The greenhouse effect
Under the Kyoto Protocol Denmark has committed to reducing the emission of greehouse gases with an average of 21% during 2008-2012 compared to emission level in 1990. With the current standard of measure the Danish emission level in 1990 was approximately 70 million tons of greenhouse gases. The major sources of emission are the energy production (63%), transport (22%) and agriculture (15%).
The energy production thus play a major role in reducing the emisions. In this perspective windpower is important.
Fossil fuels in the energy production gives rise to the emission of three greenhous gases CO2 , CH4 and N2O. Of these the emission of CO2 is by far the largest. The emission of greenhouse gases is in particular caused by the production of electricity on power stations.
With the current composition of the electricity production the average emission of CO2 is 586 g/kWh in Eastern Denmark and 460 g/kWh in Western Denmark. The lower emission level in Western Denmark compared to Eastern Denmark is caused by the many windmills already placed in Jutland. In 2005 the total consumption of electricity in Denmark was 33.604 GWh. This compares to an average consumption of 6400 kWh or respectively 4 ton CO2 in Eastern Denmark and 3 ton CO2 in Western Denmark per Dane.
Using Windpower to generate electricity doesn't cause emissions. For every kWh that is produced by a windmill instead of traditional forms of production there is thus an environmental improvement thourgh reduced emissions.
In 2006 windpower reduced the emission level in ton by:
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Western DK
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EasternDK
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Total
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Emissions air
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CO2 ( ton)
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2.734.949
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660.385
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3.395.334
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CH4 (ton)
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747
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488
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1235
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N2O (ton)
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42
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9
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51
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Source: Miljøtilstandsrapport 2005, Dansk Energi, Stamdataregistret
