Energetic Citizens of Thisted, Denmark September 2011 The Third Industrial Revolution Thisted Ready to By Lene Kjelgaard Jensen Mayor, Thisted Welcome Energy Tourists Municipality he Municipality of Thisted is the lead- Ting climate municipality in Denmark. We are close to being self-sufficient in renew- able energy. Over 100 percent of electricity consumption and over 85 percent of public heat consumption is being covered without the use of fossil fuel. The citizens of This- ted receive electricity and heating from the numerous wind turbines in the area, wood chips from the woods, waste disposal from households and biogas from the many farms surrounding the city. This means that already one Danish munici- pality is self-sufficient in renewable energy: Thisted Municipality. And this goal has been achieved without compromising the comfort in our homes or the competitiveness of our businesses. The internationally renowned economist Jeremy Rifkin calls this the Third During the COP15 Climate Summit in Copenhagen Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy arranged an energy tour to Thy involving around 40 Industrial Revolution: Energy is decentral- UN-delegates from all over the world. Here they are seen at Wave Star - a wave energy facility near Hanstholm. ized and figuratively speaking derived di- rectly from peoples’ own back yards. All around Thy 40 en- containing information about where they are ergy sources. With this new project Thy Tourist In Thisted Municipality there is a time hon- ergy sights are ready to located, what type of technology they present Association wishes to tell students, business- oured tradition for green initiatives rising welcome businessmen, and if they are suitable to receive visitors. men, scientists and other groups about the from the citizens. In 2009 Thisted Munici- - We haven’t patented any of this Ole Riis ex- energy tours. The reorganization of the cen- pality chose to push the development even scientists, students and plains and says the report is to be used as tralized fossil based energy production to de- further by launching a project called “Ener- groups to experience an inspiration for everyone who might be centralized renewable energy has been named getic Citizens”. The goal was to encourage how Thisted Municipal- interested. The report lists about 40 sights the Third Industrial Revolution. The revolution even more citizens to become self-sufficient that can accommodate groups of visitors. In is well under way in Thisted. in energy and to motivate businesses to pro- ity in Denmark has be- order to reduce the workload involved at the mote more energy efficient solutions. come self-sufficient in individual sights, visitors must be organized Power to the People This newspaper is the third in the line con- energy in groups. The high coverage with renewable energy that cerning “Energetic Citizens”. In this issue we exists in Thisted Municipality is unprecedented focus on the results of the project “Energet- The Start Signal has Sounded in Denmark. The good results are largely due ic Citizens” and on the growth of industry n a short while business guests and others Ole Riis and Leif Amby are working on finishing to Nordic Folkecenter For Renewable Energy which is happening right now. Iwill be able to make an energy tour of the the material to be distributed to selected high which was established more than 25 years ago Consumption of renewable energy in Den- Municipality of Thisted. Here they will be pre- schools. The material is the prototype for the and from where a locally grounded desire to mark has risen by 14 percent in 2010. The sented with all the different facilities that en- marketing strategy Thy Tourist Association is produce environmentally friendly and cheap two largest contributors to that growth are sure the high level of energy self-sufficiency in planning on applying to the project. Focus is energy has poured. Internationally renowned biofuel and wind power. The long term goal Thisted Municipality. on the direct contact with the end user which is economist Jeremy Rifkin calls this phenom- of the Danish government is to be independ- why the material is targeted the physics teach- enon the Third Industrial Revolution: That the ent of fossil fuel in the year 2050. Focus on Business Development ers at each school. In the experience of Ole Riis energy is decentralized and figuratively speak- - It’s very important that the visits are going the success rate is much higher if the market- ing collected from people’s own backyards. It’s easy. Thisted shows the way. to be beneficial to businesses both locally ing campaign is directly targeted the end user. Citizens in Thisted get their electricity and heat- and internationally says Ole Riis, manager ing from the many wind turbines in the area, Thisted is Denmark’s of Thy Tourist Association. Keeping up the Good Work from woodchips from the forests, from waste Ole Riis