Dinamarca

Granja Horns Rev 2 – Dinamarca

Wind power is the fastest growing source of renewable energy in Europe, so it’s no surprise to learn that Denmark is launching the world’s biggest offshore wind farm this week. Using 91 turbines scattered across 35 square kilometers, the Horns Rev 2 farm, built by Danish utility company Dong Energy, will be able to produce 209 megawatts of power – enough for a staggering 200,000 homes.

With a price tag of $1 billion, Horns Rev isn’t cheap. But the project could offset some serious carbon emissions and help Europe achieve its goal of getting 20% of its power from renewable sources by 2020. If offshore wind projects continue, the European Wind Energy Association predicts that offshore turbines could produce as much as 10% of the EU’s power in the next 11 years.

The US has been reluctant to get on board with offshore wind power, mostly because of the increased cost of offshore energy, maintenance concerns, and naysayers who think the turbines are unsightly. But with Europe expecting offshore wind to provide up to 200,000 new jobs by 2025, perhaps the US should think twice before dismissing the technology.

Parque fotovoltáico de Olmedilla, España

Spain is one of the most advanced countries in the development of solar energy, and it is one of the European countries with the most hours of sunshine. In 2008 the Spanish government committed to achieving a target of 12 percent of primary energy from renewable energy by 2010 and by 2020 expects the installed solar generating capacity of 10,000 megawatts (MW).[2] Spain is the fourth largest manufacturer in the world of solar power technology and exports 80 percent of this output to Germany.

The Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park is a large photovoltaic power plant in Olmedilla de Alarcón, Spain. When completed in July 2008, it was the world's largest photovoltaic power plant.[1][2] The plant uses more than 270,000 solar photovoltaic panels to generate 60-85 megawatts (peak).[3] It produces enough electricity to power more than 40,000 homes.[4]

Construction of the plant cost €384 million (US$530 million).[1][5]

Olmedilla was built with conventional solar panels, which are made with silicon wafers.

WAVE POWER

Wave energy is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work – for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water (into reservoirs). Machinery able to exploit wave power is generally known as a wave energy converter (WEC).

Wave power is distinct from the diurnal flux of tidal power and the steady gyre of ocean currents. Wave-power generation is not currently a widely employed commercial technology, although there have been attempts

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