Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
of large Danish irms for placement in large wind farms that would be owned
and operated by utilities.
18
In fact, by 1977 plans were already underway to
build two 630 kW prototype turbines. his project alone took up 40% of the
wind energy program's budget and culminated in completion of the two test
units in 1978 and 1980, respectively.
19
he trend toward targeting R&D for
the development of large wind turbines would continue up to 1989.
20
Providentially, the commitment of large Danish irms to this new indus-
try never materialized. Instead, by 1978 there were only a score of wind
turbine manufacturers, all specializing in small wind turbines. Most of
these irms were manufacturers of agricultural equipment looking for ways
to diversify product lines for agricultural consumers. With technical assis-
tance provided by Risø Laboratories and other government-sponsored wind
power R&D programs, companies such as Vestas, which was established
in 1898 as a blacksmith foundry, began to produce uncomplicated yet reli-
able turbines based more on accumulated manufacturing knowledge than
advanced aerodynamic principles.
21
So while many other nations were pur-
suing advanced wind turbine R&D, Denmark's manufacturers were estab-
lishing a reputation for quality that would prove to be the decisive factor in
global market competition. he sequence of starting with simpler technol-
ogy, learning by interacting with government-sponsored research organiza-
tions, and designing to rigid government-enforced standards and honing
quality through experience is seen as the critical evolutionary path under-
pinning Denmark's highly successful wind power turbine industry.
22
Domestically, however, the structure of Denmark's utility sector inhib-
ited the government's vision of encouraging the difusion of wind power
through mega projects. In the 1970s, Denmark's utilities were predomi-
nantly small local or regional utilities that were generally community-owned
and operated as nonproit organizations. he utilities were typically verti-
cally integrated, controlling electricity generation from production through
to transmission and distribution (T&D). Furthermore, Denmark's electric-
ity grid was divided into western (Jutland, Fynen, and smaller islands) and
eastern (Zealand, Lolland-Falster, and smaller islands) systems, and in the
1970s, was not interconnected. he process of coordinating the activities
of 87 utilities in the western sector and 28 utilities in the eastern sector in
order to dampen the stochastic lows of wind power represented a daunt-
ing challenge to the state regulatory body, the Danish Energy Authority.
23
Consequently, up to 1979, although there was a signiicant amount of
research being done in wind energy, installations were limited to a few pio-
neering farm communities. Denmark's ledgling wind energy system manu-
facturers were having a hard time inding a market for their wares. his was
about to change due to a development thousands of kilometers away.
