DLG Announces Winners of the Innovation Award EnergyDecentral 2026
The winners were selected by an independent DLG expert commission. In 2026, the jury evaluated 17 eligible innovations. To enter the competition, a product had to make its world premiere at EnergyDecentral, which will be held in Hanover from November 10 to 13, 2026, alongside EuroTier.
Gold Medals were awarded to the MethaLoop technology developed by Malmberg Bioerdgastech and the OASU system developed by ATFO.
MethaLoop is a membrane-based methane recovery system designed for biogas upgrading through water scrubbing. According to the developer, the technology reduces methane losses from approximately 1% to below 0.2%, even at large biogas plants.
Methane slip remains one of the environmental and economic challenges associated with biogas production. In existing systems, methane remaining in the exhaust air often has to be treated using regenerative thermal oxidation, which requires additional capital and operating expenditure.
MethaLoop increases the yield of marketable methane and removes the need for additional thermal oxidation. The system can be installed in new AQUAERA plants or retrofitted to existing water-scrubbing biogas upgrading systems.
The second Gold Medal was awarded to OASU — the Organic Acid Sensing Unit developed by ATFO GmbH. The system automatically measures acetic and propionic acid concentrations in raw biogas using gas chromatography.
The ratio between these acids is used to assess the state of the fermentation process at an early stage and forecast methane production. Measurements can be taken once or several times a day without the sensor coming into direct contact with the fermenter contents.
Traditionally, these parameters are determined manually through sample collection and laboratory testing. This takes time and does not always allow operators to respond promptly to process changes. OASU enables operators to identify fermentation risks earlier and adjust plant operation before gas output declines.
The SBHKW 2500 Storage CHP Plant developed by Biogas Service Tarmstedt received a Silver Medal. The solution combines the continuous operation of a gas-engine combined heat and power unit with an electricity storage system.
This approach makes it possible to separate electricity generation from the time at which the power is sold. A biogas plant can continue operating steadily and using the heat it generates, while electricity can be supplied to the grid during periods of higher demand or more favorable prices. The system is intended to increase the flexibility and profitability of plants operating with biogas and biomethane.
Another Silver Medal was awarded to agriportance for its digital sustainability certificate management system for biomethane and Bio-LNG. The module automates the processing of Proof of Sustainability documents confirming the sustainable origin and production of the fuel.
The system extracts data from incoming documents, validates it against established rules, generates Bio-LNG certificates and prepares mass balances for audits. The solution is designed to reduce manual PDF processing and lower the risk of errors in biomethane certification.
Rudolf Hörmann received a Silver Medal for Wood Energy Roof, an integrated photovoltaic roofing system for large agricultural buildings. The system combines a load-bearing solid timber structure with solar electricity generation.
The photovoltaic modules are installed directly onto the timber base, removing the need for conventional roofing, battens and some additional materials. The design uses standard framed solar modules that can be replaced if damaged. Warm air accumulating beneath the modules can also be used for applications such as hay drying.
The Guntamatic Powerchip Biochar system developed by GUNTAMATIC Heiztechnik also received a Silver Medal. It is a woodchip heating system with an output of 50 to 100 kW that incorporates a controlled pyrolysis process.
The system produces biochar alongside renewable heat. The biochar can be used to improve soil structure and its ability to retain water and nutrients, as well as in the treatment of manure and liquid organic fertilizers. The technology enables carbon to be stored in the soil and reduces the carbon footprint of agricultural production.
Alpha ESS Deutschland received a Silver Medal for the STORION-LC-TB150 Ultra industrial energy storage system. In this system, liquid cooling is used not only for the battery modules but also for the inverters and electronic control components.
This increases system output from 125 kW to 150 kW and extends the stated service life from the industry-standard 8,000 cycles to approximately 12,000 cycles. The unit is also equipped with an active pressure-relief system featuring an explosion-protected fan.
The sixth Silver Medal was awarded to Biotaktix for its SubstratScan system. It combines continuous NIR analysis of slurry and digestate with vehicle weighing systems and software for managing biogas plant operations.
Data on dry matter and nutrient content are automatically linked to the weighing results for each batch. The information can be used for supplier settlements, invoicing, reporting and nutrient balance calculations. This reduces reliance on generalized reference values and manual data transfer.
The Innovation Award Gold Medal is presented to developments with a fundamentally new concept that substantially changes a technological process or significantly improves an existing solution. Silver Medals recognize products that deliver significant functional or technological advances in systems already in use.
All award-winning innovations must be fully operational by the time EnergyDecentral 2026 takes place and must become commercially available no later than the next exhibition in 2028.
EnergyDecentral 2026 will bring together approximately 250 companies from the decentralized energy sector. Together with the concurrently held EuroTier exhibition, the two events are expected to feature around 2,100 exhibitors in total.
