How Denmark does it and does it right.

[Ichingcarpenter]

Denmark has done what other countries only dream of doing: achieved energy independence. While Europe's overall energy imports rose 2.4% in 2006, Denmark's energy imports fell to -8%. In fact, the European Union as a whole scores 54% on the scale of energy dependency. Denmark scores -37%.

"Denmark is the model that the United States should be following," said Steve Pullins, executive director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Modern Grid Initiative.

How'd they do it? Distributed energy.

Unlike traditional "centralized" systems, distributed energy relies on small power-generating technologies like solar panels or ultra-efficient natural-gas turbines built near the point of energy consumption to supplement or displace grid-distributed electricity.

Consumers can not only draw power from the grid, but can feed power into it as well. For instance, homes equipped with solar-power panels could feed unused electricity back into the grid, adding to the total available supply.

It's far more efficient than most national electricity grids, which rely on large central power stations to send electricity exclusively in one direction from the power stations to the final customer. Only a third of the fuel energy burnt in power plants ends up as electricity. Roughly half is lost as heat and nearly 10% more is lost during transmission.>>>>>snip

http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/08/06/denmark-energy-electricity-biz-energy-cx_wp_0807power.html

[izquierdista]

1. Danes are pretty smart

Just ask Garrison Keillor and you will get an earful.

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. Decentralization of their power plants and grids is the

reason for their successes. I cringe every time the USA announces
massive wind farm projects, mega nuclear plants, mega coal plants
which makes the grid dependent on such monsters.

[kristopher]

3. You might want to investigate the role of large scale wind in their success. nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. My Kids are Danes

and I have lived there off and on for years.

I don't think I need to investigate.

[kristopher]

9. that's wonderful

However it doesn't change the fact that they rely heavily on "massive wind farms" for more of their power than anyone else in the world.

[Ichingcarpenter]

10. The Wind farms are decentralized

with farmers doing their own thing with support of the government.


The 'Wind Farms' are on farmers fields that make up the majority
of the 'massive wind farms' within their fields...

But I guess you haven't been there, a field of mustard or wheat
has a wind generator on it....... that makes up the majority of the 'massive wind farms'

[kristopher]

11. They are as subject to the laws of economy of scale as anyone else.

Putting up single wind turbines is a huge waste of money, whether it is in Denmark, England, Germany or the USA. We all frequently put them on farmer's fields, that makes them no less a "wind farm", it is just a good use of land and space.

They build wind farms there just as they build them here. I think it is great myself and see no need to try and diminish an already extremely slight environmental impact.

[Ichingcarpenter]

13. Putting up single wind turbines is a huge waste of money

You have proof of that don't you?

[kristopher]

15. Yes, it's called "economies of scale." nt

[XemaSab]

5. How "distributed" can their power possibly be?

Considering that we are 228 times their size, "distributed" is relative.

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. As compared to any other Developed nation per capital.

A town might have a pellet power plant that
not only supplies electricity but also hot water
for heating with farmers on their own separate but still connected grid

[NNadir]

6. Of course, according to the Danes - and I think they know something about Denmark -

their country is establishing records for burning dangerous fossil fuel and dumping waste in the atmosphere:

http://www.ens.dk/sw46988.asp"> But let's not be bothered by focusing on something called "reality."

Another gas kingdom with lipstick on the pig.

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. You are becoming laughable now

http://www.unctad.org/infocomm/anglais/gas/market.htm

[Brundle_Fly]

12. the problem being private owned companies behind the wheel.

charging whatever they think is reasonable.

[GuvWurld]

14. Anybody catch this at the end? - 1000 solar powered street lamps in Fallujah

FALLUJAH!!

---

Last year, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers installed more than 1,000 solar-powered street lights in Fallujah, a predominantly Sunni city in central Iraq that was the scene of a brutal battle between insurgents and U.S. soldiers in 2004.

During the day, the lamps store energy from the intense desert sunlight in batteries large enough to keep them lit from dusk to dawn. Now, the streets are lit every night--in a country which, in the last five years, has probably spent more hours without electricity than with it.

[no limit]

16. And just how much of this "independence" comes from dirty coal?

According to wikipedia it's most of it. Any one have any stats?