Citizen-owned PV panels on the roof of Mainz police station

UrStrom, a cooperative established by citizens of Mainz and the surrounding area, was founded in September 2010 with the aim of making a contribution to the energy transition in Mainz and the Rheinhessen/Nahe region. The solar panels are mounted on the roofs of public and industrial buildings. A prominent example is the PV installation at the police headquarters in Mainz-Hechtsheim where the roofs used to mount the PV panels are leased (from the police) by the citizen cooperative. UrStrom is not only a founding member of the State Network of Citizen Energy Cooperatives, but also has initiated the Bürgerwerke eG together with nine other citizen energy cooperatives. Bürgerwerke promotes and manages the sale and direct retailing of citizen-owned and generated renewable electricity to citizens. Their product, “UrStromPure,” offers 100 percent renewable electricity to residential and commercial customers at a competitive price.

• Further reading: CLEW dossier The People's Energiewende
• CLEW research tour: Investors, troublemakers: Citizens & local powers of the Energiewende
• Date of Publication: April 2018