4th International Community Wind Symposium and Community Power Forum 2019

World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) and LEE NRW invite renewable energy and community power experts from around the world to attend the event with the focus this year on how new alliances can help community power to play its key role in the transition towards a renewable energy society.

For the first time, the forum will span two days:

The first day will be dedicated to the status of community power in NRW and Germany and will analyse the importance of appropriate political frameworks, including a critical view on the switch from feed-in tariff to auctions.

The second day will offer an opportunity to discuss different concepts of how community power initiatives and projects can strengthen their role by working together and by forming alliances, be it on the regional or national level or even cross-border as well as between initiatives in developing and industrialised countries.

More than 100 experts from 20 countries are expected to attend this event.

Participation will be free of charge.

Simultaneous interpretation English/German will be provided on 28 May, conference language on 29 May will be English.

Background: The event will take place in the context of the conclusion of the 2,5 years research project “Community Wind Power in Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia”. The study results are providing strong evidence that the current trend towards auctions in Germany and in many other countries has failed in securing diversity among wind power investors. Smaller actors like local community groups have hardly succeeded in securing new projects. The research project has tried to identified conducive political framework, and other means to lower risk for community power investors, as well as alternative market models in which community power actors can make use of their particular strengths.
The research project is funded by Stiftung Umwelt und Entwicklung NRW.

More information and the full programme will be available in April 2019 at www.wind.community