations. This means that energy transition projects can be started without the need for complex data collection of the current state or the involvement of external specialist knowledge.” The Federal Ministry of Economics and the Thuringian Ministry of the Environment (TMUEN) funded the project.

This is how TRAILstarter helps smaller communities in Thuringia

With TRAILstarter, Thuringian municipalities receive an overview of their electricity and heat needs. The results are available for all communities in Thuringia and are calculated based on publicly accessible GIS data and existing databases. They serve as an initial orientation to identify spatial priorities for action and efficient energy supply solutions. Users only need to enter their municipality name or select it on the map and immediately receive a variety of graphical displays and information. For example, a representation of the heat requirement shows whether a cross-building neighborhood solution makes sense for the community or in which part of the community a planned local heating network is economically feasible.

TRAILplus with additional features will be released soon

At the end of June, the additional version TRAILplus will also be available online at www.trail-energie.de . This version also provides valuable information about funding, waste heat potential and suggests concrete measures to save energy or increase energy efficiency. Topics such as optimizing street lighting and the use of renewable energy are now also taken into account. An interactive assistant supports local administrations in deciding which measure should be implemented.

About TRAIL and the project partners

TRAIL stands for Energetic Transformation in Rural Areas and is an online tool, the development of which was supported for two years as part of a collaborative research project with funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. In addition to the state energy agency ThEGA, the Bauhaus University Weimar and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Systems Technology in Ilmenau are involved. Other project partners are JENA-GEOS®-Ingenieurbüro GmbH, ThINK – Thuringian Institute for Sustainability and Climate Protection GmbH, the digital agency igniti and quaas-stadtplaner from Weimar.

About the ThEGA

The Thuringian Energy and GreenTech Agency GmbH (ThEGA) is the state energy agency of the Free State of Thuringia. It is the competence center for renewable energies, energy and resource efficiency, sustainable mobility, municipal climate protection and climate-neutral state properties. The ThEGA informs and advises Thuringian companies, municipalities, citizens and politicians. It contributes to the success of Thuringia's energy and climate policy goals and brings together partners from science, business and politics. The ThEGA acts market and provider neutral. More information: www.thega.de

TRAILstarter software is designed for communities with less than 10,000 inhabitants – Online tool available free of charge at www.trail-energie.de – TRAILplus with additional options to be released at the end of June.

• TRAIL helps smaller Thuringian communities to identify their energy needs and initiate energy system transformation projects
• TRAILstarter software is designed for communities with less than 10,000 inhabitants
• Online tool available free of charge at www.trail-energie.de
• TRAILplus with additional options to be released at the end of June

The State Energy Agency ThEGA has published “TRAILstarter” together with partners from the Thuringian science and industry. The free online software is available at www.trail-energie.de and is designed to help communities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants in particular to optimize their own energy supply and reduce energy costs. In rural areas, the potential for heat supply based on renewable energies such as solar thermal or biomass is often particularly high. “However, in smaller communities, some of which have voluntary representatives, there is often a lack of time, expertise and budget to implement the energetic renovation of public buildings or complex processes such as setting up or expanding the local heating network,” says ThEGA Managing Director Professor Dieter Sell. “TRAILstarter is a practical planning aid for municipal administrations. It allows energy system transformation projects to be started without the need for time-consuming data determination of the current status or the integration of external expertise. The Federal Ministry of Economics and the Thuringian Ministry of the Environment (TMUEN) funded the project.

How TRAILstarter helps smaller communities in Thuringia

TRAILstarter gives Thuringian municipalities an overview of their electricity and heat requirements. The results are available nationwide for all municipalities in Thuringia and are calculated on the basis of publicly available GIS data and existing databases. They serve as a first orientation to identify spatial priorities for action and efficient energy supply solutions. Users only need to enter their municipality name or select it on the map and immediately receive a variety of graphical representations and information. For example, a representation of the heat demand shows whether a cross-building neighborhood solution makes sense for the municipality or in which part of the municipality a planned local heating network is economically feasible.

TRAILplus with additional features to be released soon

At the end of June, the more advanced version TRAILplus will also be available online at www.trail-energie.de . This version also provides valuable information on subsidies, waste heat potential and suggests concrete measures to save energy or increase energy efficiency. Topics such as the optimization of street lighting and the use of renewable energies are now also included. An interactive assistant supports local administrations in deciding which measures to implement.

About TRAIL and the project partners

TRAIL stands for Energetic Transformation in Rural Areas and is an online tool, the development of which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy for two years as part of a joint research project. In addition to the state energy agency ThEGA, the Bauhaus University Weimar and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Systems Technology in Ilmenau are involved. Further project partners are JENA-GEOS®-Ingenieurbüro GmbH, ThINK – Thuringian Institute for Sustainability and Climate Protection GmbH, the digital agency igniti and quaas-stadtplaner from Weimar.

About ThEGA

The Thüringer Energie- und GreenTech-Agentur GmbH (ThEGA) is the state energy agency of the Free State of Thuringia. It is the competence center for renewable energies, energy and resource efficiency, sustainable mobility, municipal climate protection and climate-neutral state properties. The ThEGA informs and advises Thuringian companies, municipalities, citizens and politicians. It contributes to the success of Thuringia's energy and climate policy goals and brings together partners from science, business and politics. The ThEGA is market and provider neutral. More information: www.thega.de