explains that the project is realised in The efforts of Thisted Municipality leading up disposal of households and from biogas from Leading Climate collaboration between Thisted and Mors mu- to the Climate Summit in Copenhagen in 2009 the many farms. All in all a municipality with a Municipality nicipalities. He predicts that the energy tours were tremendous tells Ole Riis who is project high degree of self-sufficiency in green energy. will benefit everyone involved in tourism in manager of the energy tours. This has been achieved without compromising Thisted Municipality is close to being self- Thy and Mors. But due to the very specific and - Conferences were made alongside strong household comforts or the competitiveness of sufficient in renewable energy. Over 100 specialized content of the tours, specialists local initiatives and together with Nordic local businesses. Now guests from all over the percent of electricity consumption and over with a variety of skills will be enlisted to cater Folkecenter for Renewable Energy the mu- world are invited to come see for themselves. 85 percent of public heat consumption is for the guests. nicipality was strongly represented at the being covered without the use of fossil - One of the purposes of this project is to of- actual summit. As a direct result many inter- Visit us fuel. The renewable energy comes from fer the guests the possibility to draw on lo- national guests visited Thy during the sum- Among the visit points are: the sun, the wind, geothermic installations, cal qualifications. Thy Tourist Association mit to experience the unique way in which · DanWEC – Wave energy in Hanstholm biofuel and waste disposal. In 2007 Thisted plans on conducting a user survey in order energy is produced and distributed here in Municipality received the European Solar to ensure business guests maximum qual- Thy, Ole Riis tells. · Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy – household wind turbines, solar cells Award and in 2009 Thisted became one of ity while visiting Thy and Mors, Ole Riis re- Thy Tourist Association is currently working to and green energy through the past 25 the Danish Society for Nature Conservation’s ports. get the energy tours organized. years: www.folkecenter.net Climate Municipalities committing to a · Thisted Varmeforsyning – geothermic yearly cut in CO emission at 3 percent. Thorough Report The Future of Energy in Thisted 2 plant and district cooling. Thisted Municipality enforces a rigorous In collaboration with consulting engineer Leif In the Municipality of Thisted energy supply is For more information contact Visit Thy: energy plan envisioning a totally CO2 neutral Amby, Thy Tourist Association has written a available locally and varied. This enables a high municipality in the year 2025. through report on all the energy sights in Thy degree of self-sufficiency from renewable en- www.visitthy.dk World’s Largest Test Centre for Wind Turbines Energy Certification In the spring of 2012 a group of gi- ant wind turbines will be erected in Østerild, Thy. Vestas, Siemens Proves Effective and Risø, Danish Technical Univer- sity of Denmark have agreed with New electric installations at Rolighedsskolen, a public school in Thisted, have re- the Danish State to erect the wind sulted in a more than 25 % reduction in the school’s power consumption or more turbines at an allocated area in Østerild where 12 ha of woodland than 60,000 kWh have now been cleared for the new appliances keep immerging us- project. Denmark holds a leading ing more and more power. As a result position worldwide regarding the Thisted Municipality is now erecting development and production of solar cells at various locations. At wind turbines. With the national the public school in Sennels a solar test centre for large wind turbines cell system worth 209,000 Danish the political parties behind the kroner will produce around 10,000 agreement aim to maintain this kWh a year. Thisted Municipality esti- position. mates that solar cell systems at pub- lic buildings will have a return time For more information: of seven to ten years. www.thisted.dk/testcenter Surveillance to Prevent Power Theft In order to prevent thieves from Test Centre for stealing power from the power net and to check for holes in the water Small Wind pipes Thisted Municipality has in- Turbines in Thy stalled 1050 measuring instruments Allan Møller, Thisted El-forretning, is one of the local craftsmen who have benefitted from the extra jobs created by at 250 places of usage. Ranging from 4 to 6 small household wind the policy of Thisted Municipality to issue energy certificates to public buildings. buildings to fountains the measuring turbines measuring up to 25 instruments give continuous updat- meters may soon be erected and he electric installations at Ro- Energy Efficient Buildings shows how Thisted Municipality ed information about usage at each tested at Sindrup Vejle in Thy.