Lower thirds:

0:03  Report by / Christian Pricelius
0:29  Klaus Meier / CEO, Stadt.Energie.Speicher
1:51  Elina Aksionava / Spokeswomen, Stadt.Energie.Speicher 
2:30   Ebba Lamprecht / Architect

Script:

00:00 
Klaus Meier is inspecting one of his wind turbines in Bremen. What started with a single turbine is now Europe’s largest wind farm operator - called WPD windmanager. 

0:14
Now, he’s investing in new technology: large-scale heat pumps for a newly built district in Bremen — entirely self-financed. Some buildings are already up, and the architectural model shows what’s to come.

00:28
+++ SOT Klaus Meier, CEO, Stadt.Energie.Speicher +++
"Coming from the wind energy sector, I see heat differently. If we generate heat using electricity and heat pumps, it makes sense that we respond to the production conditions of solar and wind."

0:44
The green electricity for the model city’s heat pumps is sourced affordably from the energy market.

And they draw water from the Weser River. River water is always warmer than the surrounding air — a clear advantage.

01:01 Graphic 
Heat pump systems tap into natural warmth — from air, soil, or groundwater. The principle is always the same: a heat exchanger transfers this free heat to a refrigerant. Because the refrigerant has a very low boiling point, it evaporates. This vapor is compressed — that’s the actual “pumping.” Its heat is then transferred to the heating system. If the water isn’t warm enough, additional energy is needed. And to keep the cycle running, the pump itself requires electricity.

01:43
This is what their river water heat pump looks like — it cost over 19 million euros.
  
01:50
+++ SOT Elina Aksionava, Sprecherin Stadt.Energie.Speicher +++
"We heat our district using the Weser. With four tube bundle heat exchangers, we extract 3 degrees Celsius and transfer that heat to the pumps."

02:06
Over 150 apartments and 4,000 square meters of office space are being built here. According to CEO Klaus Meier the entire project will cost around 1 billion euros. There’s some social housing, but mostly rentals — starting at 1,500 euros for 100 square meters.
 
Each building is unique — but all are well insulated against heat and cold.

02:29
+++ SOT Ebba Lamprecht, Architect +++ 
"It’s efficient because we now have extremely good building materials — even in glass. We use high-performance thermal insulation glazing with very low values."

02:41 
These panes insulate almost as well as a brick wall.

And the heat pumps for this district are already being rolled out commercially. Wind entrepreneur Klaus Meier has his sights set on the next lucrative market: supplying hot water for entire residential neighborhoods.

03:00
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