The Wind Revolution, a world on a greening move - over 2 years ago

At the end of 2008, worldwide wind farm nameplate capacity was 120,791 megawatts (MW), representing an increase of 28.8 percent during the year, and wind power produced some 1.3% of global electricity consumption. Wind power accounts for approximately 19% of electricity use in Denmark, 11% in Spain and Portugal, and 9% in the Republic of Ireland. The United States is an important growth area and installed U.S. wind power capacity reached 25,170 MW at the end of 2008.
However, it may be difficult to site wind farms in some areas for aesthetic or environmental reasons, and seasonal variability introduces a challenge in integration of wind power into electricity grids, requiring balancing with other technologies such as hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity.

Wind power in Denmark

Wind power provided 19.7 percent of electricity production and 24.1% of capacity in Denmark in 2007, a significantly higher proportion than in any other country. Denmark was a pioneer in developing commercial wind power during the 1970s, and today almost half of the wind turbines around the world are produced by Danish manufacturers such as Vestas.

History

As concerns over global warming grew in the 1980s, Denmark found itself with relatively high carbon dioxide emissions per capita, primarily due to the coal-fired electrical power plants that had become the norm after the 1973 and 1979 energy crises of the 1970s. Renewable energy became the natural choice for Denmark, decreasing both dependence on other countries for energy and global warming pollution. Denmark adopted a target of cutting carbon emissions by 22% from 1988 levels by 2005. In 1988, two years after the Chernobyl disaster, the Danes passed a law forbidding the construction of nuclear power plants. In the process the Danish grassroots movement had a substantial role. The Danish Anti-nuclear Movement’s (OOA) smiling sun logo “Nuclear Power, No Thanks” spread world wide, and the renewable alternatives were promoted by the Danish Organisation for Renewable Energy (OVE).

Capacities and production

In 2005, Denmark had installed wind capacity of 3,129 MW, which produced 23,810 TJ of energy. Wind power provided 18.2% of the total gross electricity production. In 2006, the installed capacity increased to 3,136 MW.

While wind power accounts for almost 20% of the power generated in Denmark, it covers only 10–14% of the country’s demand. Power in excess of immediate demand is exported to Germany, Norway, and Sweden. The latter two have considerable hydropower resources, which can rapidly reduce their generation whenever wind farms are generating surplus power, saving water for later. In effect, this is a cheap way for northern Europe to store wind power until it is needed – an opportunity which is not generally available for wind power generators.
Among the installed wind power in Denmark is the world’s currently largest offshore wind farm Horns Rev 2. This farm was inaugurated on September 17th 2009 by Prince Frederik.

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