14 Small-Scale System Solutions—Material Flow Management …
287
In this approach, several small villages set up a not-for-profit company, which
mobilises the resources to do a proper MFA, and develop detailed projects in the
fields of energy, water, land use and infrastructure. The non-profit company then
uses the MFA as a guidebook to develop projects and prepare the implementation
legally and economically. In addition, the Dorfkern is designed to support the aspects
of technology expertise and financing. Dorfkern is mainly owned by the consortium
of villages; however, there are provisions for inviting other shareholders.
Dorfkern is a clear solution to addressing the issues that a small village or a
community cannot address alone. Individual villages or communities have options,
but alone they are too small to recognise issues and implement solutions. Dorfkern
further rectifies the problems of the lack of human capacity, know-how, and legal
and financial resources as a large, collective entity, effectively.
A Dorfkern company’s success comes from the capitalisation of unused or nonmonetised potential in villages and communities. These opportunities include the
installation of solar panels on roofs and other free space, LED street lighting, the
installation of heat pumps, increased building insulation, implementation of district
heating, increased capacity for electric transport, the changing of land use with new
marketing ideas such as solidarity farming, harvesting biochar from farm hedges,
etc. The MFA helps stakeholders find opportunities and turn them into assets, which
they can subsequently offer on the market. As the first stakeholder discussions have
shown, potential investors have been interested in buying into these opportunities
and making a good return on investment.
15
14.5 Conclusions
Small-scale systems are direct victims of the worldwide plundering of energy and
resources, and also have been severely affected by the throughput system of economy.
Accordingly, resources and sinks have been overused, and neither efficiency nor
effectiveness has been given sufficient attention. As a result, small-scale systems
have lost opportunities and competitiveness, and in turn, have become a burden.
In this energy-climate era, these issues are becoming even more severe, impacting
all aspects of sustainability. In rural areas—where these small-scale systems are
dominant—changes in precipitation regimes, frequent drought, increased soil erosion
and biodiversity loss have pushed stakeholders to their limits. Furthermore, and
characteristically for small-scale systems, the know-how, money and management
skills to organise change are scarce.
A shift from a throughput society toward a more sustainable metabolic system such
as the CE would pose major challenges not only for small-scale systems but for all
systems. However, using an MFM methodology would help turn these challenges into
targeted opportunities for the decentralised management of resources and sustainable
development. As this chapter has pointed out, small-scale systems such as small
15 Project talks with Naturwind, Energie Leipzig about financing Dorfkern GmbH, 2019.
287
In this approach, several small villages set up a not-for-profit company, which
mobilises the resources to do a proper MFA, and develop detailed projects in the
fields of energy, water, land use and infrastructure. The non-profit company then
uses the MFA as a guidebook to develop projects and prepare the implementation
legally and economically. In addition, the Dorfkern is designed to support the aspects
of technology expertise and financing. Dorfkern is mainly owned by the consortium
of villages; however, there are provisions for inviting other shareholders.
Dorfkern is a clear solution to addressing the issues that a small village or a
community cannot address alone. Individual villages or communities have options,
but alone they are too small to recognise issues and implement solutions. Dorfkern
further rectifies the problems of the lack of human capacity, know-how, and legal
and financial resources as a large, collective entity, effectively.
A Dorfkern company’s success comes from the capitalisation of unused or nonmonetised potential in villages and communities. These opportunities include the
installation of solar panels on roofs and other free space, LED street lighting, the
installation of heat pumps, increased building insulation, implementation of district
heating, increased capacity for electric transport, the changing of land use with new
marketing ideas such as solidarity farming, harvesting biochar from farm hedges,
etc. The MFA helps stakeholders find opportunities and turn them into assets, which
they can subsequently offer on the market. As the first stakeholder discussions have
shown, potential investors have been interested in buying into these opportunities
and making a good return on investment.
15
14.5 Conclusions
Small-scale systems are direct victims of the worldwide plundering of energy and
resources, and also have been severely affected by the throughput system of economy.
Accordingly, resources and sinks have been overused, and neither efficiency nor
effectiveness has been given sufficient attention. As a result, small-scale systems
have lost opportunities and competitiveness, and in turn, have become a burden.
In this energy-climate era, these issues are becoming even more severe, impacting
all aspects of sustainability. In rural areas—where these small-scale systems are
dominant—changes in precipitation regimes, frequent drought, increased soil erosion
and biodiversity loss have pushed stakeholders to their limits. Furthermore, and
characteristically for small-scale systems, the know-how, money and management
skills to organise change are scarce.
A shift from a throughput society toward a more sustainable metabolic system such
as the CE would pose major challenges not only for small-scale systems but for all
systems. However, using an MFM methodology would help turn these challenges into
targeted opportunities for the decentralised management of resources and sustainable
development. As this chapter has pointed out, small-scale systems such as small
15 Project talks with Naturwind, Energie Leipzig about financing Dorfkern GmbH, 2019.