-
Home
-
European Projects
-
Wind energy in the BSR - the extension (WEBSR 2)
Wind energy in the BSR - the extension
(WEBSR 2)
Start date: Dec 31, 2009,
End date: Jan 30, 2013
PROJECT
FINISHED
The project is a follow-up of the Interreg IIIB project "Wind energy in the BSR" (2003-2005), using resp. expanding the existing international network structure, and, thus joint competences. Still the current situation is quite different from 6 years ago: Wind energy is widely established on EU-territory, even in Poland and Lithuania there are wind energy projects and related support and promotion institutions. Still, there are obstacles that can significantly hinder a further implementation of wind farm projects: the WEBSR2 project plans to contribute to overcome them. To approach them systematically, the problems/obstacles were classified into 3 categories and, thus, components:1. Legal and economic obstacles: Here, the related situation in every partner country will be analysed by the international team of planning, business and technical experts. Based on the joint experiences and know-how, recommendations how to overcome the existing problems will be elaborated and distributed to the relevant decision makers. The second level of obstacles addressed here are those occurring on EU-level: the partners joint experiences have shown that there are inconsistencies related to EU-regulations that make particularly planning work more difficult or even hinder planning processes. The project will elaborate an analysis here and, on this basis, provide recommendations for improvements. 2. Permanent and uninterrupted availability is one demand wind energy cannot fulfil so far - the work on technical solutions, i.e. storage systems has been started during the last years, but all found solutions lack implementation yet. The project will contribute to such an implementation by analysing and comparing existing technological solutions, evaluating them on the basis of planning, business and technology experiences. The elaborated results will be discussed a) within the international team and b) in an international workshop. Based on these steps, recommendations for improvements and optimized implementation will be elaborated + distributed to the target groups. 3. "Ideological" obstacles among the wider public: Most of the campaigns implemented by pro-windenergy institutions address and reach mainly persons who are already interested in the topic. As a results, "wind energy sceptics" are often not involved. In addition, energy production remains quite abstract mainly for urban citizens. Our approach tries to make wind energy more "sympathic", i.e. chooses an emotive approach by creating positive wind energy symbols: technical demonstrators for urban areas in combination with art + a wind energy event that addresses a wide public. Still these emotive approach has to be combined with information work: to reach this, we will establish wind energy info points in the partner regions as lasting institutions, thus, ensuring the sustainable use + effects of the projects + its elaborated results.The project deals primarily with onshore Wind Energy. Achievements: The project WEBSR2, completed by 31.1.2013, was based on an excellent partner cooperation which took place in a supportive and collegial atmosphere so that the cooperation on the project topics created a basis for further cooperations of consortium members (5 new projects have derived from the consortium cooperation so far). The main intention of the project, an overcoming of existing obstacles for wind energy use by creating an international expert-learner and cooperation exchange, was implemented on three levels: 1. The situation regarding technical, planning, financial and acceptance problems wind energy projects was analysed for every partner country by the international team of planning, business and technical experts. Based on the joint experiences and know-how, an elaboration of recommendations how to overcome the existing problems were elaborated and are distributed as widely as possible during the last project year. 2. The technical parameters, conditions and requirements as well as the needed geographical conditions related to every storage method related to wind energy were investigated and described by the energy storage specialists within the project team. Based on this, recommendations for suitable energy storage methods were elaborated and published in documents and a brochure which was widely distrireating positive wind energy symbols: Concepts for the technical demonstrators for urban areas were elaborated, three related demonstrators were installed in 2001/2012. The wind energy event that addresses a wide public was implemented, a related manual for similar events in other places was published and distributed and met a great interest among target group representatives. In additions, Wind Energy Information Points (WEIP) in Sweden, Poland and Lithuania and three 3 wind energy demonstrators in the same countries were established that offers wind energy information events, trainings, study trips, guided tours etc. The focus of the last project months was put on preparing these demonstrators and WEIP for sustainable operation, which was done by developing of formats and target-group oriented offers and by promoting these offers as widely as possible (mailings, publications, events and presentations). In total, more than 5000 persons got involved into the WEIP and demonstrator activities and, thus, a better understanding of the chances and potentials of wind energy use, also in consideration of the EU 2020-objectives. All the prepared project results were distributed as targeted as possible to those they were ment to address - the feedback the project team got regarding the quality and usefulness of the results was a very positive one, e.g. on the final project conference in Gdansk in October 2012.