Germany’s First “Solar-Powered City”

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=060000&biid=2008021184168

Germany’s First “Solar-Powered City”

FEBRUARY 11, 2008 03:08

Marburg in Hessen has become the first city in Germany to require all new buildings to install a solar energy heating system.

House owners in Marburg, with a total population of 78,000, must install a solar energy facility when they build new houses or renovate existing ones. The cost of installation begins at 5,000 euros (6.9 million won) at the minimum and the facility must be replaced once every 10 to 15 years.

Anyone who fails to fulfill the city’s new requirement has to pay a penalty of 15,000 euros (20.9 million won). House builders have the obligation to report their installation to relevant authorities after it is complete.

Currently, Marburg’s municipal assembly and government are dominated by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party, whose combined number of seats accounts for 30 out of 59. The latest legislation came as a strong reflection of the Green Party’s emphasis on protecting the environment.

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[bigbrother05]

1. K and R

[gateley]

2. K&R! Cool! nt

[Ready4Change]

3. K&R, but...

I'm not sure about the 'must be replaced once every 10-15 years.' If the installed system is working fine and meeting demands, I don't see the rationale in requiring that it be replaced.

But otherwise I applaud the direction.

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. I may be wrong, but...

I don't read the replacement as a legal requirement, but information (these systems tend to need to be replaced &c.)

[Ready4Change]

7. Ah, you may be right.

I read that as a requirement, but you may be right and its the article informing that they'll need replacement.

Thanks!

[NNadir]

5. One could think that from this misleading headline that the city already exists.

Like every single one of these posts, it proves, unsurprisingly more "someday over the rainbow" talk.

When do the people of Marburg believe that climate change might start to be a problem?

[Doctor Cynic]

6. At least they're catching up with China.

If you stand on a rooftop and look in any direction in any Chinese town, you can see every house has a solar water heater on them.