“Consume electricity where it is generated”

The Rübig company has been operating the Schafwiesen small hydropower plant in Wels for decades, and now the electricity is also benefiting the residents: On the initiative of the company and the eww, Rübig and sixteen residents joined forces last year “Renewable Energy Community” together – one of the first in Austria after they became legally possible in summer 2021. “On the one hand it is a cost saving, with us the costs are around a quarter lower. On the other hand, it is sustainable. We didn’t think long about it”says Dieter Oleinek, chairman of the operator association.

There are two forms of energy communities: in local ones, producers and consumers are all connected to the same transformer. In the case of regional communities, on the other hand, all those involved must be connected to the same substation. “The basic idea is that the electricity is consumed where it is generated, so there is less strain on the grid”says Lothar Müller, who oversaw the founding of the Schafwiesen community for the eww.

According to the state government, there are currently around 50 energy communities in Upper Austria, and many more are being set up. In most cases, owners of existing photovoltaic systems have joined forces with people from the area.

A lot of passion is needed

The system works as follows: Energy producers and consumers join together to form an energy community, usually in the form of an association, and register with the grid operator. It is measured in real time when the generators are feeding electricity into the grid. At the same time, smart meters record when the recipients consume electricity. If consumption and generation take place at the same time, the energy community is billed. If the generators are not supplying electricity – for example at night – the energy companies take over the supply.

In practice, a project like this takes a lot of time and effort, says Harald Geissler, who runs the energy community in Waizenkirchen with his wife Sieglinde Forster “fours” with seven producers and 35 buyers. “The organization is a challenge”, says Geissler. At the same time, the work is exciting: “You come into contact with people who have recognized the meaning of the matter. The energy communities are not a business model, but an opportunity to bring sustainable energy production to a local level”says Geissler.

The state also supports the establishment of energy communities, primarily through advisory services and seminars by the Upper Austrian Energy Saving Association. Its experts will also be available to answer questions from interested parties at the weekend energy saving trade fair in Wels.

In addition, there was a funding campaign by the state in the initial phase, which was taken over by the federal government in 2023. “The energy communities have become an additional driver of the energy transition. They offer the opportunity to actively participate in the energy revolution and at the same time make a contribution to decentralized energy supply”says Energy Provincial Councilor Markus Achleitner (VP).