Within the scope of a 2.5-year study, the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) and the Renewable Energy Association of North Rhine-Westphalia (LEE NRW) investigated the effects of switching from fixed feed-in tariffs to auctions on the community wind sector. In addition to an analysis of the legal framework conditions, affected community wind actors were interviewed several times in the years 2017 to 2019.
The interviewed experts rated the auctions from the beginning very negative, especially with regard to the additional risk and the increasing complexity. Many people wish for a return to the previous system of feed-in tariffs, which is non-discriminatory and open to everyone. At the same time, significant obstacles related to licensing law, particularly from the areas of air traffic control, military airspace use and nature conservation, are preventing the further expansion of wind energy throughout Germany.
The German Government has missed all three goals, which it has linked with the introduction of auctions: Neither has it reached its installation targets nor have the auctions achieved cost-effective results, and also the diversity of actors has suffered greatly since the beginning of 2017.
During the Husum Wind trade fair, the WWEA-LEE NRW study will be presented as part of a public event. The results, recommendations and conclusions will bediscussed and analysd with a panel of community wind experts.
