History of successful development of wind energy, Denmark
Currently, Denmark’s wind power equipment accounted for more than 40% of the world market, is the world’s first. Denmark has become a wind power generating capacity accounted for the highest proportion of countries in 2006 reached 23% by 2030 will reach 75%. According to the plan, by 2030 the Danish wind energy mix would be accounted for 50%, 15% of solar energy, biomass and other renewable energy sources 35%. That time, Denmark will be relying on the wind, “driven” country.
Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said: “We intend to bring Denmark into a stage show to the world shows that a country can reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions while achieving economic growth.”
Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Commission chief adviser Thomas Jorgensen briefed reporters on the course of development of wind energy in Denmark: Denmark’s wind power research and application began in 1891, is the world’s oldest. But by the early 1970s, Denmark’s energy consumption 94% or oil imports, the outbreak of the first oil crisis forced the Danish government to find alternatives. With the development of North Sea oil fields in 1972, the Danish Energy achieved self-sufficiency, and become Europe’s third-largest oil exporter, but Denmark remains committed to new energy development and utilization.
Start the Danish Government has chosen a new source of energy is not the wind, but nuclear power, but because of security problems and deal with problems of nuclear waste, nuclear power construction, met with fierce opposition from the people, to 1985, nuclear power plants disappeared completely from the territory of Denmark, Denmark turned to development of wind power.
Denmark, windy weather in the summer afternoon, the sea wind and even people are struggling, but this is not the main reason for the success of Danish wind power development, as Norway, Ireland, Britain and other neighboring countries, poor wind conditions, unlike Denmark, wind energy utilization, however, was not as good as Denmark. The success of the Danish wind energy development is inseparable from strong government policy and wind energy development model innovation.
From 1976 to 1995, the Danish invested 100 million U.S. dollars for wind power research and development. In order to encourage people to invest in the Danish Government for each fan to provide 30% of the cost of subsidies. From the 1970s to the end of 1995, the Danish Government for the cause of a variety of subsidies to wind power as high as 20 billion U.S. dollars, of which 80% of the benefits of the fan manufacturing industry. In Denmark, no matter what the form of power generation for all electricity levy carbon tax, so the Danish way of using tax return in order to avoid the charge of wind power and other new energy sources. In order to ensure quality and safety of fans, uniform standards, in accordance with relevant laws, the Danish production of all the fan model must also be approved by the Danish National Laboratory, and later, many of the Danish National Laboratory to determine the specifications and parameters of the fan became the world standard.
Danish Ministry of the Environment as early as in 1979, requires mandatory access wind power to require power companies to pay part of the grid costs. From the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, fans are not generating the income tax. In wind power pricing policy, the Danish wind power using a fixed price policy to ensure that the interests of investors of the wind. If the use of wind power into the grid price is fixed at discounted prices, in the former would be sold to consumers all of the power to add a premium, so that consumers buy electricity prices are uniform, but can be from the electricity bill thermal power and wind power to see that this price difference, consumers want to wind power and other new energy production will pay for.
Under the government’s strong support, the Danish wind power costs come down rapidly, more than 20 years has been reduced by 4 / 5. In 1981 the cost of wind power per kilowatt 12 kroner (about 1.3 yuan per crown), in 1999 dropped to 3 crowns, now down to around SEK 0.3; a result of technological advances and cost optimization, wind power costs a further decline in the next 5 years, 20%, close to the cost of fossil fuel to generate electricity, which can be a new coal-fired, gas-fired power plant competition, and investment recovery a view to reducing to 8 years.
Denmark’s wind power development has not been all smooth sailing, the community there has been controversy on the use of wind power, some people think that fans destroyed the natural landscape, the noise too. Despite the controversy, according to information provided by the Danish Wind Energy Association, the Danish wind power still accounts for the vast majority of supporters, up 68%, that too much or enough wind power and only 25%. This is because the Danish wind power development cooperation system introduced this new model, mobilized the enthusiasm of the people.
3 hours from Copenhagen, boat trip to Samso Island, Denmark has now become the new energy, especially wind energy development model for the region, numerous foreign delegations come here to visit and study. The island so as to bring energy self-sufficiency, and 100% of its energy from new energy. Nowhere to be seen, 11 shore-based fans and 10 fans day after day, turning the sea to meet the island’s 4,000 residents in all of the electricity demand.
Samso Energy Academy in charge of media affairs, told reporters that Mr. Jesper Kjems, where the wind has not been subsidized by the Government of Denmark, the island shore all the fans, built by the local residents to invest. Through frequent consultations between the neighborhood, the islanders have invested 400 million Danish kroner built these fans. At first, they expect eight to 10 years to recover the costs. However, as the wind stronger than estimated, the cost recovery period significantly shortened. Now, each year per share investment income of approximately DKK 500.
According to the Danish Wind Energy Association, introduced to promote wind energy in Denmark in the process of co-operatives of private investment and fans played a very important role, with 15 million families are members of cooperatives, fan, private investors in Denmark 86% of the installed fan . As the fans have been largely co-operative shares held by local investors, which increased public acceptance of wind energy promotion, but also inspired the residents to invest.
