"Professionalize. Develop. Grow.", these are the core topics of the workshop for managers of energy cooperatives to be held on March 22, 2019. This workshop is supported by funds from the Grüner Strom-Label and is intended to provide important impulses for the targeted further development of these cooperatives.
The workshop enables those responsible for energy cooperatives to identify their development steps on the basis of an analysis and with a structured procedure and to gain new impetus for a growth and development concept. The focus is on the following question: Which goals can be achieved in the next three years in which business areas with which people and which cooperation partners?
Citizen energy cooperatives are an important pillar within the energy transition, as they contribute to the diversity of actors, promote citizen proximity and citizen engagement. One of the goals of Grüner Strom Label e.V. is to promote participation and acceptance of the energy transition. For this reason, the association, which is supported by major environmental organizations such as NABU and BUND, not only promotes energy transition projects by citizen cooperatives, but also their Foundation. The workshop of the network Energiewende jetzt is also supported with funds from the Grüner Strom-Label.
The special feature of the eco-label is that for every kilowatt hour of electricity consumed, money flows into energy transition projects such as photovoltaic plants and wind farms, but also educational projects. This has been proven to advance the energy transition. In the meantime, nationwide over 1,300 projects implemented. The workshop is also the start of a project in which selected citizens' energy cooperatives will develop growth and development concepts by the fall and the resulting pilot examples will be presented at events.
Most citizen energy cooperatives are based on voluntary commitment, with limited resources and capacities. New, more complex projects and legal frameworks require more work and further professional qualifications. But there are successful energy cooperatives that open up new business areas, realize projects, professionalize further and grow.