A pioneer of modern wind energy, Henrik Stiesdal shares how he entered the industry, how the sector has evolved and what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for the global energy transition.

How did you first get into the electrical engineering and energy sector?

My entry into the industry dates back almost 50 years, to the 1970s, when I began experimenting with wind power. At the time, I built a wind turbine for my parents’ farm and later developed a commercial version together with a local machinist.

We installed a few of these machines, and they performed so well that we realised we could have a bigger impact, though not as manufacturers ourselves. We eventually sold the design to a Danish company, Vestas, which at the time was interested in wind energy but had no technical solution. That moment marked the company’s real start in wind, and of course, today it is one of the largest turbine suppliers in the world.

Since then, I’ve worked in and with the wind industry, and that naturally leads to a strong interest in how electricity is produced, transported and used by society.

What originally sparked your interest in wind power?

It began with the oil crisis in 1973. The sudden supply restrictions created huge challenges across Europe. In Denmark, we had car-free Sundays, energy-saving restrictions and a lasting rise in energy prices, around three times higher than before.

On a small family farm, energy costs matter. I started looking for ways to alleviate that pressure and quickly concluded that wind could deliver both heat and electricity. That practical motivation became the starting point for my lifelong involvement in renewable energy.

How have perceptions of wind and renewable energy changed since you started?

The change has been dramatic. In the early years, wind energy in Denmark was closely tied to grassroots movements focused on decentralisation, bringing energy “to the people.” Authorities viewed it with low expectations, though generally with goodwill.

Even in the 1980s, when deployment was accelerating, many believed wind would never play a meaningful role. But by the late 1990s, Denmark had already surpassed a ten per cent wind share, and the potential became undeniable.

As climate concerns grew from the early 1990s onward, wind shifted from an independence-driven solution to a climate-driven imperative. Today, wind turbines supply roughly ten per cent of global electricity and abate about five per cent of global emissions, and the contribution is rising quickly.

Of course, political cycles still influence acceptance. In some regions, wind and solar have become unnecessarily polarised. But overall, the transition remains unstoppable, and solar and wind will form the backbone of tomorrow’s clean, low-cost electricity system.

What barriers could limit the full potential of wind energy?

Unfortunately, there are several. Social acceptance is one. The topic is more political now than it was a decade ago.

But the biggest challenges in Europe are regulatory and infrastructural. When we built the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991, it took one year to obtain planning permission. Today, acquiring planning for offshore projects typically take four to seven years.

Grid capacity is another major constraint. Offshore wind delivers large volumes of “invisible power” to a few concentrated landing points, and national grids are simply not prepared to distribute that energy at the scale required. Additionally, system operators often aren’t incentivised to plan ahead, creating a chicken-and-egg problem: you can’t build major energy projects without guaranteed export capacity, but you can’t build grid capacity without good expectations of supply and demand.

A third bottleneck often mentioned is supply chain capacity. That challenge is real, but it will largely solve itself once planning and grid uncertainties are resolved. Once they have long-term visibility, manufacturers will invest.

You’ll be attending CWIEME Berlin next year — what are you most looking forward to?

I still have a childlike enthusiasm for anything new, innovative and full of potential, and CWIEME always delivers on that.

I’m especially interested in seeing solutions that address grid and distribution challenges. We talk a lot about smart grids, but we also need smart thinking in how we expand and future-proof them. As wind and solar capacity grow and as electrification becomes essential to reducing overall energy use, strong and flexible grids will be absolutely vital.

I look forward both to exploring the technologies on display and hearing discussions that push this thinking forward.