Why wind power works for Denmark

Abstract

Denmark generates more wind power per head of population than any other country in the world. Its 5500 wind turbines, including the world's two largest offshore wind farms, generate 16% of national demand. With increasing concerns over fossil fuels, the country is now being closely monitored by energy planners and funders worldwide. However, as this paper reveals, Denmark is exporting most of its wildly fluctuating wind power to larger neighbours while finding other solutions for supply and demand at home. As an ‘island’ grid based on slow-reacting thermal power stations, Britain may find its comparable wind-power aspirations more difficult to achieve.