CCC mapping of the Danish smart grid sector
According to a new mapping of the Danish smart grid sector recently completed by Copenhagen Cleantech Cluster (CCC) there are 60 Danish companies with a total of 15,500 employees working with different aspects of the smart grid concept. These companies represent 22 per cent of all testing and demonstration projects in Europe, which is twice as much as in Germany, while Spain represents 8.7 percent.

"Our mapping shows that Denmark has some very good cards in hand when it comes to smart grid development," says CCC's Marianna Lubanski, who chairs the CCC steering committee. "We are at a high level and there is no doubt that we are among the best in the world. Smart grid is Denmark's "golden egg" in the global competition to create "the electrified society". But this prominent position also requires us to be constantly active and focused on development, increased innovation and optimal conditions for both Danish and foreign companies.

Marianna Lubanski points out that more testing and demonstration facilities are required if this position is to be maintained, just as the development of the global market requires that politicians engage in very close dialogue with the sector and listen to the involved parties."

Danish core competencies
Being a leading smart grid nation can truly pay off. In a report by the EU Commission's Joint Research Centre, the EU estimates that in 2030 investments of DKK 3,500 billion will be needed worldwide if energy transmission and distribution are included. And software for the regulation and distribution of energy and consumption in particular are areas in which Danish companies excel.

Marianna Lubanski adds: "The future lies in energy supplies being able to manage using several different types of energy when it best pays. We must also consider that both households and companies are consumers as well as producers of energy, buying and selling energy through the same circuitry and between countries. This is a great challenge, but we are leaders in the control and management systems required - and it will be the development of these that will create the winners of the future in the smart grid sector."

Professor: EU sees us as a smart grid beacon
Professor and head of the Elektro Centre at the Technological University of Denmark Jacob Østergaard agrees with Marianna Lubanski on the potential for Danish prospects and business areas. He considers Denmark to be one of the leading players at global level when it comes to the development of the smart grid sector.

View the entire mapping survey of the smart grid industry in Denmark here.

Visit Copenhagen Cleantech Clusters profile on State of Green.