Entwicklung und Stand von Bürgerenergiegesellschaften und Energiegenossenschaften in Deutschland

In the paper, the authors describe an estimation of the number and development of community energy companies and energy cooperatives in Germany. The analysis is based on two databases that are maintained by the authors. An increase in the number of new community energy companies in Germany can be observed until 2014. In 2014 at the latest, the number of newly founded energy cooperatives decreased. The decline could only partly be compensated by an increase in the number of limited partnerships with a limited liability company as general partner (GmbH & Co. KG). This shift from the cooperative model to the limited partnership model is linked to a shift in the predominant electricity generation technology. An increase in onshore wind energy can be observed while photovoltaics had to struggle with a shrinking market. Moreover, more bankruptcies and liquidations have been observed since 2009 for community energy companies and energy cooperatives. The existing community energy companies are mostly producing electricity while only a smaller group runs energy grids, especially for heat distribution (small district heating networks). The main focus of community energy companies and energy cooperatives lays on the production of energy through onshore wind and photovoltaics. Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia are the regional core areas of these companies

Empagliflozin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background The effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease who are at risk for disease progression are not well understood. The EMPA-KIDNEY trial was designed to assess the effects of treatment with empagliflozin in a broad range of such patients. Methods We enrolled patients with chronic kidney disease who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 20 but less than 45 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) of body-surface area, or who had an eGFR of at least 45 but less than 90 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams) of at least 200. Patients were randomly assigned to receive empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or matching placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of progression of kidney disease (defined as end-stage kidney disease, a sustained decrease in eGFR to < 10 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2), a sustained decrease in eGFR of & GE;40% from baseline, or death from renal causes) or death from cardiovascular causes. Results A total of 6609 patients underwent randomization. During a median of 2.0 years of follow-up, progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes occurred in 432 of 3304 patients (13.1%) in the empagliflozin group and in 558 of 3305 patients (16.9%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 0.82; P < 0.001). Results were consistent among patients with or without diabetes and across subgroups defined according to eGFR ranges. The rate of hospitalization from any cause was lower in the empagliflozin group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.95; P=0.003), but there were no significant between-group differences with respect to the composite outcome of hospitalization for heart failure or death from cardiovascular causes (which occurred in 4.0% in the empagliflozin group and 4.6% in the placebo group) or death from any cause (in 4.5% and 5.1%, respectively). The rates of serious adverse events were similar in the two groups. Conclusions Among a wide range of patients with chronic kidney disease who were at risk for disease progression, empagliflozin therapy led to a lower risk of progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes than placebo