| Create a Free Account or Sign In to connect and share in green living and alternative energy forum discussions. |
0
Danish Island Hits 100% Renewables
Views: 607
Oct 24 2013 03:55 PM | eds in Wind Power
On a small island off the coast of Denmark,
. . . a group of potato farmers have turned into power brokers,
. . . owning the wind turbines that have made their island a net energy producer.
In less than 10 years, Samsø went from producing
. . . 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person per year,
. . . . . . (one of the highest carbon emissions per capita in Europe) to just
. . . 4.4 tonnes (the U.S. is at 17.6), and has proven that running on
. . . 100% renewable electricity is possible.
Originally, all the energy used on Samsø (population: 4,100) had to be imported.
. . . At first, it wasn’t easy convincing, this conservative island of farmers
. . . that they could, or even should, become a renewable energy showcase.
NIMBYism, especially in regards to the proposed wind farm,
. . . affected many residents, just as it does in communities around the world.
But Soren Hermansen, a local farmer and environmental studies teacher,
. . . took up the cause.
He spent months going to community meetings and talking up renewables.
By owning the turbines themselves,
. . . people didn’t feel as if the technology was imposed on them,
. . . but that they were making a smart business choice.
They also came to realize the benefits that the green development,
. . . would bring to the island as far as:
. . . . . . new jobs,
. . . . . . new businesses, and
. . . . . . increased business from more visitors.
The island’s tourism website, Visit Samsø, includes a major section on
. . . Samsø as a renewable energy island.
Samsingers now export millions of kilowatt-hours of electricity,
. . . from renewable sources to the rest of Denmark.
The Samsø Energy Academy, opened in 2007, is a source of
. . . . . . renewable energy research,
. . . . . . education, and
. . . . . . training.
The academy arranges exhibitions and workshops that attract more than
. . . 5,000 politicians, journalists, and students,
. . . from around the world every year.
Researchers from both Danish and foreign educational institutions
. . . are able to do energy research at the Academy and
. . . island residents can get free advice on sustainable solutions.
Furthermore, it functions as a conference center where
. . . . . . companies,
. . . . . . researchers, and
. . . . . . politicians,
. . . discuss,
. . . . . . renewable energy,
. . . . . . energy savings, and
. . . . . . new technologies.
The lesson learned is that it is more about
. . . . . . people,
. . . . . . communication, and
. . . . . . common interest, . . . than about technology.
When you realize this, it is more easy to see the scalability.
2013-10-24 Source: Farmers
. . . a group of potato farmers have turned into power brokers,
. . . owning the wind turbines that have made their island a net energy producer.
In less than 10 years, Samsø went from producing
. . . 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person per year,
. . . . . . (one of the highest carbon emissions per capita in Europe) to just
. . . 4.4 tonnes (the U.S. is at 17.6), and has proven that running on
. . . 100% renewable electricity is possible.
Originally, all the energy used on Samsø (population: 4,100) had to be imported.
. . . At first, it wasn’t easy convincing, this conservative island of farmers
. . . that they could, or even should, become a renewable energy showcase.
NIMBYism, especially in regards to the proposed wind farm,
. . . affected many residents, just as it does in communities around the world.
But Soren Hermansen, a local farmer and environmental studies teacher,
. . . took up the cause.
He spent months going to community meetings and talking up renewables.
By owning the turbines themselves,
. . . people didn’t feel as if the technology was imposed on them,
. . . but that they were making a smart business choice.
They also came to realize the benefits that the green development,
. . . would bring to the island as far as:
. . . . . . new jobs,
. . . . . . new businesses, and
. . . . . . increased business from more visitors.
The island’s tourism website, Visit Samsø, includes a major section on
. . . Samsø as a renewable energy island.
Samsingers now export millions of kilowatt-hours of electricity,
. . . from renewable sources to the rest of Denmark.
The Samsø Energy Academy, opened in 2007, is a source of
. . . . . . renewable energy research,
. . . . . . education, and
. . . . . . training.
The academy arranges exhibitions and workshops that attract more than
. . . 5,000 politicians, journalists, and students,
. . . from around the world every year.
Researchers from both Danish and foreign educational institutions
. . . are able to do energy research at the Academy and
. . . island residents can get free advice on sustainable solutions.
Furthermore, it functions as a conference center where
. . . . . . companies,
. . . . . . researchers, and
. . . . . . politicians,
. . . discuss,
. . . . . . renewable energy,
. . . . . . energy savings, and
. . . . . . new technologies.
The lesson learned is that it is more about
. . . . . . people,
. . . . . . communication, and
. . . . . . common interest, . . . than about technology.
When you realize this, it is more easy to see the scalability.
2013-10-24 Source: Farmers
