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Name / Title

Bürger-Energie Zittau-Görlitz eG
(Citizens’ energy cooperative in Zittau and Görlitz)

Case Study Region

Dresden region (Direktionsbezirk Dresden), Upper Lusatia and Lower Silesia (Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien) 


Geographical coverage

The citizens’ energy cooperative is active in the district Görlitz. However, the spatial focus of their activities lies on the city of Löbau in the southern part of the district.

Type

Business; partnership

 

Main activity / focus

 

The cooperative installs and operates solar panels on roofs of public and private buildings in the Lausitz region. In the long term, it is planned to establish the cooperative as market-oriented enterprise which will also be active in other fields of green energy production and consulting.

 

Target beneficiaries / market

 

Citizens being shareholders of the cooperative, regional economy (enterprises from financial services and handicrafts), public and private house owners getting rent for providing their roofs.

Year established

The registered cooperative was established in September 2009.

 

Current Funding source(s)

Investments in solar panels are financed by the Bürger-Energie Zittau-Görlitz eG (Citizens’ energy cooperative). The production of solar power is subsidised by the German Renewable Energy Law (EEG).


Participants

Members of the registered cooperative, Volksbank Löbau-Zittau (regional credit bank), house owners leasing their roofs. 

 

Website

http://www.buerger-energie-zittau-goerlitz.de

 

Description

 

The Bürger-Energie Zittau-Görlitz eG operates photovoltaic panels on public and private buildings in the district Görlitz. As a first step of implementation, solar panels were installed on the roof of the regional credit bank Volksbank Löbau-Zittau eG(branch bank in Löbau). This plant has been operated since May 2010. Further photovoltaic panels were installed within just a short period of time in Löbau-Krappe and Laucha. In September 2010 a solar plant was installed on a building at the airfield in Görlitz. The currently largest solar plant operated by the cooperative is located in Bernstadt.

Main aims of the cooperative are:

  • Production of climate-friendly and environment-friendly energy.
  • Decentralized production sites to avoid large losses of energy efficiency.
  • Gaining attractive profits for the members respectively owners of the cooperative.
  • Contracting of regional enterprises from handicrafts for the installation and maintenance of plants.
  • Offering additional sources of income to house owners (The leasing contracts between house owners and the cooperative are closed for at least 20 years.).

The registered cooperative (eG) was founded in September 2009. In June 2010 it already consisted of 48 members owning more than 300 cooperative shares. The regional credit bank Volksbank Löbau-Zittau eGis responsible for the procurement of the cooperative shares. The costs for one share amount to 500 EURO.

The citizens‘ cooperative can be seen as a new way for the local population to get engaged in and profit from RES projects. Citizens get the possibility to become shareholders of the cooperative and thus to gain profits from the operation of RES plants.

 

Contact details

 

Bürger-Energie Zittau-Görlitz eG
Hauptstr. 8-10
D-02727 Neugersdorf
Tel: +49 (0) 3586 757-0
Fax: +49 (0) 3586 757-200
E-mail: kontakt@buerger-energie-zittau-goerlitz.de