De Windvogel and Eneco start pilot for active citizen participation in wind turbines
Green power generated by and for the customer. Participants in the pilot thereby conserve the environment and, in addition, can save up to 150 euros per year.

Green power generated by and for the customer

De Windvogel and Eneco start pilot for active citizen participation in wind turbines
Green power generated by and for the customer
Rotterdam, 1 Oktober 2008 – Wind cooperative De Windvogel and energy company Eneco start a joint pilot project which allows citizens who are the co-owners of a wind turbine, to use the sustainably generated energy themselves. The project starts with 120 participants. On average, 20% of the private domestic use of each of these participants will be ‘supplied’ by their ‘own’ wind turbine at Bodegraven. They thereby conserve the environment and, in addition, can save up to 150 euros per year. The participants in this pilot will invest the financial profit in new turbines. Furthermore, the cooperation model stimulates the broader social acceptance for the roll out of wind turbines on land. This can significantly contribute to the Dutch cabinet’s energy and climate targets to achieve a thirty percent reduction of CO2 emissions and a twenty percent increase in sustainable energy by 2020.

Money in the wallet

By balancing the energy generated by the wind turbine with the home usage, sustainable energy becomes more tangible for the project participants.
Until now, participation in a cooperative was mainly a financial investment, which yielded an annual return from the sale of energy to traders on the market. In the self-supply-model, the yield is the generated power itself, which the customer no longer has to purchase from the energy company. They keep more money in their wallet as a result of the financial benefit from using their own power. In the pilot the financial profit will be invested in building new turbines.

The purpose of the pilot project is to investigate the self-supply-model, to test the strength of the model and to guarantee the fiscal aspects. The starting point are 120 participants in the De Windvogel cooperative who each, on average, get 20% of their own usage ‘supplied’ by their turbine. To speed up the start of the project, it has been decided that all participants will have an equal share in the production. Evaluation will take place after a period of 15 months. At that point it is decided if the model will be applied on a wider basis. It is the intention that this model will also be applied to wind farms that Eneco realises by itself.

Achieving energy and climate targets

New sustainable energy projects often get tangled in a web of licences and conflicting interests. This model has the major advantage that citizens participate in the roll out of wind turbines on land. This can enhance the acceptance. By encouraging inhabitants to join the cooperative, less effort is required from local governments for the realisation of wind turbines. Citizen participation provides interesting financing possibilities and increases the acceptance of wind turbines on land. This can substantially contribute to the achievement of this cabinet’s energy and climate targets for the Netherlands, to achieve a thirty percent reduction of CO2 emissions and a twenty percent increase in sustainable energy by 2020.
Dick van Elk, chairman of the De Windvogel cooperative, predicts a growth of the cooperative’s electricity production: “De Windvogel even has the ambitious plan to realise 20% of the electricity demand of Dutch citizens within two years. This cooperation with Eneco should make that feasible.”

Eneco adjusts for generation by own wind turbine

Participants in the pilot project become Eneco customers in order to be able to use the self-generated energy. Eneco supplies Ecostroom, Eneco’s brand of green power, and the usage by the customer is adjusted for the sustainable energy generated by the own wind turbine. On balance, Eneco therefore supplies less electricity to the customer, but in return offers the service of the settlement of the usage and the own generation. In addition, cooperation makes it easier for De Windvogel and Eneco to bring in new customers.
With the pilot project, De Windvogel and Eneco also intend to achieve that the energy tax and VAT on the self-generated electricity can be settled with the tax authorities. This prevents the double taxation of the green power. The model for the self-generation of energy is comparable to a solar panel on the own roof. In accordance with the Electricity Act, the government considers this to be self-generation.

Previous experience

In the past Eneco has already gained positive experience with the active involvement of local citizens with the realisation of wind turbines. In the De Kroeten district of the city of Breda, 856 households paid approximately € 900 for a share in a wind turbine, when they were allotted the land for their home. This money is managed by a foundation which purchased and installed the wind turbine. The foundation is now also responsible for the exploitation and management. In return and if they are interested, the participants can use the sustainable electricity that is generated by their own wind turbine for a period of at least 10 years.

About De Windvogel

De Windvogel (www.windvogel.nl) is a cooperative association which purpose is to stimulate the generation of sustainable energy. It contributes to this aim, by means of the installation and exploitation of its own wind turbines. Currently the association operates four wind turbines with a total capacity of 3 MW. Through citizen participation, De Windvogel helps provinces and municipalities to achieve their target of 20% sustainable energy by 2020.

About Eneco

Eneco (http://corporatenl.eneco.nl) is one of the three leading energy companies in the Netherlands. Eneco applies an integrated distribution strategy and specialises in the production, transmission, trading, supply and metering of energy (electricity, gas and heat) and related products and services. Eneco is making a transition to becoming a sustainable energy company and will make substantial investments in the area of sustainable energy during the coming years. In total the company serves approximately two million business and domestic customers. Eneco employs approximately 5,300 people who are mainly located in the Zuid-Holland and Utrecht provinces. The head office is located in Rotterdam.