There is Energy Everywhere!

After a good nights sleep we were ready to get up and explore the many energy resources Denmark had to offer. We have seen the power of human energy through farming and bipedal transportation. Biogas production left a lasting impression [phew!] and wind power is everywhere you look.

Now we are going to head to the Energi Museet to learn about the other sources of energy used in this country and how it is all integrated so that you have it at your fingertips whenever you need it. The museum itself is more of an open air facility and so we saw the real process being generated by the machines used on "the grid" which is the complex system which balances the many forms of enery so that there is a constant flow.

Our first stop was at a working hydroelectric station. We saw the huge turbines that move the water from the river through the station and generate electricity then channel it back to the river. Great right? For us yes, but for the local wildlife, it interrupts their lives in a big way. They can't get to the other side of the plant.

This problem was solved by creating fish ladders to allow the wildlife to go around the plant. Clever Danes!


Next we explored the the solar energy systems. We saw a solar house and a very cool solar car. Since we will see more practical application in Copenhagen, we didn't go into much detail here, especially on a cloudy day like today.

Finally we saw the history of the giants of Denmark from their early beginnings. Wind technology didn't happen over night. There were many small steps in between. We had a huge "Ah Ha" moment when we realized that you can have too much energy at any given time. Yes that is right: Too much energy can be produced, which then causes the grid to shut down so that it does not crash.

 Too much wind or water impacts the grid, so when Norway's hydropower plants are inundated with too much melting mountain snow, they need to channel it somewhere. Where might they send it? In the same way, Denmark might have a period of very strong wind and not be able to handle it. What can they do with it? Let's see; Norway sometimes has too much water energy, and Denmark sometimes has too much wind energy. Well of course, they could just trade couldn't they. That is exactly what they do. We know that they trade with Sweden too.

Since our next stop is Sweden, we are going to try and find out what they add to the power grid trading mix. So stay tuned!