Yesterday, we reported on the completion of the largest solar array in Baden-Württemberg, which is also largely owned by local citizens. In nearby Bavaria, a developer of PV arrays has now also...
At the beginning of the month, the largest solar project in Baden-Württemberg was connected to the grid. Its ownership structure is typical of such projects in Germany – and could serve as an example...
The citizen-owned wind farm is capable of generating 40 million kWh annually from the 19 MW project and has become a beacon for community ownership in Bavaria. The eight Nordex turbines are owned by...
A new association is prepared to submit at least 15 applications for wind projects, including at least one in Niagara, when the government opens the next window for its Feed-in-Tariff program. . .
Theologian, popular author, renewables activist, TV personality, Franz Alt is something of a phenomenon in Germany. Unfortunately for us Anglophones, Alt writes only in German. So it was a pleasant...[more]
Ottawa’s first energy co-op has announced it connected its third 10-kilowatt solar project to the grid on Wednesday. . .
"This is an important day as the start-up of this wind turbine marks an environmental milestone for our union - this is the first union owned and operated wind turbine in Canada," said CAW President...
Le Parc éolien Pierre-De Saurel est un projet 100 % communautaire résolument tourné vers le développement durable. Il permettra de diversifier les sources de revenus de la MRC et de vitaliser...
Charter for the campaign to put control of Germany's Engergiwende into the hands of the people. . .
We are a community-led initiative. We want to build a 10-turbine wind farm which will be developed and owned by thousands of individuals from the Saskatoon region.
You can see some arguments in favour of a 'Fixed' Feed-in Tariff on the FOE website, http://www.foe.co.uk/blog/energy_bill_will_give_more_38654.html, and a report I wrote for Friends of the Earth on...
Out of sight of the mass of people living in towns and cities, a quiet revolution is underway in the British countryside as more and more farmers are investing in renewable energy. According to the...
The magazine of the Sierra Club, the largest grassroots environmental group in the US, laudably featured community solar in a recent issue, but they missed the broader picture. . .[more]
The government of the northernmost German state of Schleswig-Holstein and grid operator Tennet have launched a unique project to combat NIMBYism against new power lines. Now, citizens will be able to...
Thinking about starting a community solar project? No matter what your project’s stage of development, the Community Solar Tool (CST) can help you. . .
The model community of Friedrich-Wilhelm-Lübke-Koog is located within the kreis or county of Nordfriesland in the North German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Nordfriesland has 166,000 inhabitants...[more]
Pioneers of the Bürger (Citizen's) Wind Movement A model for a Renewable Future and an Engaged Population The Friedrich-Wilhelm-Lübke-Koog is a polder in the far northwest corner of Germany, near...[more]
Long before Germany decided to decommission its nuclear plants, its people were changing their relationship with energy. . .
In a densely populated country like Germany, wind turbines as a consequence are installed near people, as are all other forms of infrastructure. That's one of the most striking observations North...[more]
Community wind energy as found in continental Europe represents an extremely small niche market in North America, despite more than a decade of effort by proponents in Canada and the USA. Community...[more]
On a recent pilgrimage-and that's the only word for it-to Denmark in September we stopped by the Danmarks Vindmølleforening (the Danish Wind Turbine Owners Association) to visit my colleagues Asbjørn...[more]
In a colloquium at the 2012 Husum wind conference, there was a brief report on the progress of community wind in Quebec. By a rather loose definition of "community wind" to include municipal...[more]
This past September we stopped by the Folkecenter for Renewable Energy in a swing through Jutland. There we met with Preben Maegaard, longtime director of the Folkecenter and one of the pioneers of...[more]
Presentation by Energie Partagée to a conference on community power in France & Germany in Lyon, France. . .
Presentation on the village of Arzfeld in Germany that generates 300% more electricity than they consumer by solar PV that they own together. . .
Presentation on the development of community-owned renewable energy in France. . .
Perhaps the biggest difference between the way Germany is switching to renewables and the way many other countries are doing so (China, the US, the UK, France, etc.) is the focus on citizen...
A failure to empower local authorities on energy issues in the next few years could put a brake on its ambition to cut the share of nuclear power in the electricity mix to 50 percent by 2025, down...
