repowermap.org is a non-profit initiative to promote renewable energies and energy efficiency by making visible real-world examples and related local information in each person's neighbourhood. To this objective, an interactive map is developed jointly by a large network of organizations, institutions, regional and local authorities and other energy actors. The idea of the initiative is to encourage people to use renewable energies and energy efficiency, by making them aware of concrete examples in their region, their city and in their own neighbourhood. The information presented on the map furthermore aims to facilitate information exchange and the spread of innovative technologies at local level and across borders.
Take local action to contribute to climate protection and show it on repowermap.org! The examples and the accompanying information inspire others to take action as well and help them to take the first steps.
From 2012 to 2014, the initiative has been supported by the European Union within the framework of the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, as an initiative to promote renewable energies and energy efficiency by creating synergies in awareness raising between various energy actors and by facilitating information exchange for the related technologies. Within the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, the initiative has gathered more than 40'000 concrete project examples for the use of renewable energies and energy efficiency and related local information. The countries where most examples have been gathered within this programme are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, and Poland, as an initial focus had been put on these countries. Further information about objectives and achievements in building up the repowermap.org initiative within the framework of the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme can be found here. Based on these achievements, the initiative is on the one hand continued in these countries, and on the other hand extended to more and more other countries.
Since 2011, the initiative aims to promote the use of renewable energies also in developing countries by facilitating know-how exchange and contributing to capacity building, in particular in Central America and West Africa, with financial support from the alumni organisation of students in environmental sciences from the ETH in Zürich, the Swiss Confederation through the REPIC programme, and the Lottery fund of the Canton of Bern, and since 2013 also the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Fund.
The initiative was founded in Bern in 2008 by the non-profit association repowermap.org, which was specifically created to carry out this initiative and to maintain it in the long-term. In 2010, the non-profit association repowermap.eu was founded in Liechtenstein, with a view to advance the initiative in other European countries in cooperation with a network of European partners, and to ensure its continuation in these countries in the long term. From the beginning, the idea has been to make with this initiative a contribution to climate protection, by promoting renewable energies and energy efficiency with this common interactive map.
How can you participate in the initiative?
The vision of the initiative, to promote renewable renewable energies and energy efficiency by making visible local examples in each person's neighbourhood, is a big long-term challenge. With your help, we get closer to that vision, by working all together.
How you can participate:
As an individual:
Have you installed a renewable energy system? Or have you made your building energy efficient? Make your installation or building visible on the map to inspire people in your neighbourhood! Share your experiences to help them get started!
Spread the word about the initiative to your colleagues, friends, ... Write an article in a blog, in a newsletter, or on a website, .... Send the flyer to friends or colleagues who may be interested in the initiative.
Integrate a customized map into your website! You can choose from a number of filters to fit your needs such as geographic start view, technologies, categories, and special filters on request.
If you want, get also the registration form to allow visitors to add examples directly to the map through your website!
Add on the map any energy related events you are carrying out to make them known.
Invite citizens and other private actors to add their examples as well, for example by mentioning the initiative in a local magazine, a newsletter or through direct contacts.
For the continuation of the initiative and for extension to more countries we are looking for funding opportunities and opportunities for partnerships. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us!
As an experienced user of the repowermap.org initiative:
You may become a regional administrator for monitoring content of the map in a specific area.
Who adds examples to the map?
People like you! If you have installed a renewable energy system or if you have constructed an energy efficient building, you are invited to add such project examples on repowermap.org. Make your example(s) visible to pass on your experiences and to motivate others to use these technologies as well. Each example is important!
By making an installation or building visible on the map, you multiply its positive impact: Apart from being a smart solution and an important contribution to climate protection on its own, each such installation or building then also becomes a source of inspiration for other people around it.
Examples can be added interactively to the map on the start page.
Who has already integrated the map or has made a link to it?
The map from repowermap.org can easily be integrated into the websites of organizations, communes, regions or companies who take part in this initiative. Like this, the available examples are shown at the same time on different websites, increasing the number of people who see them and get inspired. If you integrate the map into your homepage, you can define the filters and settings you want, e.g. to show only a specific region or only your reference installations.
Integrate a customized map free of charge into your homepage! Take part in the initiative! Contact us, we are pleased if we can assist you.
Here are some examples where the map is already integrated:
And here are some examples of websites that have placed links to the map:
Download the smartphone versions for iOS or Android to make the energy revolution visible with your smartphone!
Contact us
Do you have questions, suggestions or other feedback? We would like to hear from you. Contact one of the contact persons in your country.
For general questions, suggestions or other feedback you can reach us at this e-mail address:
Support
Partnerships
Many international, national, regional or local organizations, authorities, institutions, and companies committed to promote renewable energies and energy efficiency already cooperate in the repowermap.org initiative. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to participate in this initiative as well.
Volunteering
Are you interested in taking an active role in the repowermap.org initiative in your region or country? Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to contribute to the initiative as a volunteer.
Donations
As a non-profit initiative, the repowermap.org initiative depends on donations and external funding. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to support our initiative with a donation.
Benefactors
The repowermap.org initiative is made possible with the financial support from the following benefactors. Thank you!
To develop this initiative in Europe, the major benefactor is the European Union, which supports this initiative within the framework of the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.
To develop this initiative in Central America, the major benefactors are the association of former students in environmental sciences and environmental engineering from the ETH University in Zürich, the Swiss Confederation and its Interdepartmental Platform for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Promotion in International Cooperation REPIC, and the Lottery Foundation from the canton of Bern.
To develop this initiative in West Africa, the major benefactor is the Ecowas Renewable Energy Fund.
What prominent people say about repowermap.org
"Ich finde das Projekt repowermap.org sehr interessant, denn nur durch konkrete Beispiele werden die Leute auch wirklich angesprochen!"
Simone Niggli-Luder, was 23 times world champion in orienteering, best orienteering athlete of all times; her plus-energy building produces more energy with photovoltaics than the the building's energy need.
"repowermap.org visualizes the diffusion of renewable energies and those interested in setting up a new generation unit can find examples in their neighbourhood. This is an important precondition for a future with renewable energies."
Renate Schubert, Professor for Economics, ETH Zurich; Head of institute, Institute for Environmental Decisions (IED), ETH Zurich; Member of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)
'repowermap.org macht sichtbar, wie gross das Potenzial für eine Energie-Zukunft mit Erneuerbaren und höherer Energieeffizienz ist.'
Evi Allemann, Nationalrätin
« Donner envie de s’équiper d’une installation solaire thermique ou photovoltaïque en respectant le paysage et l’architecture. Une tâche que repowermap.org s’efforce de mener à bien et que l’on doit encourager. »
Bernard Matthey, fondateur de Swissolar, ancien député, président de la commune de Rochefort – NE
"Penso che una mappa interattiva online, sia il modo migliore per far conoscere la realtà e mobilitare la cittadinanza, anche sui temi dell'energia. La gente deve capire che fa parte di un territorio e una mappa fa più di cento discorsi. La stessa etimologia di ambiente significa quello che ci sta d'intorno... bravi!"
Lorenzo Bigagli, researcher at the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) - Geospatial services, Information Technology department.
'repowermap.org zeigt die grosse Stärke der erneuerbaren Energien: sie sind dezentral und so ungefährlich, dass man sie dort erntet, wo die Menschen sie brauchen.'
Roger Nordmann, Nationalrat, Präsident von Swissolar
