Renewable energy in Norway
Encyclopedia
Norway is a heavy producer of renewable energy
, first of all due to good resources in hydropower
. Over 99% of the electricity production in mainland Norway is covered by hydropower plants. The total production of electricity from hydropower plants amounted to 135.3 TWh in 2007 There is also a large potential in wind power
, offshore wind power
and wave power
, as well as production of bio-energy from wood. Norway has limited resources in solar energy, but is one of the worlds largest producers of solar grade silicon and silicon solar cells, much thanks to the activities of Renewable Energy Corporation
.
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
, first of all due to good resources in hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
. Over 99% of the electricity production in mainland Norway is covered by hydropower plants. The total production of electricity from hydropower plants amounted to 135.3 TWh in 2007 There is also a large potential in wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
, offshore wind power
Offshore wind power
Offshore wind power refers to the construction of wind farms in bodies of water to generate electricity from wind. Better wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land, so offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher....
and wave power
Wave power
Wave power 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...
, as well as production of bio-energy from wood. Norway has limited resources in solar energy, but is one of the worlds largest producers of solar grade silicon and silicon solar cells, much thanks to the activities of Renewable Energy Corporation
Renewable Energy Corporation
The Renewable Energy Corporation is a solar power company with headquarters in Norway. REC produces silicon materials for photovoltaics applications and multicrystalline wafers, as well as solar cells and modules...
.
See also
- Centre for Renewable EnergyCentre for Renewable EnergyCentre for Renewable Energy is a virtual research centre owned by Norwegian University of Science and Technology , SINTEF, Institute for Energy Technology and University of Oslo . SFFE was etablished in 2004, initially as a unifying organ for SINTEF and NTNU...
- Electricity sector in Norway
- Scotland-Norway interconnector