Energy positive: how Denmark's Samsø island switched to zero carbon

The small island's energy makeover took less than a decade and was spurred on by local commitment, providing a template for how regional Australia could transition to renewables

Anyone doubting the potential of renewable energy need look no further than the Danish island of Samsi. The 4,000-inhabitant island nestled in the Kattegat Sea has been energy-positive for the past decade, producing more energy from wind and biomass than it consumes.

Samsi's transformation from a carbon-dependent importer of oil and coal-fuelled electricity to a paragon of renewables started in 1998. That year, the island won a competition sponsored by the Danish ministry of environment and energy that was looking for a showcase community - one that could prove the country's freshly announced Kyoto target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 21% was, in fact, achievable.