With the successful hosting of the second Citizen Engagement Workshop on 10 February 2024, the ISLANDER project supports the citizens of Borkum in their participation in the energy transition of the island. The aim of the workshop was to lay the foundations for the establishment of an energy community on the island.

Introduction and Objectives

One of the goals of the ISLANDER project is to create an energy community on Borkum and thereby support the citizens of Borkum in participating in the energy transition on the island. In a first workshop, held in November 2023, the citizens of Borkum learned about the advantages and the principle of energy cooperatives. Read more about the first workshop here.

The second workshop began with a reflection on the first workshop and an outline of the objectives for the second session. With 28 participants, a diverse group of Borkum citizens attended the meeting to learn more about the establishment of an energy community.

Experience report on the establishment of an energy cooperative

Cord Remke, chairman of the board of Energiegenossenschaft Harpstedt eG, was invited as an expert to share his experience in setting up an energy community. In an interesting presentation, he covered all the issues involved in setting up an energy community, starting with the initial idea, the founding members, the development of a business model, the financing of the first project and the future prospects of the cooperative.

Afterwards, participants engaged in an open exchange with Cord Remke, delving into the technical aspects of the business model. Questions covered areas such as insurance for solar systems, the timeframe for setting up and operating an energy cooperative, the expertise required, member deposits and compensation. This question and answer session clarified the intricacies of setting up and running an energy cooperative for the citizens of Borkum.

Project ideas and next steps

After a brief break, the workshop shifted focus to the development of project ideas for the energy community. Project partner SEZ outlined the next steps in establishing the community, with a particular emphasis on solar energy. Then the participants discussed potential locations for photovoltaic installations, such as the youth hostel, kindergarten, hotels, and the fire station.

In the next step, these ideas will be analysed and interested citizens will be encouraged to actively participate in the establishment of the energy community by assigning tasks.

Conclusion

This second citizens’ workshop for the Borkum Energy Community project proved to be an important event in helping citizens to understand the steps and commitment required to establish an Energy Community. We hope to have aroused the interest of many participants. The ISLANDER project will continue to support and accompany the Energy Community as it moves towards establishment.