Good practice:

Wind Energy Experience Park (Erlebnisland Windenergie)

There is a wind farm with 17 wind turbines in Söllingen. Wind energy has become a mainstay of the energy transition in Germany. However, the construction of wind turbines arouses resistance among part of the local population, who do not feel sufficiently informed.
With the construction of a wind energy nature trail, the understanding of renewable energy production and energy consumption up to storage technologies and storage possibilities is to be promoted through interactivity and fun.
On the 6,500 square metre site, visitors can learn everything about wind energy, nature and species conservation, climate change and the possibilities of sector coupling on various information boards. Each station also has a playful element. Among other things, energy can be converted into music or you can have your photo taken as a service technician. A balancing beam impressively shows the length of a rotor blade and there is also a talking energy carousel.
The Wind Energy Experience Park is open around the clock and completely free of charge. A nature-oriented classroom in a small labyrinth also offers school classes a place for discussion. For larger groups who do not want to explore the land on their own, there is the option of booking a free guided tour.

The measure was supported with about € 28,000 from the LEADER budget. To maintain the measure, staff is needed to take care of maintenance, such as emptying waste bins or refilling rally sheets.

The Wind Energy Adventure Land has been open for a month and is well received; despite the COVID-19 pandemic several school classes and politicians have already registered and at the weekend, there were 40 visitors per day.

Wind energy use in Germany is an irreplaceable building block for the success of the energy transition and makes a major contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, the construction of wind turbines provokes resistance from a part of the local population who do not feel sufficiently informed. Wind Energy Experience Parks can help to promote understanding of renewable energies and energy consumption through interactivity and fun. They make it possible to overcome fears of contact and to experience wind energy plants on site.
Theoretically, it would be possible to build a wind energy nature trail next to a wind farm in each county and thus increase the acceptance of wind energy. Since the implementation is not entirely cheap, funding is helpful and might be necessary.