A view of the River Rhine and assorted transport methods from Nierstein, a village close to the city of Oppenheim
Solar panels on numerous houses in this nearby village
An impressive photovoltaic array in a field on a farm near Oppenheim
Wind power generators on the hills near Oppenheim
Green waste is mixed with this composted sewerage solid waste to provide farm fertiliser
Oppenheim on the River Rhine: Recycling and Renewables
Oppenheim is a small city on the River Rhine near Mainz, not far from Frankfurt in Germany. It boasts an impressive cathedral, the construction having started before the Reformation as a Catholic cathedral but its completion many centuries later now sees it as a Protestant cathedral, noted also for its stained glass windows. The ruins of a castle can be seen above the city and an impressive series of tunnels from the Middle Ages were unearthed immediately under the city’s marketplace sometime in the 1980s.
The most impressive feature to Oppenheim is how it recycles the products of modern living. A modern water treatment plant is located at the edge of the city’s houses near the Rhine. Liquid and solid sewerage waste is removed and the residual water treated and returned to the river. Solid wastes undergo further treatment and are then mixed with composted green waste from the nearby collection centre and further composted then sold as fertiliser for farms. The liquid wastes are anaerobically digested and the resulting methane is used to heat the city swimming pool.
Houses and buildings of all shapes, sizes and locations have been fitted with photovoltaic arrays. Private houses, some public buildings and many farm buildings, new and old, display the solar panels. The German Federal government has encouraged owners to take advantage of purchase and installation cost reductions and owners sign a contract with the government to be reimbursed for power going back to the grid for a 10 year period. The payback period for the costs of purchase and installation seems to be towards the end of the 10 years, so after that any power produced is effectively income. Some owners have invested in solar power as a form of superannuation. The biggest installation in the area is a farmer’s field of around 10 hectares which is probably the only crop that will have a guaranteed return over the next 10 years completely independent of rain or temperature.
The hills to the south of Oppenheim are dotted with many wind power generators. Erected over the last 7 years, there are over 100 windmills. Some of the older ones are already being replaced by new, more efficient generators, and like the solar panels, there is a contracted arrangement to sell power back to suppliers at a guaranteed price. The Federal government has set a target of 35% of base power from renewable sources within 5 years. While this seems large by Australian standards, it is some way behind other countries in northern Europe especially Denmark. It is possible to stand on some of these hills and have, within the one view, sight of windmills, photovoltaic arrays and a nuclear power plant. It is one of the oldest plants in this region and there has already been much debate about its intended lifespan and decommissioning. It really is the new among the formerly new.
The hills within the vineyards and cropping areas are relatively steep and inter-row cultivation in grapes and general cultivation practices for crops still take place. The grape inter-rows are cultivated on a year-about basis to allow incorporation of nutrients and also allow machinery to travel along the rows. Peas are also grown as a green manure crop between the rows. There are deep silt traps strategically placed around the hilly areas to catch any eroded soil before it has a chance to enter drains or waterways. These are regularly cleaned out and the soil is returned to farmers up the hill.
All of these features within, near to and surrounding the city add to the sustainability of the community, rural and urban.
No comments:
Post a Comment