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THE COOPERATIVE MODEL BENEFITS THE INDIVIDUAL CONSUMER
To ensure that everybody can join the transition from natural gas or oil to district heating, one of the district heating cooperatives in Hvidovre offers a “package solution model”. The model is a total installation – from removing the previous heating source to installing a new district heating unit. To keep the individual investments low, the cooperative offers the “package solution model” to a favorable price. However, not everybody can afford it, therefore, the cooperative also offers the consumer a low-cost energy loan with a low and steady interest rate. It enables more consumers to afford the installation of district heating, which contributes to a decrease in energy poverty and an increase in the number of consumers transitioning into renewable energy by converting from oil or gas into district heating. When becoming a district heating consumer, the cooperative also offers a technical service for free. The service is a check of the consumers heating installations every second year, performed by authorized service staff. The aim is to regulate the district heating unit in an energy saving and efficient way, and to make a thorough energy analysis of their houses, e.g. an analysis of how the consumer can save energy. Altogether, these initiatives prove that the center of attention in a district heating cooperative are the consumers and their needs. It is not about making a profit but making district heating and energy efficiency available for everybody in a way that benefits the local community and the individual consumer.
A district heating community
A RENEWABLE ENERGY COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT Beside working with district heating cooperatives in Denmark, EBO Consult is also active as a member in REScoop.eu, which is the European federation for renewable energy cooperatives. It is a growing network of 1,500 European REScoops and their 1,000,000 citizens throughout Europe. The aim of the federation is to decentralize the energy system with millions of active energy citizens or “prosumers”. The federation has four objectives: 1) To represent the voice of citizens and renewable energy cooperatives to European policy makers; 2) To support the start-up of new REScoops and provide them with useful tools and contacts; 3) provide services for the European REScoops; 4) To promote the REScoop business model throughout Europe.
Erik Christiansen, erc@ebo.dk For further information please contact:
The principles of a district heating cooperative
www.dbdh.dk
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