By Dallas News Group, USA (Originally in English)

In 1997, the ecological-minded Danish Energy Agency sponsored a national contest to select the off-shore island with the best plan to become 100% energy-sustainable within a 10-year timeframe. Without any local conventional energy sources, the island of Samso was selected as the best site to perform this controlled experiment. The results have been amazing.

Today, 100% of island inhabitants use green electricity from the numerous wind turbines dotting its horizon with 75% of heating needs satisfied via solar power and biomass energy. It has been estimated that Samso has reduced its emissions of key pollutants such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide by 142%, 71% and 41% respectively as the result of these efforts. The next challenge is the transportation sector where Samso is applying two radically different concepts to address transportation energy needs. The first is rapeseed (canola) oil that is simply cold-pressed, strained, and fed directly into slightly modified diesel engines. This effort is targeted at large diesel users such as farm tractor and ferry boat operators. The next longer term project is the development of a hydrogen plant to eventually fuel other motor vehicles. To facilitate public education and generate interest in this new endeavor, hydrogen trucks manufactured by H2 Logic Alps would be used by the island in various vocational capacities.

In addition to all the positive environmental changes, the Samso ecological revolution has brought the community together to enhance their economy. Investment cooperatives allow inhabitants to earn substantial investment returns on shares of wind turbines. Excess wind generated kilowatt hours are transferred to Denmark's main power grid helping to raise wind power's share of the Danish power consumption to 20%. Danish wind turbine manufacturers, experiencing a major surge in demand, now account for 40% of the world market with Germany and Spain buying 24% and 10.5% of Danish turbine exports. That accounts for 3.4 billion in US dollars or approximately 1.8% of Danish GDP. Note also, that Samso has become very innovative in its use of available resources to improve its overall quality of life. Straw from crops such as alfalfa (considered carbon neutral) is burned in super-efficient centralized kilns that supply home water-based heating in winter. Combined with local district solar plants, studies show that inhabitants enjoy a 20% cheaper rate vs. buying and using heating oil. In addition, the ash from the kilns can be sown back into the fields to fertilize the next cycle of alfalfa. The by-product, green mash cake, from the rapeseed bio-diesel presses is used as nutritious vegetarian animal feed, eliminating the need to import feed from abroad. Locally grown organic produce growers thrive as the local people try to avoid imported produce grown with oil-based chemical fertilizers. By enhancing regional self-sufficiency, new markets have opened in turn generating good-paying jobs. The introduction of these renewable energy projects has led Samso inhabitants to embrace a lifestyle that stimulated their economy, improved their way of life, and kept their environment clean.

Community commitment provided the foundation for success because the local people wanted to take more personal control over the quality of their life. Inhabitants see that their efforts have brought benefit to themselves, their island, their country and the world. As such, Samso is a shining model of what all communities can evolve toward.

References:
http://outside.away.com/outside/destinations/200702/samso-denmark-1.html http://www.dailyreckoning.co.uk/article/27032006.html

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