Combining Wind power and e-vehicles in Denmark to combat climate change

by: abhivibhuti on December 12th, 2009

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Most of the world’s eyes are fixed upon the leaders who will congregate at Copenhagen, Denmark from next week onwards with regard to the climate and its change, but while the world leaders are busy discussing on a macro level on methods to save the earth from dying due to over-population and pollution, the working class (that’s us!) need not sit back and do nothing. No sir, we can do our part by spreading the word on various ways to keep the earth green, or if you’re more ambitious, learn more about a real-life project that is currently underway which will utilize renewable wind energy to power electric vehicles. This is currently happening on the small Danish island of Bornholm, where government, academia and industry are working hand-in-hand on an innovative pilot program known as the EDISON Project. The EDISON Project could offer unique technical insights which will go some ways in addressing the challenges of combining renewable energy with EVs.

Copenhagen utility DONG Energy is currently collaborating with regional energy company of Oestkraft, the Technical University of Denmark, Siemens, Eurisco and the Danish Energy Association, and IBM to develop the system. Depending on how far consumers allow them to go, current electric vehicles could rely on the system created to charge their exhausted batteries whenever the wind generates excess power. Needless to say, vehicle charging will be slowed or delayed whenever the wind stops, resulting in reduction of energy production. The main goal behind this is not to save the world in the blink of an eye, but to use this as a model for deploying an estimated 200,000 wind-powered EVs nationwide by 2020. Denmark is certainly on the right track as they’re currently a leader in wind power, churning over 20% of the country’s electric power, with the current goal of doubling that amount. Apart from that, they’re not short on expertise as around half the wind turbines produced worldwide hail from Danish manufacturers.