"Our big utilities completely ignored renewables," he explained. "In the beginning, the Energiewende was driven almost entirely by individuals. Over half of our renewable power is still produced by...
Greg Pahl's Power from the People is an inspirational guide to the burgeoning community power movement. His case studies of people who are making a difference is often a tale of endurance and...[more]
Growing numbers of local communities are launching their own renewable energy co-operatives in an effort to slash the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, the Guardian reported. . .
Government energy reforms could make it impossible for new community energy projects to scale up . . .
Of the 2027 GB adults interviewed 68% said they would be likely to support local renewable energy projects, including wind turbines, if they were 100% owned and controlled by the community with all...
A high-profile alliance of charities, co-operatives and organisations has published a manifesto to help advance community-owned renewable energy in the UK. . .
Generating all energy from renewable sources is no longer a pipe dream in Europe. From Denmark to Austria, we can see examples of a successful energy transition. Germany is clearly seen as the...
“In order to see developments in Europe similar to those we have experienced in Germany and Denmark we need national political frameworks that enable citizens and municipalities to profit from this...
For the most part, Germany’s new energy producers are home owners, small and medium-sided businesses, and farmers, many of the latter who faced ruin only a decade ago. At the heart of Germany’s...
Proponents of renewables around the world rightly look to Germany to see how things can be done. Germans themselves often look to Denmark. What do the Danes do differently? . .
Community power was given a boost this summer with the release of the second round of Nova Scotia's Community Feed-In Tariff (COMFIT) projects on July 9, 2012 and Ontario's FIT 2.0 Program Rules on...
Community power was given a boost this summer with the release of the second round of Nova Scotia's Community Feed-In Tariff (COMFIT) projects on July 9, 2012 and Ontario's FIT 2.0 Program Rules on...
Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative's Lone Wind Turbine in Urban Toronto Started a Debate on the Future of Electricity in Ontario. . .
Locally-owned projects provide more than double the economic benefit of absentee owned wind projects. . .
On March 10th, 2009 a special event took place in Barcelona: the 25th anniversary of the commissioning of the first modern wind turbine connected to the grid: the Ecotècnia 12/15, installed in...
Although the average PV array size in Germany is growing, arrays that might be considered commercial or utility-scale in other countries are generally still owned by citizens in Germany. Now, a...
OREC closed its first preference share offering on August 27, 2012. Over $900,000 was subscribed which will now be invested in already approved FIT solar projects in 2012. . .
The wind power company founded by the residents of the Vojakkala village has 108 shareholders, most of whom actually live in Southern Finland. . .
Wind turbines are often criticised for killing birds. Fights against siting wind turbines in bird migration corridors or in bird habitat are frequent. Highly inflammatory language is used by...
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) is describing Health Canada’s study of health impacts from wind turbines as “superfluous (and) a waste of time and a waste of public...
By unifying the co-op sector under one umbrella, setting standards and sharing resources, the Federation expects to support at least 100 MW of community-controlled projects by 2015. . .
By unifying the co-op sector under one umbrella, setting standards and sharing resources, the Federation expects to support at least 100 MW of community-controlled projects by 2015. . .
Just three weeks after a share offer opened for the UK’s largest cooperatively owned solar farm more than two million pounds has been raised – more than £95,000 a day! . . The solar farm was up and...
The focus and presentations on community power suggested that support and investment in the community renewable energy sector is broadly on the rise, with representatives from no less than twenty one...
Presentation on the status of community power in Japan at the WWEC in Bonn 2-5 July 2012. . .
Presentation on Scotland's a target of 500MW of community and locally-owned renewable energy by 2020 at the WWEC in Bonn 3-5 July 2012 . . .
Presentation on community power in Scotland the WWEC in Bonn 3-5 July 2012. . .
Germany’s shift toward alternative energy has seen wind parks pop up around the country. Not everyone wants a power plant in their own backyard. But in Schlalach, the wind park has become a part of...
Westmill solar farm, just outside Swindon, is on the verge of becoming the first community owned and community led solar farm in the UK. . .
Mount Alexander Community Wind is a community driven project seeking to establish a locally owned and operated wind plant to supply a significant portion of the energy needs of our Shire. Clean...
