As Wind Turned Down A Notch, Solar Soared — 2018 Renewable Energy Report Denmark

Today, the numbers on renewable energy output in Denmark in 2018 are out. The organization Danish Energy (Dansk Energi) reports that the share of wind energy was lower than 2017, but the share of solar energy was a record high, with 2.8% of the country’s total electricity consumption covered by solar photovoltaics.

It was a hot and sunny summer last year. May, June, and July had 40% more sunlight than the same months the year before. 2018 in total had 25% more sunlight than 2017.

My own tiny 4 kW PV system indicates a very sunny summer last year

It’s not that the share of wind was bad. In fact, despite the calm summer (19% less wind in June!) wind power covered 40.8% of total electricity consumption. That’s only just about 3% lower than the record year 2017.

When you add it all up, including trade with neighboring countries, a whopping 68% of the Danish electricity supply originated from renewables.

Kristine Grunnet, Chief consultant at Danish Energy, says that the result underlines the fact that land-based wind turbines and photovoltaics, which already deliver more than 30% of the country’s electricity consumption, are the two cheapest green energy sources today — despite the large price decreases in offshore wind. “My expectation is that land-based renewable energy will soon be commissioned without incentives. It has developed into a profitable investment that has a large and ever-increasing role in the green transition,” says Grunnet.