As of: January 30, 2024, 5:17 a.m
By: Charlotte Borst
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They are involved in the community solar system at the kindergarten on Schlehenring: Brigitte and Christian Braut from Kirchheim.
© Gerald Förtsch
In the Munich district, many solar projects are organized cooperatively.
Wind turbines are now following.
And how it works is explained here by people who are already taking part.
District - The energy supply in the hands of many people, instead of individual investors.
This idea is currently spreading great charm around the Hofoldinger Forest, where citizens and companies from Sauerlach, Aying and Otterfing are investing their private capital in three wind turbines and sharing in the returns.
The interest was so enormous yesterday that citizens invested the necessary six million euros for the project on the first day.
There are now also approaches for citizen-owned wind energy in the Höhenkirchner Forest and Forstenrieder Park.
But that's not the only place where citizens can subscribe to shares.
The Citizens' Energy Cooperative (BENG), based in Munich, and Bürger-Energie Unterhaching (BEU) have been active in the Munich district for over ten years.
So far, they have mainly been pushing ahead with solar power projects: open-space photovoltaic systems, such as the one on the A8 motorway near Unterhaching, municipal roofs on schools, kindergartens, recycling centers or tenant power systems on apartment buildings.
Private capital for a faster energy transition
Christian and Brigitte Braut took part in all six citizen PV systems operated in Kirchheim and subscribed to shares through BENG.
The allocation was divided among all interested parties.
“Because the investment offers were regularly heavily oversubscribed, we only received a few shares at a time,” says Christian Braut.
He and his wife are among the 750 members: “We think an investment in BENG is good because it promotes the local energy transition and citizens can get involved,” says Braut: “The energy transition will succeed much more quickly if private capital is fundamentally available from many Interested citizens can be used in a targeted and uncomplicated manner through cooperatively organized projects such as BENG." The 60-year-old electrical engineer is convinced that "there will be no shortage of money." With the right political framework, this also provides the right economic stimulus , says business economist Brigitte Braut: “Less dependence on large, difficult-to-control electricity suppliers, but more participation by the population, who can also generate moderate income.”
“We’re not just an investors’ club”
In the future, BENG and BEU also want to organize citizen participation for wind projects.
Together with the Fünf-Seenland citizens' energy cooperative, they applied for the wind project in Forstenrieder Park because it was too big for a cooperative, says Wolfgang Geisinger, chairman of the BEU: "We intend to implement the project with the four communities." Schäftlarn, Pullach, Neuried and Baierbrunn want to build up to six wind turbines on the left and right of the A95 motorway.
“There will be citizen information about this at the end of February,” said Geisinger.
The BEU also wants to organize citizen participation for wind energy in the Höhenkirchner Forest.
The cooperatives are not in competition: “The market is so big and offers so much space that we can coexist well.” What is important to Geisinger is: “We are not just an investors’ club.
Members also get involved.” For example, by looking after the facilities or mowing the meadows of the open-space facilities.
Katharina Habersbrunner is deputy chairwoman of BENG, which promotes the energy transition primarily in Munich and the districts of Munich, Ebersberg and Starnberg.
BENG has implemented more than 30 solar projects on roofs and now also wants to use covered parking spaces to produce electricity.
“With a share of 100 euros, you become a member, vote for the supervisory board and can issue subordinated loans for projects,” explains Habersbrunner.
With an interest rate of 3.5 percent, the calculation has proven itself in recent years: “The dividends have always been 7.5 percent in recent years.”
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