Copenhagen Energy Vision: A sustainable vision for bringing a Capital to 100% renewable energy

Authors:

Brian Vad Mathiesen, Rasmus Søgaard Lund, David Connolly, Iva Ridjan, Steffen Nielsen

The short-term goal for The City of Copenhagen is a CO2 neutral energy supply by the year 2025, and the long-term vision for Denmark is a 100% renewable energy (RE) supply by the year 2050. In this project, it is concluded that Copenhagen plays a key role in this transition. The long-term vision of 100% RE can be achieved in a socio-economic and resource efficient way in Denmark, but local involvement is required to ensure the implementation of a Smart Energy System approach. A Smart Energy System perspective, which considers electricity, heating and transport, is applied in this study using the EnergyPLAN model. The model simulates the electricity, heating, cooling, industrial, and transport sectors on an hourly basis and enables the identification of new synergies between the sectors to 1) improve the efficiency of the energy system and 2) accommodate the short-term fluctuations in renewable energy production. Based on results at the national level, some key recommendations can be made for Copenhagen, the Greater Copenhagen Area and national policymakers. For example, key technologies that will be necessary in Copenhagen in the coming years are heat savings in buildings, large-scale heat pumps, flexible fuel efficient power plants, low-temperature district heating, more public transport, and the electrification of the transport sector. Recommendations such as these will support the development towards 100% RE in 2050, thus avoiding potential pitfalls associated with the short-term goals.

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