The Wadden Islands have made an agreement with each other to be self-sufficient in energy and water by 2020. The islands believe that it is possible: Sustainable Wadden Islands, on the way to an energetic future in 2020. Each island takes sustainable measures step by step that should realize the ambition. The focus is on using energy sparingly , replacing fossil fuels with sustainable alternatives and reducing energy consumption in general.
Sustainable Wadden
The islands work together in the Sustainable Wadden project. Through cooperation and exchange between the islands, each island can become self-sufficient. The sustainable ambition becomes concrete through the implementation of projects. The Sustainable Wadden project mapped out the individual island projects in 2007. Financing and organization were examined and the possibilities for energy savings and sustainable energy generation were examined per island.
Energetic Future
The municipal councils of Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog recorded their ambitions in 2007 in the manifesto The energetic future. After the signing of the manifesto, the islands did not sit still. Many sustainable local initiatives were born. The islands bring all initiatives together in one plan.
Roadmap
The step-by-step plan “Sustainable Wadden Islands, towards an energetic future in 2020” was presented to Minister Schulz van Haegen of Infrastructure and the Environment on September 14, 2011 during the Waddenoog day in Harlingen. The islands had a special newspaper made as a public version. The step-by-step plan was explained here.
Islands
The unique position and character of the islands make them ideally suited for this ambition, the statement said. The islands must become a global platform and set an example for sustainable development. The islands want to distinguish themselves by embracing sustainable facilities and being a testing ground for innovation and innovation. Sustainable projects are already underway on all islands.
Self-sufficient
Self-sufficient is:
- The production of sustainable energy takes place on or around the islands as much as possible;
- The islands assume that the energy demand will be met sustainably over a period of one year. Peaks and troughs in certain periods are not taken into account;
- The islands rely on sustainable energy carriers such as electricity, gas and fuel;
- The islands may exchange or compensate for these different forms of energy.
Cost
The Trias Energetica is the basis for the plan. The three- step plan is intended for companies, households and governments to become climate neutral step by step.
These are the three steps:
- Reducing unnecessary energy consumption;
- Use of sustainable energy to meet the remaining needs;
- Making economical use of fossil fuels when sustainable energy is not sufficient.
Energy needs
The islands together use 3834 Terajoules of energy annually. To generate that energy, 523 wind turbines would be needed. A lot of money and effort is needed to calculate the goals. The islands calculate that they need more than 10 million euros until 2016.
Financing
The islands submit the projects to the Wadden Fund to receive money from it and they apply for European subsidies. Provinces and municipalities will have to pay part of the costs themselves.
Seven themes
Seven themes and promising projects have been identified.
- Energy efficient homes and businesses;
- Energy-efficient transport and mobility;
- Geothermal heat;
- Wind energy ;
- Biomass;
- Solar energy;
- Tidal energy.
Energy efficient homes and businesses
The Wadden municipalities count on homeowners and entrepreneurs to make their contribution. The municipalities provide incentives in the form of subsidies. Islander entrepreneurs in retail, agriculture, catering and recreation can drastically reduce their energy consumption, it has been calculated. Savings of 30 percent are possible. This requires cooperation between businesses and governments. Homeowners and entrepreneurs can contribute by:
- Home insulation
- Energy saving measures
- Sustainable business operations
Energy-efficient transport and mobility
The ferry services consume a lot of energy. 13.2 million liters of fuel pass through it every year. Optimizing sailings can already result in significant savings. The municipalities also want to encourage shipping companies to use the cleanest techniques (hull design, economical engines, use of materials). The municipalities want to encourage island residents to drive more economically and to purchase only the most economical category of cars. In addition, there will be tests with electric driving and the use of biogas . This does not save energy, but it does improve air quality.
Two concrete transport projects are:
- Making agreements with governments and carriers
- Incentive measures to drive less and more economically on the islands.
Geothermal heat
A feasibility study will start in 2015 and 2016 that will map out the possibilities of geothermal energy. In 2008, there was already a study that looked for possibilities for the extraction of geothermal energy around the islands. The area south of Terschelling and Vlieland offers opportunities for the extraction of geothermal heat, according to this research. If the islands decide to continue with geothermal energy in 2020, this will be a big step towards becoming self-sufficient. Geothermal energy can meet more than a fifth of the total energy demand annually. The Earth is hot on the inside. The deeper you drill, the warmer it gets. This geothermal heat or geothermal energy can be used for heating or generating electricity. The heat of the warm water from the depths is then used and cooled water goes back into the ground. This is then heated by geothermal energy. It is an endless source of energy.
Wind energy
There is no planning space for the large-scale extraction of wind energy on the Frisian Wadden Islands. Space is also limited on Texel. Wind energy does produce a lot of energy and that is why this option is still being investigated. Small and experimental wind turbines offer opportunities to enable the extraction of wind energy on the islands.
Biomass
Wood, manure, plant remains and sewage sludge; the Wadden Islands produce various organic residual flows. Through fermentation and combustion, energy is extracted from this: energy from biomass. Calculations of the biomass and the initiatives on the islands show that in 2020 at least 15 percent of the total energy demand on the islands can come from biomass.
Solar energy
The Wadden Islands are sunny islands. They have on average more hours of sunshine every year than the rest of the Netherlands. That makes solar energy generation interesting. Not all houses are suitable for solar panels: many island villages belong to a protected village landscape and solar panels as they currently appear are not allowed to be installed there. These panels may change, making them less noticeable and making installation possible. This also applies to houses in the dunes. The islands are also looking at setting up large-scale solar farms. Solar energy can meet 5% of the islands’ total energy demand in 2020. A solar panel or PV panel (from the English PhotoVoltaic) converts solar energy into electricity. A solar collector or solar boiler is used to heat running water.
Tidal energy
Tidal energy is extracted by using the difference in water height between low and high tide. Electricity can be generated using turbines suspended in flow channels. High tide and high tide are like day and night on the islands. Energy can be obtained from the tidal movement . Energy can be generated in places with large differences between high and low tide. It is worth investigating the opportunities of tidal energy. The tidal current is highest at Texel, Vlieland and Terschelling. The research therefore focuses first on those islands. Tidal energy could provide at least 4 percent of total energy demand in the future.
THE teams
teams) have been running on all Wadden Islands since 2010 , which include island volunteers who provide information to residents and entrepreneurs . They stimulate and organize sustainable initiatives.
In the meantime, islanders and the islands have already taken various measures:
- Green cleaning products
- Energy saving lamps
- Solar collectors
- LED lighting in the home and workplace
- Energy cooperatives and purchasing of green energy
- Energy labels for homes
- Electric driving
- Driving on gas
- LED street lighting with smart circuits
- Flush the toilet with rainwater
- Wood gasifier
- Heat pipes on the roof for hot water
- Buses that run on natural gas
- Biodiesel cars
- Green light and sustainable lighting in the countryside
- Hydrogen mixed with natural gas
- Green hotels
- Sustainable festivals
- Municipal subsidy
- Information desk
- Cover the refrigerator compartment in the supermarket
- Heat recovery
- Charging stations for electric driving
read more
- Smartflower – solar panels like a sunflower
- Ameland and the love-hate with natural gas
- Ameland and its Land Subsidence
- Derricks on Ameland – Natural gas extraction in the Wadden area
- Earth Day – Earth Day