The key to making this work – for everyone – are developments in technology that are making the transition towards a greener future both easier and more cost-efficient. For example, the collection of solar energy was once regarded as gratuitous – especially in parts of the country that had a surplus of energy. Most homes in Norway are now equipped with smart meters allowing you to harvest solar energy, store it, and even sell it back to energy companies. This makes renewables a smart investment on several levels, and provides a strong incentive for people to get behind the technology.
Businesses in Norway also see that the future is in renewables. In recent years an impressive number of start-ups and innovators have employed new technologies to help speed up Norway’s shift to renewables. Like Ocean Sun, for example – co-founded by ex oil-and-gas man Øyvind Christian Rohn – which is pioneering new solar farm technology that floats on the surface of the ocean.
The development of new silicon solar modules has now made it possible to create thinner, more flexible solar panels that are capable of withstanding the swells and surges of the tempestuous North Sea. This brilliant technology opens up huge swathes of energy-producing space, which can be moored close to the coast without the need to exploit landmass. Better still, according to Rohn, this is a solution that transcends Norway’s borders: “We see solar becoming the long-term solution for the world, because it gives you abundant energy and costs have gone down rapidly.”
Just to be clear, Norway is far from squeaky clean when it comes to energy. Around half its total exports are still linked to oil and gas – particularly the latter – with over 9,000 km of pipelines connecting the country’s offshore gas fields and onshore terminals with energy-hungry nations across Europe.
