Danish island becomes virtually self sufficient in energy

probe

Samsø island (pop. 4,124, - 114 km2) in Denmark produces all its electricity from wind turbines (mainly sea based) and photovoltaic cells – and exports the surplus electricity to the Danish grid – which more than covers the island's imports of oil to run the island ferries and the cars and other vehicles used. Householders who have installed photovoltaic cells on their roofs say that they make a better return on the investment than putting the money in a savings account at a bank.

Much of the island heating needs are met by co-op district heating systems. Typically these buy bailed straw from farmers and incinerate it to create hot water which is piped to the local houses. [There is no chlorine in straw, so one can incinerate it, safely, without risk of dioxin production or any other nasties] i.e. it is conversion to energy and not disposal of "waste straw". The energy cost for the hot water is about one sixth of the cost of hot water produced by an oil fired boiler, according to a recent TV report featuring the island. Island residents can buy shares in the wind farms.

One of the island’s next projects will be hydrogen produced from wind energy...

If an island of 4,124 people can do it, surely an island with 1,000x the population can do it too, and a lot more besides?


.probe

http://www.dbdh.dk/pdf/ren-energy-pdf/Samsoe-renewable.pdf

Location: SE of Århus with ferry connections to Jutland and Rail/Ferry connections to Sjælland (Copenhagen) Island
Map: http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=55.848723~10.590305&style=r&lvl=11&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&encType=1

http://www.inforse.dk/europe/pdfs/S_Samso_brochure_2007.pdf
http://www.energiakademiet.dk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sams%C3%B8

silverharp

probe wrote:

If an island of 4,124 people can do it, surely an island with 1,000x the population can do it too, and a lot more besides?

I'm sure we can, but can their model be scaled up? I'm guessing there is little or no industry on the island and when the wind isn't blowing they would not be too much of a drain in the Danish grid.
I saw something that Rathlin island is aiming to be a net exporter of electricity.

maniac101

probe wrote:

and exports the surplus electricity to the Danish grid – which more than covers the island's imports of oil to run the island ferries and the cars and other vehicles used.

I'm not sure that this constitutes "self-sufficient" - we can't run ferries on electricity yet.

If an island of 4,124 people can do it, surely an island with 1,000x the population can do it too, and a lot more besides?

Agree, but I assume that the island has very little industry and a much lower proportional requirement for transport fuels than Ireland does. It also has the advantage of being connected to a grid that is much larger and better interconnected than Ireland's.

DaBreno

Questions lads: (I cant seem to fig up the info myself) whats the power consumption of Ireland and could it be all passed off to Wind farms?
Looking up info on the Danish projects, it seems as if private Utility companies are building the large off-shore wind farms. Is there anything to stop us getting the likes of Airtricity building large farms off Mayo ?

silverharp

maniac101 wrote:

I'm not sure that this constitutes "self-sufficient" - we can't run ferries on electricity yet.

If Subs have being doing this for a 100 years, would battery powered ferries work on short trips of an hour or so.

probe

maniac101 wrote:

I'm not sure that this constitutes "self-sufficient" - we can't run ferries on electricity yet.

The 7 series BMW can run on hydrogen (with a modified internal combustion engine) and is available now. Aircraft jet engines can also run on hydrogen. No reason why a hydrogen fuelled engine can't turn a propellar. Hydrogen can be made from wind and other green energy.

The ferry can get help from the wind as well using a kite like sail suspended high in the air.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18524881.600

.probe

maniac101

silverharp wrote:

If Subs have being doing this for a 100 years, would battery powered ferries work on short trips of an hour or so.

True, but the island's not self-sufficient if it still relies on imported oil.

The Danes have a greater incentive than we have to install wind turbines:
- More turbines in Denmark means more jobs for the Danes.
- More turbines in Ireland means more jobs for the Danes!

probe

DaBreno wrote:

Questions lads: (I cant seem to fig up the info myself) whats the power consumption of Ireland and could it be all passed off to Wind farms?

The highest electricity demand in Ireland was on 16.12.2006 at 5,035 MW.

The handful of windmills installed at present can generate about 700 MW on a good day. Install ten times as many windmills - delivering 7,000 MW on a good day. Export the 3,000 MW or whatever surplus (normal peak demand is about 4,000).

Import electricity when the wind is slack and reduce overall reliance on wind by also using, wave, tidal and solar.

.probe

http://www.eirgrid.com/EirGridPortal/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=System%20Records&TreeLinkModID=1451&TreeLinkItemID=9