Focus on the environment

Twelve municipalities awarded for climate projects

The people of Bludenz have connected municipal buildings and the Val Blue to their local heating network

(Bild: Stadt Bludenz)

50 out of 96 municipalities took part in the "e5" provincial program this year. No municipality received the honorable "5 e" at the annual certification ceremony at the Kulturhaus Dornbirn. With an audit result of 72 percent, Nenzing was the municipality with the highest score.

In this year's certification, three e5 municipalities, including the town of Bludenz and the municipalities of Hard and Nenzing, achieved an excellent rating of "4 e". Bludenz made the leap from "3 e" to "4 e" with innovative projects. For many years now, the Alpine town has been using waste heat from industry to generate energy, for example from the textile company Getzner, to supply municipal buildings via a local heating network. Large electricity consumers, such as the Val Blu leisure resort, are also connected. Furthermore, Bludenz has committed itself to "MissionZero" by resolution of the town council.

Biomass cogeneration plant 
Nenzing is this year's top-rated municipality with an audit result of 72 percent. Nenzing's district heating is considered an important step towards renewable heat supply. The municipal buildings are already mainly supplied with electricity from the municipality's own hydropower plants. The biomass cogeneration plant was also built in a very short planning and construction period in order to reduce dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels for space heating and replace them with regional biomass. 

Successful newcomers 
Satteins, Klaus and Bezau underwent certification for the first time this year. While Satteins and Klaus both achieved "2 e", Bezau was able to secure "3 e" straight away with projects such as biochar, participation in the "Cycle-friendly municipality" label and an exemplary spatial development plan. Krumbach, Gaißau, Koblach and Schwarzach were also awarded "3 e" each. Lochau and Brand each received "2 e".

To date, only twelve of the 50 e5 municipalities in Vorarlberg have achieved the highest level of certification with five "e" and have subsequently also been awarded the "European Energy Award" in gold. These are currently among the absolute climate protection pioneers in Europe.