Showcase project in Lower Austria

Municipalities send each other green electricity

Michlmayr (left) and Strasser will swap solar power in future.(Bild: zVg)

The municipalities of Haag and Haidershofen are establishing an energy community. This enables them to exchange the electricity they produce themselves.

It was a unanimous decision that made a showcase project between two municipalities in the district of Amstetten possible. Haag and Haidershofen are to establish a joint energy community. In the first stage of expansion, at least 300,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year are to be exchanged from the municipalities' own photovoltaic systems. This corresponds to the average consumption of almost 170 households.

By the end of 2025, this figure should rise to 700,000 kWh thanks to the expansion of PV on both sides of the municipal boundaries. "In our opinion, energy communities are the best way to supply ourselves with electricity and relieve the burden on municipal households in the long term," says a delighted Michael Strasser, Mayor of Haidershofen.

In addition to the advantage of price stability, which is guaranteed by the cooperative board, there is another benefit: the reduction in grid fees. "You have to bear in mind that due to the massive investments made by the grid operators, it can be assumed that the grid fees will increase considerably," says Haag's mayor Lukas.

Also for private providers
Initially, the energy community will be used for the municipalities' own electricity supply. "In further steps, it will also be opened up to private suppliers and consumers," emphasizes Michlmayr. 

Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf is also enthusiastic about this initiative and is already thinking ahead: "More green electricity naturally also requires more electricity grids. That's why we also need more local storage facilities to store the energy right where it is generated and consumed. We are therefore launching a battery storage initiative with the Energy and Environment Agency."

There are a total of 464 energy communities of various sizes in Lower Austria. In addition to the one in Haag, Pernkopf also mentions the Göttweigblick energy cooperative at Göttweig Abbey as a prime example.