As well as highlighting the stories behind EHD events, each year the European Heritage Days Stories initiative also supports a number of individuals, organisations and associations with their community-focussed heritage projects through grants of up to 10 000 EUR.

In 2024, one of grants from the European Heritage Days Stories scheme was awarded to The Mills Archive Trust, a charity in the UK which protects and preserves records about milling history, for a project researching and mapping the history of renewable energy development across Europe.

 
The European Heritage Days Story

The narrative submitted to European Heritage Days Stories took a storytelling approach to illustrate the value of cultural heritage as a resource for addressing the contemporary challenges of energy sustainability. Set 100 years in the future, the tale of ‘Molina Duvent and the Lost Seed of Svalbard’ visualises Europe on the brink of destruction due to the climate crisis, and follows an environmental scientist who is tasked with taking a seed from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault back through time to track the development of renewable energy and encourage people in the past to work together.

The approach for mapping renewable energy history

The grant from EHD Stories was used to build and share interactive digital maps to link countries, sites, individuals and community groups and document the development of wind energy as an archive of information for future generations. Described as ‘StoryMaps’ and presented as geographically focused timelines of wind energy history, the content includes images, statistics, people and significant dates about technological advancements and implementation, with the objectives of improving the public’s understanding of and appreciation for the origins of modern wind energy and highlighting the connections between historical and modern-day energy issues.

Named ‘Mills to Megawatts: The Story of Wind Energy Across Europe’, the project also aimed to explain the importance of archiving and access to data about this topic and recognise those who have been overlooked in their role in developing and advocating for wind energy in Europe. The educational element also highlighted the role of renewable energy for sustainability in the context of climate change. As such, the project’s website includes a ‘climate education in Europe’ section which includes a list of resources such as initiatives and reports for further reading, as well as a glossary called ‘How to talk about climate change’ written by The Mills Archive Trust to help empower people to learn more.

Emphasising inclusive participation and research

The project commenced with a research phase to identify private collections of archival documentation relating to renewable energy heritage both historic and contemporary. A survey gathered information from those who own or have custodianship of wind energy-related archives, which was enhanced by follow-up calls with key individuals to build relationships and give the project team an understanding of the potential risk to their long-term preservation and public access to these kinds of archives.

The project involved people from a mix of disciplines, including academics, historians and archivists, as well as local government staff. Through promotion on social media and newsletter channels, a Heritage Open Days exhibition and a schedule of press releases, the public were also invited to help with project feedback and implementation, with volunteers supporting activities such as cataloguing and data input.

To allow participation across a wide geographical area, the project worked with a range of international organisations for promotion and resourcing, while holding meetings online to announce the project and give a talk about the history and development of wind energy helped make it accessible to people from any location. It was also designed to attract an inclusive audience across other demographics, with younger groups reached via social media and through a ‘Youth Sustainability Group’, while working-aged people as well as older wind energy pioneers were also engaged throughout. The project also sought to address imbalances in the sector such as female representation by highlighting women in the wind energy sector, ensuring that female speakers were included in every event and encouraging equal participation in the survey.

The importance of international collaboration and networks

Reflecting the global nature of the history of renewable energy, the project’s scope was international. To manage resources, this initial phase focused on creating maps for Germany, the UK and Denmark, although the development of the project was additionally informed by survey feedback from people from a wider range of countries including Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Ukraine. And by creating a digital output in the form of an online map, the information generated by the project was designed to be shared across national borders and encourage cross-frontier learnings and conversations. Conceptualising the archives as a map which shows the relationships between people, knowledge, inventions and ideas also supported the 2024 ‘Routes, Networks and Connections’ theme for European Heritage Days. Collaboration with other organisations was also key, and the project involved working with the German Windpower Museum, the Nordic Folkecenter and the World Wind Energy Association, while an in-person meeting in Germany strengthened these links further.  

The online maps and future development plans

The public can now access the interactive StoryMaps online, as well as other digital resources such as information about people and museums who have been significant for wind energy throughout history. The website continues to be promoted, and the organisers also plan to deliver further talks about the history of wind power across Europe. The project is now considering additional funding to expand its scope beyond the first three countries and reach a global audience and is working to establish a network with the potential of translating online content to create a multilingual version.

The StoryMaps for the UK, Germany and Denmark can all be found online, as well as links to further resources and information about the project on the Mills to Megawatts website. The work of The Mills Archive Trust can also be followed on Facebook and Instagram.