A small German village, Wildpoldsried, has invested heavily in renewable energy for 17 years and now produces far more than it uses, selling the rest for a profit. This is a genuinely inspiring example of what a united community can do.
The entire list of Wildpoldsreid’s projects is pretty remarkable: in addition to the five biogas plants, 4,983 kWp of photovoltaics, 11 wind turbines and the hydropower system, the town is also home to several municipal and residential biomass heating systems and 2,100 m² of solar thermal systems. Five private residences are heated by geothermal systems and passivhaus techniques have been used in some new construction. One is also likely to see a fair number of electric cars dotting about.