A growing number of people have formed cooperatives to invest in renewable energy in recent years. The idea is usually to pool funds to sponsor larger initiatives. Aside from the financial aspect, many people are motivated by the desire to generate their own energy and contribute to the Grand Duchy’s energy transition.
Many people want to move away from fossil fuels. One option to do so is to combine the benefits of heat pumps with a photovoltaic system. “The new generation of panels provides more power for less money,” explains Paul Kauten, who joined a cooperative in Beckerich. The cooperative designed the energy concept for a new neighbourhood in the municipality of Saeul. The future residents of that neighbourhood will also join the cooperative.
Cooperatives like this can be found all across Luxembourg. The cooperative in Junglinster was the first to implement the concept, investing in a large solar park at the local sports centre. Even if “no one gets rich from them,” as Jules Muller of the Junglinster Cooperative points out, citizen participation is an important component of these cooperatives.
In Luxembourg, cooperatives have accomplished a great deal, but there is still much more to be done. Photovoltaic panels will grow lighter and more efficient in the future as a result of technical advancements, making solar energy generation even easier.
The full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish):
