A new Danish report concludes that wind power reduces the electricity price to an extent that it compensates for the subsidies that the wind turbines receive through the public service obligation (PSO) scheme.
3 January 2007
A new Danish report concludes that wind power reduces the electricity price to an extent that it compensates for the subsidies that the wind turbines receive through the public service obligation (PSO) scheme.
“In 2006, the price reduction on electricity delivered by the wind turbines exceeded the amount that the consumers paid for the PSO via the electricity bill. Wind has therefore become a surplus business for the consumers,”says Project Manager Svend Enevoldsen, IBT Wind, University of Aarhus.
A working group with participants from the University of Aarhus, Aalborg University, Risø National Laboratory, The Danish Energy Authority and the Danish Wind Industry Association, has analysed how wind turbines influence the electricity price on the common Nordic spot market.
“The background for us was the obvious fluctuations in the electricity price when the wind was blowing. More wind meant a lower price. Therefore it was interesting to find out what the price would be, if wind turbines did not exist and then compare the two,” explains Svend Enevoldsen.
The working group has examined the spot market price every hour in 2004 and 2005, and then calculated what the spot market price would be, if the wind turbines did not exist.
The result is published in the report “Vindkraftens betydning for elprisen i Danmark”. In 2005, wind turbines reduced the price of electricity by DKK 1 billion (EUR 130 million) At the moment the report only exists in Danish, but an English version is underway.
