This year, Energy Decentral will once again present the latest trends in decentralised energy supply for agricultural holdings at the Hannover trade fair, with pioneering products and solutions recognised by the German Agricultural Society (DLG) through its coveted Innovation Awards. The jury has now reached its decision.
Two innovations proved so convincing that they were awarded a gold medal, both within the field of bioenergy. Malmberg Bioerdgastech won over the jury with its Methaloop, which addresses the unintended release of methane from biogas plants, known as ‘methane slip’. The new methane recovery process is said to reduce methane slip from the previously achievable level of around one percent to 0.2 percent.
The second gold medal went to Advanced Technology For Organics (ATFO) for its Organic Acid Sensing Unit (OASU), which automates on-site quality assessment of digestion substrate. To date samples have had to be taken and analysed in laboratories through a time-consuming process, but the OASU measures quality directly in the biogas plant, without contact with the medium or the fermenter liquid.
Hörmann’s timber roof with integrated solar
The only entry in the photovoltaics category was awarded a silver medal: the new timber energy roof from Rudolf Hörmann. This consists of a load-bearing solid-timber roof structure into which solar modules are integrated, Because the mounting substructure is fixed directly onto the solid-timber deck, battens and conventional roof cladding of sheet metal or tiles are no longer required, considerably reducing both material use and installation effort.
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Hörmann has developed a substructure of folded main and cross profiles into which standard modules are fitted. The combination forms a rainproof in-roof system with two-stage drainage, channelling rainwater in a controlled manner across the module surface and along the profile structure towards the eaves.
Hörmann uses standard modules, which means that individual units can easily be replaced in the event of damage. The jury was particularly impressed that this approach combines the CO₂ storage function of a solid-timber roof with renewable energy generation, creating an economical and resource-efficient roofing solution. Waste heat beneath the modules can also be extracted and used on the farm, for example as feed heat for hay-drying systems.
Storage improves biogas economics
In the storage category, the jury awarded a silver medal to the combination of batteries with combined heat and power (CHP) units. Until now, CHP operation has followed the gas output of the biogas plant, but an integrated storage system allows it to be aligned more closely with the demands of the electricity and heat markets, improving the economics of biogas plants.
Storage manufacturer Alpha ESS also convinced the jury with its Storion TB-LC-TB150 Ultra, which received a silver medal. The commercial storage system features full liquid cooling, and not only the battery packs but also the entire battery management system and the inverters built into the unit.
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Moving away from air cooling for the power electronics benefits both the durability of the system and its noise levels. The absence of fans makes the unit significantly quieter than other commercial storage systems, which is far from a trivial consideration on agricultural holdings.
Safety is also essential for farmers, and here too AlphaESS has taken a step forward. Active pressure relief via an explosion-proof fan offers considerable advantages in the event of fire. The fan is designed so that it does not damage the system during pressure relief and supports the controlled discharge of gases and overpressure.
Wood-chip heating in the material cycle
The remaining silver medals again went to bioenergy solutions. Agriportance has automated the preparation of sustainability certificates for biogas plants with its new PoS management module.
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Gunmatic Heiztechnik has developed the Powerchip Biochar, a small-scale wood-chip heating system in the 50 to 100 kW range that produces biochar as its end product, which can in turn be used to improve farmers' soils. In this way, a clearly negative CO2 balance can be achieved on a decentralised basis, without large-scale infrastructure or large plants. The jury was particularly persuaded by the way the system combines the energy use of wood with climate protection, resource efficiency and regional value creation.
Better analysis of organic fertilisers
Biotaktix has developed a new solution for monitoring digestate from biogas plants with its Substratscan. Until now, slurry and digestate used as organic fertiliser have been assessed through laborious sampling. NIR sensors that allow continuous evaluation are now typically deployed during field application, but by that point it is too late. Substratscan enables ongoing monitoring of slurry and digestate using NIR nutrient analysis combined with a vehicle weighbridge and ERP software, with readings automatically linked to weighing tickets and used for invoicing, reporting and nutrient balances. This improves data quality, transparency, occupational safety and profitability at biogas plants.
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The winners will be honoured at the next Energy Decentral. The awards ceremony will take place on the evening of the first day of the fair. The leading trade fair for decentralised energy supply on agricultural holdings runs from 10 to 13 November 2026 in Hannover. A note for interested companies: the next Innovation Awards will be presented at Energy Decentral 2028. The DLG is encouraging suppliers to submit new products more actively for the prizes. (su)
