2.6 - Denmark + Renewables Flashcards
What is Nordpool?
- Set of reciprocal agreements between Norway, Sweden and Germany to share renewable energy with each other
- also pass expertise to each other
What is Denmark’s energy strategy?
- implementation of green taxes
- mass adoption of underground heating systems (heat pumps)
- building codes based on energy efficiency
- focus on energy efficiency of all appliances
- investment in renewables
- climate change laws
- tax incentives for use of greener technology
- initiatives to save energy
How much of Denmark’s yearly energy needs are met by wind energy?
40%
What are interconnecters?
- infrastructure allowing power grids of different countries to send and receive electricity from one another
- allows Nordpool to exist
How has Denmark showcased the potential of wind power?
- In July 2015, 116% of Denmark’s daily energy needs was produced on one day
What is the general global strategy for energy use?
- IPCC: 3x renewable and recyclable energy output by 2050
- from current 3%
- Wind and solar is increasingly being adopted
- However, nuclear is down in some places
- eg. Japan post-Fukushima
What are the motivating factors for investing and using renewables?
- Wealth and job creation through research and development
- creation of green economy
- ensure economy remains sustainable
- fear of nuclear power
What factors dissuade countries from investing in renewables?
- decreasing oil prices in the LT
- local scale impact on the environment
- eg. Reservoirs created by hydroelectric dams can damage local ecosystems
- positive perception of nuclear
What is Samso?
- Danish island, 9 miles off mainland
- 1st island powered 100% by renewable energy (wind and solar)
- used to be dependant on imports of coal and oil
How is electricity produced on Samso?
- 21 wind turbines
- produces more energy than it consumes
- excess energy is sold off (worth $3 million/yr)
- used to reinvest in renewable infrastructure
How is heating done on Samso?
- biomass
- fuelled by locally grown straw
- 4 heating plants provide 75% of total heating needed
How much has changing Samso cost?
- $80 million over past 15 years
- funded by a mix of private investment and government subsidies
What was the biggest barrier to using renewables on Samso?
- farmers needed to be convinced to share land with wind turbines and potentially other farmers
How much do wind turbines save a family on Samso?
- $2000-3000/yr on electricity bills
What is Denmark’s long term aim?
- to run on purely renewables by 2050
- plan initially proposed after 1973 oil embargo
- thus Denmark decided to pursue energy independent strategy
What is encouraging traditional energy providers to switch to renewable energies?
- At times where energy production is above 100%, renewable energy generation is cheap enough to undercut oil imports
- makes traditional power stations more expensive
- has happened once in 2015, where all power stations shut down for 24 hours as it was simply too expensive to keep them running
How high is Denmark’s tax on new cars?
- 180%
- encourages people to cycle or use alternatives
- is waived for electric car purchases
How do people commute in Copenhagen?
- 1/3 of all commutes are done on bicycles
How does Denmark use computers to increase efficiency?
- computerised systems can control appliances
- results in appliances being ran when electricity demand is low and price is at its cheapest
How can solar power be harnessed?
- Photovoltaic cell technology
- Concentrating solar power to evaporate steam using mirrors
- drives turbines to generate electricity
What are the advantages of using solar energy?
- low maintenance
- low noise pollution
What are the disadvantages of using solar energy?
- technology is expensive and unreliable
- results in high start up costs, limiting amount of energy harnessed
- Sunlight can be variable in places
- Panels take up land
- may potentially decrease amount of land available for agriculture or residential use
- rare earth metals are needed for infrastructure
What are the advantages of wind power?
- is cheap to build
- huge potential with offshore wind farms
What are the disadvantages of wind power?
- large energy losses through electricity transmission lines
- especially bad when moving from offshore wind farms
- energy generation is dependent on wind
- therefore not continuous and not able to react to demand in real time
