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The socio-economic power of renewable energy production cooperatives in Germany: Results of an empirical assessment

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  • Debor, Sarah

Abstract

This paper reflects the socio-economic power of renewable energy production cooperatives for a wider energy system transformation in Germany. Energy cooperatives have turned into important supporters of renewable and decentralised energy structures, due to their strong growth since the year 2006, their participation in local renewable energy projects and their democratic awareness. The cooperative form of coordinating regional energy projects applies to a decentralised energy system that is managed by many smaller firms - a system concept that is preferred by the majority of German citizens. However, there is not enough knowledge to understand to what extent this organisational form is able to unify a broad group of actors in promoting a renewable energy system (societal power) and to gather capital for elaborating renewable energy supply structures (economic power). The reflection is based on an empirical assessment of all energy cooperatives that were registered in Germany by 31st December 2013. Their growth dynamic and their business approaches are discussed. A special focus lies on renewable energy production cooperatives. The study presents the development of their members, their capital, their profit and loss, as well as their investment intensity over a timeframe of three years (2010-2012). The socio-economic potential of renewable energy production cooperatives for supporting a renewable energy system is discussed against the background of empirical results.

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  • Debor, Sarah, 2014. "The socio-economic power of renewable energy production cooperatives in Germany: Results of an empirical assessment," Wuppertal Papers 187, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:wuppap:187
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    Cited by:

    1. Romero-Rubio, Carmen & de Andrés Díaz, José Ramón, 2015. "Sustainable energy communities: a study contrasting Spain and Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 397-409.
    2. Capellán-Pérez, Iñigo & Campos-Celador, Álvaro & Terés-Zubiaga, Jon, 2018. "Renewable Energy Cooperatives as an instrument towards the energy transition in Spain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 215-229.
    3. Holstenkamp, Lars & Kahla, Franziska, 2016. "What are community energy companies trying to accomplish? An empirical investigation of investment motives in the German case," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 112-122.
    4. Berka, Anna L. & Creamer, Emily, 2018. "Taking stock of the local impacts of community owned renewable energy: A review and research agenda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3400-3419.
    5. Aleksandra Łakomiak, 2022. "Civic Energy in an Orchard Farm–Prosumer and Energy Cooperative—A New Approach to Electricity Generation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-28, September.
    6. August Wierling & Jan Pedro Zeiss & Veronica Lupi & Chiara Candelise & Alessandro Sciullo & Valeria Jana Schwanitz, 2021. "The Contribution of Energy Communities to the Upscaling of Photovoltaics in Germany and Italy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-16, April.
    7. Poppen, Silvia, 2015. "Energiegenossenschaften und deren Mitglieder: Erste Ergebnisse einer empirischen Untersuchung," Arbeitspapiere 157, University of Münster, Institute for Cooperatives.
    8. Heras-Saizarbitoria, Iñaki & Sáez, Lucía & Allur, Erlantz & Morandeira, Jon, 2018. "The emergence of renewable energy cooperatives in Spain: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 1036-1043.
    9. Pohlmann, Angela & Colell, Arwen, 2020. "Distributing power: Community energy movements claiming the grid in Berlin and Hamburg," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    10. Michael Krug & Maria Rosaria Di Nucci & Matteo Caldera & Elena De Luca, 2022. "Mainstreaming Community Energy: Is the Renewable Energy Directive a Driver for Renewable Energy Communities in Germany and Italy?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-24, June.
    11. Kahla, Franziska & Holstenkamp, Lars & Müller, Jakob R. & Degenhart, Heinrich, 2017. "Entwicklung und Stand von Bürgerenergiegesellschaften und Energiegenossenschaften in Deutschland [Development and State of Community Energy Companies and Energy Cooperatives in Germany]," MPRA Paper 81261, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Athena Piterou & Anne‐Marie Coles, 2021. "A review of business models for decentralised renewable energy projects," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 1468-1480, March.
    13. Yildiz, Özgür & Rommel, Jens & Debor, Sarah & Holstenkamp, Lars & Mey, Franziska & Müller, Jakob R. & Radtke, Jörg & Rognli, Judith, 2014. "Research Perspectives on Renewable Energy Cooperatives in Germany: Empirical Insights and Theoretical Lenses," MPRA Paper 55931, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Oliver Wagner & Thomas Götz, 2021. "Presentation of the 5Ds in Energy Policy: A Policy Paper to Show How Germany Can Regain Its Role as a Pioneer in Energy Policy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-19, October.
    15. Jakub Jasiński & Mariusz Kozakiewicz & Maciej Sołtysik, 2021. "Determinants of Energy Cooperatives’ Development in Rural Areas—Evidence from Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-19, January.

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