Here's an overhead view of the heat and power generation plant, the keystone of the Juhnde project. This unassuming facility sits on the edge of the village at the base of a hill covered in crop fields. The plant stores and processes energy crops as well as liquid manure. Under anaerobic conditions, micro-organisms digest these raw materials to produce biogas (methane and carbon dioxide), which is then combusted to produce heat and power.

In winter months, when demand for heat cranks up, there are two reserve systems: an additional heating plant fueled by wood chips, and another (rarely used) furnace that burns traditional oil.