New wind turbine between Fürmoosen and Taglaching: Citizens invest 7.25 million euros!

New wind turbine between Fürmoosen and Taglaching: Citizens invest 7.25 million euros!

There is a new wind turbine at the location between Fürmoosen and Taglaching, which is a real passion project for Hans Zäuner and the community. However, the wind turbine is not in Zäuner's personal possession, but rather belongs to Windenergie Osterkling, where he works as managing director together with Werner Stinauer. The total investment amount for the project amounts to an impressive 7.25 million euros, with 2 million euros coming from equity from the communities of Bruck and Moosach and from 115 citizens. The rest was raised through financial support from a bank. The South German reports that the wind turbine has now officially been put into operation after initial difficulties with the installation process.

The commissioning, originally planned for November, had to be postponed several times. Technical problems and fluctuating electricity prices meant that all of the technology could not be installed until February 6th. A particularly affected transport of rotor blades was delayed due to technical difficulties and strong winds. After initial skepticism, managing directors Zäuner and Stinauer are still optimistic that the wind turbine will have more stable running times in the future and thus contribute to a positive energy balance.

Compensation and support for wind energy

The financial framework for operators of wind turbines in Germany is highly regulated by the Renewable Energy Act (EEG). Similar to this new wind turbine, the guaranteed minimum compensation for shareholders is set at more than 6 cents per kilowatt hour over 20 years. With the so-called southern bonus, which applies to certain wind locations, the remuneration is even 11.93 cents per kilowatt hour. This is part of the strategy to promote renewable energies, which has also been supported by the EEG since 2000. However, in recent years there have been repeated adjustments to take market conditions into account. Secured remuneration continued to be introduced, particularly for smaller wind turbines, while large systems have had to be awarded through a tender process since 2017. Windcomm has well documented the new structures and their impact on compensation rates.

The feed-in tariff for wind turbines varies depending on the size and output of the system, which means financial security for the operators, especially for small wind turbines. Even though the market for large wind farms is now regulated through tenders, the neighborhood of small systems remains an important part of the German energy system, which is supported by current politics.

Outlook and expectations

The wind turbine near Fürmoosen is just the beginning; The expansion of renewable energies is being pushed forward in the region. Fäuner and Stinauer see their project as not just a business, but also an opportunity to actively contribute to the energy transition. In the long term, they expect shareholders' money could double within the next two decades. Despite the challenges behind the scenes, they are convinced that the completion of the wind turbine project will have a permanent place in the regional energy concept. The first positive experiences and developments promise an exciting future for wind energy in the heart of Bavaria.