Denmark Hits Solar Power Milestone 8 Years Early

Thanks to solid financial incentives from the government, investments in solar power and other sources of renewable energy have been well received among the Danish population. Although the country is not particularly well known for the annual amount of solar insolation it receives (Scandinavian countries are pretty far down on this list!) the solar market seems to flourish.

A net metering system was introduced two and a half years ago in 2010. Similarly to other forms of financial incentive, including the German feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme, as well as government/state rebates and grants in the U.S., the Danish net metering system was designed to spur growth in the country`s renewable energy sector.

Solar panels are highly fluctuating sources of electricity – Not enough power is produced during rainy days and throughout the night. Therefore, saving the electricity that is generated when solar insolation (amount of sunlight available) is peaking is crucial in making these renewable energy systems financially viable.

Instead of separate residential batteries, homeowners can send electricity onto the utility power grid, which lets other consumers access the excess power while the power meter is spinning backwards.

Denmark is well known for their wind turbines, which are spread around in large quantities in most parts of the country.  The renewable infrastructure was therefore already in place, which has allowed solar to expand with ridiculous rates. By 2020, Denmark will meet half of their electricity demand with wind power. The country`s entire electricity demand will be sourced from renewable energy sources by 2050.


Article by Mathias who is doing a Masters in Energy Engineering. In his spare time he writes about solar power at Energy Informative.

Image: Erik Christensen, Porkeri via Flickr.com