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Courtesy
of Vestas A/S
Offshore activity takes advantage of world’s
free space. |
Wind power could generate enough electricity to
support the world’s energy needs several times
over, according to a map of global wind speeds compiled
by researchers at Stanford University.
The investigators looked at 8,000 sites around the
world and found that at least 13 percent of those
sites experience winds fast enough for a modern
turbine. If turbines were set up in all these regions,
they would generate 72 terawatts of electricity,
which is five times more than the world’s current
needs.
The map shows that North America and parts of Northern
Europe both have a high number of ideal spots for
turbines. While Northern Europe has embraced wind,
the U.S. government appears to remain skeptical
about this intangible energy source. Perhaps we
are making some progress; President Bush has predicted
that wind energy will someday provide as much as
20% of the country’s electrical needs. And
according to the DC based American Wind Energy Association,
wind power represents the second largest source
of new power generation in the country behind new
natural gas plants.
We are on the right path but there is no doubt
that Northern Europe has picked up on wind generated
energy more quickly than the U.S. The European Union’s
goal is to capture 10% of all its electricity from
the wind by 2030. Denmark, the world leader in wind
energy technology, has set an even loftier goal
of 35% by 2015, according to the Danish Wind Industry
Association. Presently, approximately 20 % of Denmark’s
electricity consumption is fulfilled by wind power
compared to 2.4% for the rest of Europe. No other
country in the world has integrated such a large
percentage of non-hydro renewables into its electric
grid.
Focused initiatives, government support and the
setting of high goals has helped Denmark reverse
its dependence on external sources of energy. During
the first energy crises in 1973, Denmark was singled
out with the United States by the Arabs for their
support of Israel. At the time Denmark was 99% dependent
on oil but worked to develop the use of natural
energy in order to secure energy independence. In
the last few decades Denmark has invested huge sums
into advancing renewables, one of their biggest
success stories has been the ability to capture
the energy of the wind, and Denmark’s wind
manufacturers hold a world market share of approximately
40%. Elisabeth Manford, director of Invest in Denmark
explains, "we have a cluster of the top wind
companies in the ‘Danish Wind Valley.’
With leaders such as Vestas Wind Systems, Siemens
Wind Power, and Suzlon Energy our success in the
turbines is guaranteed."
The relationship between the United States and
Denmark has never been stronger but the United States,
the world’s biggest consumer of energy, generates
less than 1 percent of its electricity with wind
power. The United States is trapped in an energy
crisis while Denmark is self-sufficient and leading
the world in renewable energy. Danish wind technology
is renowned… we strongly feel that the Danish
energy moodel and the technologies that underpin
it are well placed in the current debate in the
United States", says Denmark’s Ambassador
to the United States, Friis Arne Petersen.
Ditlev Engel, CEO of Vestas, a leader in wind technology,
explains "wind energy is an underappreciated
commodity. People don’t realize the capability
of wind."
The humble roots of wind, seem to have left a fixed
impression of its capacity. The general public still
equates windmills with the slow wooden mills used
by farmers to pump water. "Our wind turbines
are technologically complex machines with wingspans
that are longer than the wings of a 747. The blades
of the machine turn to pick up the most optimal
wind," said Engel.
As the Vestas CEO, Engel has been able to see,
first hand, the misinformation that is carried in
the wind. "People seem to think that energy
sources start and stop with the coming and going
of a breeze. That is when you know that this market
is misunderstood" noted Engel. He explained
that apart from eventually lowering costs, cleaning
the air, ridding us of an oil dependency, the consumer
will not feel the difference between energy generated
by wind or by gas.
Another misunderstanding about wind, as explained
by Engel, is its predictability. "The volume
of wind in a place is highly predictable. I can
give you your known cost of electricity 20 years
down the road with wind. That is" he was sure
to ad, "unless we start getting taxed on wind.
Who knows, most things that are valuable eventually
get taxed."
While Americans are notorious energy users, consuming
around a 25% of the world’s electricity, we
are also fortunate to have some of the world’s
best wind sights. Perhaps, one day we can, like
Denmark, be able to propel our economy by exporting
wind energy rather than paying high prices for oil.
It is time that we spend the money to buy a new
system, one that gives us the power of independence.
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DENMARK
