This article was originally published in German by Steinbeis Europa Zentrum.

Climate change affects us all and increasingly requires concrete measures to mitigate the serious consequences. Islands in particular are affected by the impacts, such as rising sea levels and the increased risk of flooding as well as an increase in extreme weather events. The European project ISLANDER has therefore set itself the goal of supporting islands on their way to CO2 neutrality. As a pilot island in the project, the North Sea island of Borkum is also aiming to become climate-neutral in just a few years. While the island is testing new technologies and smart grid installations as part of the project in order to make the island’s energy system sustainable, another part of the project aims to establish an energy community that actively involves the citizens of Borkum in the energy transition.

Borkum residents take local energy production into their own hands 

“The workshops held on the island by Steinbeis Europa Zentrum and Nordseeheilbad GmbH convinced us to set up an energy cooperative on Borkum. The support in founding and developing initial business ideas was a great help for a successful implementation.” – Peter Stukenborg, founding member of the energy cooperative “Energiewelle Borkum”

Energy communities: Citizen proximity and sustainability

An energy community offers citizens the opportunity to produce energy together and develop sustainable energy solutions. They are an important building block for the energy transition, as they promote local and decentralized energy supply, support energy independence and thus create social and economic benefits for the community. The energy cooperative model can be used to create a democratic and community-oriented structure in which members invest jointly in renewable energy projects. In return, they benefit not only from dividends, but also from a sustainable energy model that creates security of supply and promotes regional value creation.

Support for the foundation by Steinbeis Europa Zentrum 

Together with Nordseeheilbad GmbH Borkum (NBG), Steinbeis Europa Zentrum is supporting the establishment of such an energy community on Borkum as part of the ISLANDER project. The tasks include the planning and implementation of information workshops as well as support in the development of a pilot project and the creation of a business plan. The aim is clear: the people of Borkum should play an active part in the energy transition and take local energy production directly into their own hands.

Conducting workshops and citizen participation

In order to launch the energy community on Borkum, several citizen workshops were held at the beginning of the year in which the participants were informed about the functioning, advantages and legal framework of an energy community. Using the specific example of Energiegenossenschaft Harpstedt e.V., which was presented by CEO Cord Remke, important steps for founding a cooperative and various business models were highlighted. During an initial exchange of ideas between the participants, it quickly became clear that the first pilot project of the Borkum Energy Community should focus on the installation of solar systems – a project that is comparatively simple and quick to implement.

In further monthly meetings with interested citizens, the next step was to select suitable locations and properties for photovoltaic (PV) systems on Borkum. Criteria such as the size and load-bearing capacity of the roof surface and a high demand for electricity during the day played a decisive role. This high level of self-consumption means that a large proportion of the electricity generated can be used directly, which offers considerable financial advantages over feeding it into the grid.

Pilot project of the energy community

After intensive planning and consultation with various electrical companies and experts, the energy cooperative decided on an initial project on the roofs of the Borkum sewage treatment plant. PV systems are to be installed on several roofs here. The electricity produced will be sold to the city of Borkum at a fair price and consumed directly on site. This project brings decisive advantages for all parties involved:

– The island Borkum benefits from cheap, green electricity without having to worry about planning, financing, installing or maintaining the PV systems.

– The energy cooperative generates income from the sale of electricity, which it can invest in further projects to promote renewable energies. This strengthens the local energy transition and creates long-term added value for the community.

This model benefits everyone involved, while at the same time taking an important step towards a sustainable and independent energy supply.

Drawing up a business plan and articles of association

To establish the energy cooperative, the cooperative develops a comprehensive business plan with the support of the Steinbeis Europa Zentrum, which contains detailed investment, financing and liquidity plans and is submitted to the cooperative association for review. One advantage of the cooperative form is its high level of insolvency protection, which is guaranteed by the association’s audit.

In addition to providing support with the business plan, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum also assists with the drafting of articles of association as an essential part of the formation phase. These regulate the legal relationships between the cooperative and its members. Among other things, it defines the amount of the shares, the formation of statutory reserves and the rights and obligations of the members. It also contains regulations on the General Assembly, in which each member has one vote and can therefore actively participate in important decisions on the development and project selection of the cooperative. The cooperative is managed by an Executive Board and supervised by a Supervisory Board, which ensures a stable and transparent administration

Next steps

At the end of November, a public information event took place on Borkum, at which the citizens were informed about the planned establishment of the energy cooperative. The aim was to attract as many new members as possible to the energy cooperative, because the final development of the business plan can now take place on the basis of the number of members and the expected sale of the shares. The last step towards founding a company is then the review of the business plan by the cooperative association and an official founding meeting. After that, the focus will be on the implementation of the first project in order to install the first PV systems in spring and benefit from the first hours of sunshine.

With the support of Steinbeis Europa Zentrum and Nordseeheilbad GmbH Borkum, and above all the commitment of the citizens of Borkum, the island is well on its way to becoming a shining example of a sustainable island.