In 1998, the gears began turning to convert Juhnde, a tiny village in Saxony, Germany, into a bioenergy hub that receives every bit of its electricity (and most of its heat) from biomass. The system went live in 2005, and its subsequent success has turned Juhnde into a celebrity in green circles, as well as a model for other bioenergy-seeking towns and cities.

This image shows Juhnde's unique bioenergy plant, with its two domed fermentation silos. The biogas plant has caught the attention of international communities and organizations such as Reynolds, Indiana--a.k.a. BioTown, USA.