In Germany, where the stranglehold of corporate energy has been loosened, renewables now comprise 20 percent, of national energy production, thanks to national policies such as feed-in tariffs which...
International Community Power Conference Set for 3-5 July in Bonn, Germany 51% of German Renewables Now Owned by Its Own Citizens[more]
Ontario’s first 100% union-owned wind energy project breaks ground November 29, 2011, led by the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union. Located at their Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, the single...[more]
In the US, the growth of renewables remains largely dependent on the involvement of utilities, with average Americans not able to become power producers. Not so in Germany, whose Big Four utilities...[more]
There are less than 1,000 souls in the town of Dardesheim. But the village and its 80,000 neighbors in the county of Halberstadt in the former East Germany have an expansive spirit. They want to...[more]
The solar industry is booming. During the past decade PV shipments have grown by three orders of magnitude. In 2010 shipments were up over a hundred percent on 2009. How to account for this explosive...[more]
Suggests Feed-in Tariff Design Best Practice[more]
A recent report from the Democracy Collaborative at the University of Maryland, called Growing a Green Economy for All: From Green Jobs to Green Ownership, has a host of information about initiatives...[more]
Conservatives Increasing New Renewables from 50% to 100% of Electricity Highest Concentration of Wind in Germany--Most Locally Owned As Much Wind Generation as California[more]
This guide is for landowners in Alberta who are considering wind energy projects on their land. Whether you are interested in erecting and owning your own wind turbine, leasing land to...
Minnesota's State Senate passed a bill with the C-BED proposal in May, 2005. The measure passed the Assembly on May 19, 2005 and has since been signed by the Governor. As of early 2006, electric...[more]
There are a several sources of information for landowners on the typical terms and conditions for leasing land for wind energy development. The newest is by the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association...[more]
A quiet land rush is under way among the buttes of southeastern Wyoming, and it is changing the local rancher culture. The whipping winds cursed by descendants of the original homesteaders now have...
The province of New Brunswick has issued a report on its consultations about community wind. The REPORT, Oct. 16 2008 - Community Wind Energy Program by consultants from the Université de Moncton...[more]
The World Wind Energy Association presented its 2008 World Wind Energy Award to Paul Gipe at its 7th annual conference. The trade association also elected Gipe to its board of directors. Gipe shared...[more]
http://www.startribune.com/business/13823711.html A legislator's plan to encourage small, local energy projects in Minnesota borrows from Germany's experience. By H.J. CUMMINS, Star Tribune A...[more]
1% to 38% of supply[more]
Collectif sous la direction de Roméo Bouchard avec Jean-Louis Chaumel, Pierre Dubuc, Paul Gipe, Gaétan Ruest, et Gabriel Ste-Marie. ISBN 978-2-923165-31-8 Prix :14 $ 128 pages The following...[more]
Update 2006. In June 2007, the owners of Windenergiepark Udenhausen-Mariendorf will celebrate paying off the ten-year loan on the turbines. If you're in the vicinity of Kassel, you may want to join...[more]
This book serves as a guide to the many legal issues faced by farmers and rural landowners who seek to develop wind energy projects. . .
Craig Morris, author of Energy Switch, recently gave me a whirlwind tour of the Solar Siedlung in Freiburg, Germany. The Solar Siedlung (settlement or subdivision in German) and its accompanying...[more]
In the early 1990s the city of Aachen (Aix-en-Chapelle) Germany set the world of solar energy on its ear. Until that time development of solar PV depended entirely on direct and substantial...[more]
The following is a response to an article written by Paul Gipe in July 2005 titled Beating Swords into Wind Turbines-or Solar Panels if You Like that argued if an equivalent amount of money had...[more]
A consortium of cooperatives developing wind projects in Québecé has formed a new association that expects to participate in the province's call for tender. The new group hopes to reduce the tension...[more]
Greg Pahl's idea of shifting the debate from Not In My Back Yard to Please, In My Back Yard with community ownership is an idea whose time has come. That's the central theme of his The Citizen...[more]
Ok, we liked this book because it has lots of pictures: pictures of wind turbines, pictures of people, pictures of a Danish table cloth, all sorts of pictures. We admit it. We also liked it because...[more]
Amqui, Quebec, Canada, vendredi le 5 mai 2006 OPINION Source : Gaëtan Ruest ing. Maire d'Amqui Cell : 418 629 7334 La nouvelle politique énergétique annoncée hier par le Gouvernement du Québec et...[more]
Spreadsheet for calculating royalty revenues from wind leases. . .
