Mümtaz Derya Tarhan underlines the economic, social and environmental benefits of community ownership in renewable energy; and highlights some of the best case practices by renewable energy co-operatives and local governments from around the world. Tarhan also looks into potential ownership models that may succeed in Turkey.

1. COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP of
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Global Best Practices & Opportunities For
Turkey
MümtazDeryaTarhan
June 28,2013

2. Alternative
Ownership Models


Ownership of renewable energy systems by local
shareholders
Ownership Models







Co-operatives
Local Governments
Civil society organizations
Local schools, faith buildings, community buildings…
Individual Owners/Farmers
Partnerships between these actors
LOCAL NEEDS, LOCAL SOLUTIONS

3. Benefits of Local
Ownership
Local Economic Activity


50% of all economic activity returns directly
to the pockets of owners (2 MW wind
project, Germany)
Resources that stay in the community are
five-fold compared to outside-owned
projects (1 MW wind project, Iowa)

4. Benefits of Local
Ownership
Job Creation


Community projects generate 1.1 to 1.3 times
more construction, and 1.1 to 2.8 times more
operations & maintenance jobs than outsideowned ones
(Massachusetts, Texas, Minnesota, U.S.A.)
In Ontario, community projects are expected to
generate 47% more jobs for wind and 50% for
solar compared to outside-owned ones for the
next 20 years

5. Renewable Energy
Co-operatives

Shared ownership: Direct stake in the energy
sector
 Shared
costs: Lower personal financial burden
 Shared benefits: Sense of belonging, community

Democratic governance
 Participatory
decision-making
 One member one vote principle

6. RE Co-ops Around
the World
Denmark
 Over 100 wind co-ops
 3/4 of country’s windmills with 3,000 owned
 150,000 families are members
Germany
 600 renewable energy co-operatives
 80,000 citizens are members
 As of Spring 2012 total of 800m Euros invested
for 290,000 MWh of power

7. Westmill Solar Cooperative




5 MW
solar
ground
England, U
K
£4m
raised
1650
members

8. Green Energy Nyland




15 kW solar
on local
school’s
rooftop
Suffolk, Engl
and
£37,900
34 members

9. WindShare
Co-operative

750 kW wind

Toronto, Canada



Joint Venture with
Toronto Hydro
First urban wind
turbine in North
America
600 members

10. West Java Hydro
Co-operatives



Villages in West
Java, Indonesia
Micro hydro
systems owned
and operated
locally
Rural
electrification /
protection from
coal

11. Other Types of Coops in the Sector
Utility Co-operatives

Ecopower Co-op



Energy co-ops purchasing
their local grids


in Belgium
43,000 members
including producers and
consumers
i.e. Feldheim, Germany
900 Rural Electric Co-ops
in U.S.

47 states, 42 million
member/customers
Collective Purchasing

Mount Pleasant Solar Co-op
in Washington DC

12. Local Governments
& Co-ops

Local governments are/should be best aware
of the local population’s;
 energy,
 economic,
 social
and
 environmental needs/assets

This puts them in an ideal position to partner
with the local population in energy projects
through co-ops

13. Local Government
Projects in Turkey

Köprübaşı, Manisa
‘‘Dripping Sun’’ solarpowered irrigation
system
 Reversed outward
migration


Akbıyık Village in
Bursa

Wind project to fight
energy poverty

14. Local Government
Projects in Turkey

Gürsu, Bursa
 Solar
park
project in local

15. Discussion



Where do you see the potential for
renewable energy co-operatives in Turkey?
How can Turkey benefit from success models
elsewhere?
Local government – co-operative
partnerships in Turkey?