Event: "Tailwind and Headwind for Community Power - Regional and Global Community Wind Perspectives”

"Tailwind and Headwind for Community Power - Regional and Global Community Wind Perspectives” is held in Bonn, Germany, on 26 January 2016.

More than 100 community power experts are expected at the symposium, amongst them representatives of community projects and associations, politicians, wind turbine manufacturers and project developers, financiers, researchers and other relevant community power stakeholders. Participants from 20 countries have already registered for the event, including speakers from several European countries, from Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Mali, Mexico and South Africa. 

The symposium will start with a presentation of the most recent WWEA study on community wind in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia, which is based on personal interviews with CEOs of numerous community wind projects, done in cooperation with the state’s renewable energy association LEE NRW. 

According to the interviewed community wind experts, community power has to play a vital role especially to ensure social acceptance and a just distribution of the economic benefits of wind power. At the same time, the experts and stakeholders are alarmed by the recent trend towards auctions replacing feed-in tariffs, as auctions are seen as putting a strong competitive disadvantage on community wind projects.

After discussing the German study in depth, the symposium will also embrace the European and global dimensions of community power: Speakers and panellists from all continents will enrich the understanding of the global potentials, prospects and challenges of community wind. The symposium will conclude with a publication recommending policies which would be beneficial for community power projects. 

In case of interest in accreditation, please send a short message including your name and affiliation to Carlo Schick cs@wwindea.org

The updated programme of the symposium is available on www.wind.community