Co-operatives are traditionally an efficient and successful way for communities that aim to live or work with certain benefits through co-operation. Co-operatives are usually created by people working, living together or by those consuming products or services as a group.
Utility co-operatives have been around in the US since the New Deal [1] but recently there are more and more such co-operatives set up all around the world, which focus on green and alternative energy usage.
These co-ops provide an opportunity for local people to invest into various projects, for example setting up new solar panels or a wind turbine. Then, the co-operative provides interest for these investors from feed-in-tariffs or by selling electricity.
In Germany, the number of energy co-operatives has tripled to more than 600 in two years, with over 80,000 active members. [2] The largest of these is EWS, where 99.2 per cent of the electricity comes from renewable sources and 0.8 per cent is from the co-generation of heat and power (CHP). [3]
But Germany is not alone. In the UK, there are also an increasing number of such community initiatives.
Brixton Energy [5] already has two existing solar projects in the Loughborough Estate with hundreds of square metres of solar panels, while Community Energy Warwick [6] raised enough money for solar panels to be placed on the roofs of the Stratford upon Avon and Warwick hospitals. Meanwhile, the Brighton Energy Co-op recently set up “the largest solar system in Sussex”, with installations in Shoreham-by-sea, Portslade and Brighton. [7]
But the list goes on: Leominster Community Solar, Ovesco, Bath & West Community Energy, Westmill Wind Farm, Baywind Energy, Hockerton Housing Project, Boyndie Wind Farm, and many others – with a total of 75 utility co-ops listed with Co-operatives UK [8].
Renewable energy co-operatives thus could mean the future for renewables with local communities joining forces to gain access to cheap (or free) energy sources by working together.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_cooperative
[2] European Energy Review, ‘A Christmas Energy Story’, http://www.europeanenergyreview.eu/site/pagina.php?id=4006
[3] http://www.ews-schoenau.de/sauberer-strom/stromherkunft.html
[4] http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-10/22/community-energy-initiatives
[5] https://brixtonenergy.co.uk/projects/
[6] http://www.cew.coop/?page_id=343
