Renewable Energy on Small Islands

This review of Renewable Energy Island (REIs) is an attempt to give an overview of initiatives within renewable energy on islands around the world.

In its action plan - Energy 21 - the Danish government has decided that a Danish island as a demonstration project should become self sufficient from renewable energy sources, including transportation, within 10 years. In November 1997 the Danish island Samsoe was officially selected - among 5 candidates - to become a REI. The Danish REI is a good starting point for global co-operation among similar initiatives to exchange experience and information and to plan and implement collaboration programmes.

The Danish Council for Sustainable Energy, which is an independent council for advising the Danish government and parliament in connection with the implementation of Energy 21, has initiated this review of REI.

The council considers that the government's idea of a Danish REI is a useful way to make future energy-systems visible and concrete and to implement and demonstrate models that can be used, not only on islands at home and abroad, but in principle everywhere. If politicians should be inspired to aim for a broader use of renewable energy as part of a sustainable development, it is necessary to demonstrate renewable energy in a large scale and in an integrated and organised from, placed in a well defined area - as e.g. a smaller island.

To look further into this matter, it has been decided to elaborate this report, to be used as a tool for future co-operation. The Danish Council for Sustainable Energy has furthermore decided to organise an international REI-conference in 1999. The purpose of this report as well as the conference of 1999 is to prepare for future global co-operation and networking among REIs.