ABSTRACT
It all began in 1991, with EUROSOLAR and meeting with Dr Hermann Scheer. I began to rethink energy, after 0 years of experience in teaching and research at the University of Wismar,
“Produce electricity yourself! Use wind power!” Tempting ideas. Ulrich Jochimsen and I drove to the “scenes of crime”—to the electricity rebels in Schönau and to Denmark to the world famous Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, to Preben Maegaard. It was being produced; electricity from wind and that was a reality in 1992. Why should we not also produce wind power in Meck-lenburg-Vorpommern, in the crippled, voiceless or dumbfounded East Germany after the reunification?Now always after giving lectures, presentations and tours of the Lübow Wind Farm, I ask my visitors, “what are the three basic requirements for a successful wind energy project?” Location, financing and grid supply-is the answer. The correct implemen-tation of the basic conditions or parameters decides over the feasibility of a wind project. That was also how we wanted to start 9 years ago. 22.2 Planning Phase
It was not a problem to find a windy location in MecklenburgVorpommern in 1993. However, we wanted it to be in our vicinity, in the community of Lübow. The community was supposed to be the ‘landlord’ of the ground on which the wind energy farm was to be erected. The community should be co-owner of the wind farm. The community was supposed to benefit from the tax advantages of the wind farm, a private-owned wind farm.After discussions with the mayor, who wanted to know if the wind power generation was meant for electricity suppliers, he was immediately on board when we answered his questions. He suggested Mühlenberg near Lübow as a good location. “Well, let’s go now and have a look at this place,” was my immediate reply. In the bright moonlight, Mühlenberg lay hauntingly in front of the cemetery grounds, not far from the oldest church of Mecklenburg in Lübow from the 11th century. We enjoyed the magic of the moment, however, we decided to continue with all further investigations and explorations in the daytime.
