Eco Factor: Small gas-powered electricity plants to move Germany away from nuclear power.
Instead of developing the next-gen renewable energy power plants, German energy company Lichtblick has teamed up with Volkswagen on a massive project that involves the installation of more than 100,000 miniature gas plants in people’s homes over the next year.
The plants will collectively generate up to 2000MW of power, replacing two nuclear power plants. Dubbed SchwarmStrom, the initial setup would cost about $7250 for each home, but once the project goes live, the host house will receive a rent stipend for the generator, a reduction in energy costs and a bonus based on the revenue produced by the generator.
The companies believe that distributing energy generation into smaller units will reduce carbon emissions by as much as 60%. If the companies do get 100,000 homes that are willing to have a generator installed in their backyards, the model could get more recognition worldwide.