Spreadsheet for calculating royalty revenues from wind leases. . .
COMMUNIQUÉS Version Original Ontario Ministère de l'Energie Pour diffusion immédiate Relations avec les médias 416 314-8975 Le 21 mars 2006 De nouveaux prix standards permettront d'ajouter...[more]
Alt captured that rebellious spirit in his inspiring tale of the small town of Schönau and how residents built a solar utility in the deep recesses of Germany's Schwartzwald--the Black Forest of...[more]
North America's first truly urban wind turbine is located on the grounds of the Canadian National Exposition, the CNE or "ExPlace" to locals. While urban siting of commercial wind turbines is common...[more]
Wolfgang Paulsen is one of the owners of a Bürger wind project in the far northwest of Schleswig-Holstein near the Danish border. The community of Bohmstedt comprises a grand total of 650 people,...[more]
Pesch was named a strom (electricity) rebel by Elektritzitätswerke Schönau (EWS) in 2005 and that was a good reason for paying him a visit. The good folks at EWS know strom rebels when they see them....[more]
Samsø is a 112 square kilometers island off the east coast of Denmark's Jutland peninsula. Home to 4,300 residents, the island is unique in the annals of renewable energy because it was the first...[more]
I first met Henning Holst in the late 1980s or early 1990s when he was developing citizen-owned wind projects in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's northernmost länder. Holst's office was then, and is...[more]
An overview of royalty payments for wind energy in selected countries. . .[more]
Some of the RePower turbines in Le Haut des Ailes near Igny, Lorraine, France. Photo by Paul Gipe We were cautiously threading our way through the fog on the A33 from Strasbourg to Nancy...[more]
Often in North America wind project developers lease land from individual landowners. Developers lease land to install their wind turbines or ancillary structures such as roads, transformers,...[more]
An edited version of the article appeared in the August 11, 2004 edition of the Globe & Mail page A13. The Glob & Mail is one of two national English language newspapers in Canada. It is...[more]
The following is a press release from the Highlands and Islands Enterprise consortium. Scotland's first community-owned wind farm will boost the regeneration of an island owned by its...[more]
The following article by Paul Gipe appeared in the April 26, 2004 edition of the Toronto Star. The Toronto Star is the largest circulation newspaper in Canada and is the newspaper of record in...[more]
Available online 21 March 2004. by Dave Toke Department of Sociology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK The full paper is available for purchas from Elevier. For an...[more]
Portions of the following have been adapted from Wind Power: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business, published by Chelsea Green, 2004. Wind can be-is today-a producer of bulk...[more]
Margam Wind Energy Clusters Appeal Ref: APP/Y6930/A/02/1103415 Appeal of Community Power Proof of Evidence by Paul Gipe Scale of Turbine The Vestas V52 turbine selected is modest in scale relative...[more]
A Brief Proposal for a New Wind Energy Association in the United States by Paul Gipe Need for New Organization Originally AWEA (the American Wind Energy Association) began as an advocacy group for...[more]
At the time of its dedication in 2001, Paderborn-Sintfeld was one of the largest wind projects in Germany. It was also by far the largest Bürger-initiative or citizen-owned wind projects as...[more]
The following article appeared in an edited form in Independent Energy. With restructuring fever sweeping the North American utility industry, the bankruptcy of Kenetech, and the...[more]
Noud de Schutter is president of Vereniging Windenergie Noord Holland (the wind turbine owners association of North Holland) and a farmer with 40 hectares (about 100 acres) of tilled crops (all 4...[more]
This work was partially sponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists, Sustainable Resources Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota), and Independent Energy Magazine. Opinions expressed are those of...[more]
The Guide discusses how landowners can evaluate their wind resources, how they can evaluate the economics of wind power under a variety of development scenarios, and the contractual issues a...[more]
