Invesdor organized Europe’s largest crowdfunding campaign for renewable energy

Invesdor brings together innovative entrepreneurs and forward-thinking investors to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy. Citizens are also regularly successfully involved in this transition where they can benefit from the returns of local projects. Windpark Fryslân’s starting point was to allow local residents to participate in the revenues from the wind farm in their own neighborhood. Together with Invesdor’s investment platform, Windpark Fryslân raised the overwhelming amount of €27 million from 2609 investors in a period of six weeks. This instantly made this project Europe’s largest crowdfunding initiative for renewable energy.

Generating renewable energy by and for the local community

Windpark Fryslân is located in the Friesian part of the IJsselmeer in the Netherlands. Together, 89 turbines generate more than 75% of all green power for the province of Friesland. On an annual basis, Windpark Fryslân produces about 1.5 terawatt hours. This is about 1.2% of Dutch electricity consumption and corresponds to the consumption of about 500,000 households. Windpark Fryslân is the largest wind farm in an inland waterway worldwide. The wind farm is operational from 2021.

Community-oriented approach

The initiators of Windpark Fryslân stated from the beginning of their project that they wanted to develop ‘a wind park from and for Fryslân’. Among other things, they promised that residents of Friesland would be given the opportunity to participate financially in the wind farm. At the start of the project it was especially (and only) possible for residents of Friesland to invest in bonds with a term of five years and an annual interest rate of 7.5%. This was possible from an amount of €500 up to a maximum of €50,000. A total of €10 million was available. If this amount was exceeded, the bonds would be divided equally and the large investors would settle. This ensures that every Frisian who wants to participate can benefit from an investment in the wind farm.

Distribution of participation more important than raising the highest possible amount

At the opening of the subscription for bonds on February 19, 2024, the counter already stood at over €6 million in funding within 24 hours of the proposition going live. The bond issuance was handled by Invesdor, one of Europe’s largest impact investment and financing platforms with more than €800 million of intermediated funding volume. After the subscription period, which ended on March 29, a total of €27 million had been invested, which meant that a redistribution took place to allow as many Frisians as possible to participate in the project. A total of 20,000 bonds of €500 were available. Widely exceeding the maximum required investment, this made it possible for more citizens to participate and thus contribute to the energy transition, with a chance of an interesting return.

Visibility of the campaign for the most impactful result

Windpark Fryslân rolled out a marketing campaign, organizing local information meetings for residents, informing them through a special website and highlighting the project in newspapers and on regional television. Many residents felt involved in the project because of the proximity to the wind farm, the inclusion of local businesses and the direct impact they could make with their own community. In all respects, residents have a vested interest in seeing Friesland thriving.

Impact investing with a mission

This project is an important blueprint for developers who want to make a difference in the transition to a better world by involving the local community. By partnering with an innovative platform like Invesdor, the stage is set for a future where sustainable investing can make a positive difference both locally and globally. The same goes for investors. At Invesdor, it is already possible to invest with a small amount of money, making both impact and return on the investment. Follow us now on our mission to create a more beautiful, sustainable world through impact investing.