The initial investment for the Juhnde bioenergy village was 5.4 million Euros (US$7.9 million):

* 2.9 million euros for the biogas facility,

* 0.9 million euros for the heating system, and

* 1.6 million euros for the hot water pipeline.

The funds came from the Bioenergy Village Juhnde Cooperative--which was formed to run the heat and energy business, bank credits--as well as a grant from the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection.

Germany's progressive energy policies have also helped balance the village's books: the Renewable Energy Sources Act of 2000 increased the price of energy paid to small energy producers like Juhnde that contribute power to the national grid, and in 2004 an amendment to the act required big energy companies (E.on in Germany) to buy from smaller, sustainable sources. This diagram shows how all electricity produced at the Juhnde bioenergy plant flows into the public electrical grid.