Networking and cooperation

A culture of entrepreneurial, political and corporate networking in close cooperation with green NGO´s have paved the way for systemic innovations. This has been amplified by state politics in R&D in renewable energy sysyems, in energy planning for district heating, and in energy distribution and energy efficiency schemes – which all in all have raised the energy sector for a more sustainable development path. By sector integrative energy policy efforts as insulation schemes for buildings, clean tech efforts with energy savings in environmental policy, and various public campaigns on energy savings and biking for job and school, the efforts of decoupling economic growth and energy consumption has become a well recognized political agenda.

Nearly energy self sufficient

Denmark has gone from being 99% dependent on sources of foreign oil to becoming nearly energy self sufficient, and dependent on oil and gas resources in the Danish sector of the North Sea. After the oil crisis in 1972 thirty years of social movements on energy subjects, grassroots experiments, and focused energy policy, have catapulted Denmark ahead of most other nations in the use of renewable energy technology. Denmark has until recently lead the way in the wind energy industry. With 20,000 people employed in the sector, a combined turnover of EUR 3 billion for the manufacturers, and companies occupying 40% of the world market, Denmark plays a central role in the development of the wind energy industry. Apart from its established successes in wind energy, Denmark has also research activities in future technologies such as hydrogen and fuel cell, bio fuels and solar cells with research programmes at Risø and the Danish Technical University. 

Increasing part of the total energy consumption

One of the main objectives in the energy area today is to promote the use of renewable energy and every year, renewable energy accounts for an increasing part of the total energy consumption. This development has put Denmark among the forefront countries in the development of alternative energy sources and fuel cells.
However, the political efforts have not been a process of consensus led development, and since 2001 a green backlash together with disputes over liberalism versus state dirigisme, have muddled the hitherto steady growth in renewable energy R&D efforts. The advance in capacities, renewable energy markets etc. has been a conflicting agenda, with major drawbacks and politicized public discussions on subjects as noise and visual pollution from windmills, state failure versus energy market imperfections etc. But since 2008 a new wave of investments and a renewable energy pack has been formed under a liberal government.

Renewable energy tours

We may suggest tours to renewable energy parks and sites, visits to entrepreneurial networks and companies, as meetings with green NGO´s, experts, national and local authorities on politics, networking and R&D.

Day 1: Strategy and policy

Morning:

Meeting with Ture Hammer, representative from the Danish Ministry of Climate and Energy. Energy planning and policies for power and heat plants, industries and households: district heating plans, labels and agreements on raising energy efficiency; enhancing Danish industries in contracts in CDM´s and JI´s; subventions for R&D in renewable energy; enhancing energy service institutions s for companies and households. etc. Meeting with representatives from the Energy sector in Denmark; DONG, Københavns Energi, Vattenfall, SEAS/NVE to hear about strategies of renewables, bio fuels, CO2 storage, efficiency etc. within the energy sector.

Afternoon:

Meeting with profs. Tyge Kjær and Jan Andersen, Roskilde University. The Danish energy planning history and current principles, the environmental profile of the Danish energy sector and energy consumption. Potentials for sustainable energy consumption and production. Meeting with representatives from the municipalities: Major Kaj Buch Jensen, Kalundborg municipality – on developments in a bio ethanol refinery, electric car experiments, industrial symbiosis and wind power energy. Product manager Leo Christensen, Lolland municipality: community test bed on a number of renewable energy sites, strategy, means and challenges within the municipal public sector concerning energy savings, renewable energy planning and greening business policies.

Day 2: Wind

Morning:	Meeting with Hanne Jersild, representative from the Danish Wind Industry Association. Study visit at Risø, R&D expert unit in wind energy.
Afternoon:	Study visit to Vestas wind mill producer, Nakskov and Nysted Havmøllepark (DONG).

Day 3: Waste incineration and biomass

Morning:	Visit to waste incineration plant KaraNovoren, Roskilde. Heat, biogas and electricity from solid household and industrial waste. What are the preconditions, which pollutants and how to prevent them, what is the energy efficiency and where will future take us?
Afternoon:	Visit to a biomass plant Hashøj Biogasanlæg or organic waste handling plant Bio Vækst, Holbæk. Infrastructure and security in supply, environmental profile, energy efficiency.

Day 4: Solar energy

Morning:	Visit to Entasis & Esbensen Advisory Engineers - architects behind the visionary Solar City Project in Copenhagen, a planned dense urban dwelling construction in former Carlsberg brewery plant.
Afternoon:	Visit to the R&D unit SolEnergiCentret at Danish Technological Institute - meeting with Kristian Kærgaard Hansen. Denmark´s current technological efforts in solar energy. The Solar City Copenhagen Project. Visit to the Koyoto single-family house community, based upon zero CO2 emissions, solar cells and geothermal power.

Day 5: Energy efficient communities

All day:

Visit to Lolland or Kalundborg communities. Various energy-based resource and climate strategic efforts at municipality and community levels: self supplying energy production based on renewals’ and efficient energy provision. Industrial symbiosis and energy use. Cooperation for 2nd generation bio ethanol energy from household waste Cluster Biofuels Denmark. Visits to bio refinery on rapeseeds, district combined power & heating plant fired on waste, windmill parks on sea, biomass fired combined power & heat stations. Visit to Hydrogen Community Lolland in Vestenskov. Discuss new institutional partnerships, the role of public policy and planning, economy of scale.