Citizens' energy is a key driver of the energy transition in Germany, actively involving citizens and communities to work together towards a sustainable and renewable energy future. The Bündnis Bürgerenergie e.V. (BBEn) and the Network Energy Transition Now e.V. have jointly developed the project ViBE - Citizens' Energy Vision Advisory Network to offer comprehensive support to citizens and citizen energy communities. Funded by subsidies from Grüner Strom Label e.V., ViBE aims to establish community energy as an integral part of the German energy transition.
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The Green Electricity Label Association certifies Green electricity- and Biogas tariffs of energy suppliers on the basis of demanding criteria. The core criterion for both labels is that energy suppliers undertake to invest a fixed amount per kilowatt hour consumed in the Expansion of renewable energies to invest. These investments can either flow into their own expansion projects or into the energy transition fund managed by Grüner Strom Label e.V.. The fund can then be used to support a wide range of projects that make a valuable contribution to the energy transition. A total of over 1,900 innovative projects have been supported to date. One of these is the project ViBE - Beratungsnetzwerk Vision Bürgerenergie.
ViBE's vision: community energy as the key to the energy transition
Many citizen energy communities are born out of voluntary commitment and demonstrate the potential of citizen energy to motivate and empower people. At the same time, the energy industry framework is becoming more complex and many communities are struggling to hold their own alongside professional players. ViBE, the new advisory network of Bündnis Bürgerenergie e.V. and Netzwerk Energiewende Jetzt e.V., aims to help these communities to make knowledge accessible, strengthen cooperation with municipalities and successfully implement projects.
The project supports citizen energy communities, including in the areas of founding, professionalization and business development. A central concern is to enable communities to share the electricity they generate, whether on site in the same building or via the public grid ("energy sharing"). As the EU supports these approaches, ViBE is actively working on the implementation of the corresponding legal framework and is exchanging ideas with players from Germany and abroad who have already gained practical experience. Various references show that the advice is effective. For example Andreas Klatt from Bürger-Energie Bodensee eG: "Supporting our transformation process from a volunteer cooperative to a full-time company has helped us make great progress."
The following work packages were supported by the Energy Transition Fund:
1. political work for citizen energy-friendly laws at federal level
The Citizens' Energy Alliance is actively involved in shaping the legal framework in Germany in such a way that citizen energy projects are promoted and facilitated. Political lobbying and targeted statements on proposed legislation are intended to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and support citizen-friendly energy communities. The focus is on reforming the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) in order to create fairer access conditions and feed-in tariffs.
2. advice for citizen energy communities
ViBE offers advice that covers both organizational and economic issues - from the establishment and financing of a community energy association to the practical implementation of solar and wind power projects. This support is aimed at existing and new initiatives and helps them to successfully manage the complexity of the energy transition.
3. information services about community energy
The Citizens' Energy Alliance provides extensive information material, organizes online seminars and hosts network meetings to spread the idea of citizen energy. These services are aimed at environmentally conscious consumers, green energy advocates and citizens who want to get involved in the energy transition. A wide range of information provides access to knowledge and resources that motivate and empower citizens to get actively involved in the energy transition. As part of the funding, a Explanatory video and a Guide for the communal building supply.
Community energy as an important pillar of the energy transition
The work of the Citizens' Energy Alliance and ViBE illustrates how important community energy is for the energy transition. Community energy projects not only enable the expansion of renewable energies, but also promote local value creation and strengthen people's participation and co-determination. With their cooperation in the ViBE project, the Citizens' Energy Alliance and the Energiewende Jetzt network are pursuing the goal of anchoring citizens' energy as a natural part of the German energy industry.
A key supporter here is Grüner Strom Label e.V., which has recognized ViBE as an energy transition project worthy of support and is thus also committed to the participation and co-design of citizens. The project is a prime example of the opportunities that citizen involvement can offer in the energy industry.
"Community energy enables a decentralized and socially acceptable energy transition: In citizen energy communities, members decide democratically and citizens help shape their immediate environment. They are actively involved in climate protection and at the same time benefit from the added value in their region. Citizens' energy implements the energy transition locally and stands for a cooperative and sustainable energy future", explains Dr. Lara Track, Project Manager at Netzwerk Energiewende Jetzt e.V.
Target group and importance of community energy for the energy transition
The ViBE project is aimed at people who want to get involved in a sustainable energy future - including committed citizens, members of citizen energy communities, environmentally conscious consumers and energy communities that use renewable energy or want to generate it themselves. ViBE aims to raise awareness of community energy and the relevance of the energy transition in everyday life. Citizens' energy is an important driver of the energy transition, as it enables citizens to actively participate and take responsibility for their own energy consumption.
Energy in the hands of citizens: co-determination, co-earning, participation
Community energy projects are a driving force behind the energy transition: They enable citizens to actively participate in the local energy supply and benefit directly from the economic advantages. In energy cooperatives, people come together to jointly operate renewable energy projects such as solar and wind power plants. This increases local acceptance of the projects and promotes local value creation - the economic returns flow directly back into the communities and strengthen the regional infrastructure.
Private individuals, be they individuals with their own photovoltaic system, farmers or associations of people in energy communities, own 40.2 percent of all renewable energy capacity in Germany. However, the share has been declining for years. ViBE has set itself the goal of helping to ensure that the role of community energy remains dominant.
Community energy projects not only have economic advantages, but also contribute to climate protection. The decentralized production of electricity from renewable sources accelerates the expansion of renewable energies and reduces dependence on fossil fuels. However, a stable political framework is crucial if these projects are to realize their potential and drive the energy transition forward in the long term. Such regulations strengthen the participation of citizens and create fair conditions for the expansion of a climate-friendly, democratic energy future.
"As the Citizens' Energy Alliance, we will continue to campaign politically for community energy. We are calling on the next German government to ensure that community energy remains the most important market player in the field of renewable energies. To this end, we will make concrete political proposals. For example, economically viable legislation for energy sharing must finally be introduced"emphasizes Malte Zieher, board member of the Citizens' Energy Alliance.