Inner-Alpine regions are rich in natural resources such as water, sunlight, wind and biomass. The Murau region is aiming to become 100% climate-neutral while also safeguarding energy supply to its main conurbations by providing renewable energy in line with demand. The Murau living laboratory is taking existing solutions and developing them further for a large-scale roll-out involving stakeholders from the local area and technology partners from much further afield.
 
In purely net terms, the region is already capable of meeting its annual electricity needs from local resources, although it does need some help from the higher-level grid for a certain number of hours in the winter. Future pathways for expansion will develop along several technological axes: an increase in solar and wind capacity; electrification of mobility; sector integration of heating and heavy-duty transport with the power system by means of electrolysis; and a significant ramp-up of storage capacity to supply electricity in line with demand and take pressure off the power grids.
 
Various pioneering approaches are being pursued to create a “system power plant” for the region, core elements of which are hydropower, solar power, wind power and cogeneration plants. The added flexibility required to achieve a 100% renewable energy system is to be obtained by integrating large-scale and battery swarm storage systems as well as hydrogen technologies.