Wind turbine “Lustholz” of the citizens' energy cooperative in Pfaffenhofen a. d. Ilm
About this good practice
The EU's goal is to become climate-neutral by 2050. The town of
Pfaffenhofen has set itself an even more ambitious target: climate
neutrality by 2035. This goal was set in Pfaffenhofen's political
instrument, the climate protection concept. In order to realize this plan,
CO2 emissions in Pfaffenhofen must be reduced.
The town is already gradually switching to renewable energies and is
setting an important example with the wind turbine “Lustholz” operated
by the citizens' energy cooperative. One Enercon E-115 wind turbine
was installed in 2016. The wind turbine has a total height of 207 meters
and a rated output of 3 MW. The wind turbine produces approx. 6,5
million kWh per year. With the commissioning of the wind turbines, the
city of Pfaffenhofen is moving closer to its goal of a 100% renewable
electricity supply. In the future, however, Pfaffenhofen's electricity
needs will increase even further, meaning that more wind turbines will
be required. With the wind turbine “Lustholz”, the citizens' energy
cooperative is making a joint contribution to the energy transition. The
cooperative principle will also enable further expansion of renewable
energies in the future, as the number of members and thus the
financial possibilities of the cooperative continue to grow. Stakeholders
and beneficiaries of the wind park are of course the Citizens' Energy Cooperative, but also the municipality of Pfaffenhofen, the Pfaffenhofen municipal utilities and all the town's citizens.
Resources needed
Total costs: 5.4 million euros.
The project development was carried out by the cooperative itself. The citizens of Pfaffenhofen had the opportunity to participate through shares or loans. The citizens were given priority when subscribing to shares, the remaining funds came from external sources.
Evidence of success
The wind turbine generates an average of 6,5 million kWh of electricity
per year, which is enough to power 1,500 households. The wind farm
saves around 2500 tons of CO2 per year.
Potential for learning or transfer
Over the last 10 years, the Citizens' Energy Cooperative in Pfaffenhofen has built up a strong network and expertise in areas such as technology, law, project management and politics. The Citizens' Energy Cooperative works with a professional structure and manages projects via its own project company (e.g. operating as a GmbH & Co. KG), which is responsible for approvals, financing and construction. This also applies to the case of the “Lustholz” wind turbine. Members of the Citizens' Energy Cooperative can invest in these projects so that the criteria for RECs for public funding or co-financing are always met. Success is based on active citizen participation, transparent communication and targeted public engagement, including events, workshops and videos that provide insights. The strong community engagement in Pfaffenhofen underlines the success and sustainability of the project.