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Welcome to the Energy Nature Trail! This 2 kilometre long trail heads up to the VE Licki Medvjed windmill park. Along the route you'll find 5 panels teaching you everything about the wind and how we use it to generate energy. On this page you can take a virtual hike along the panels.
So, get out your virtual walking shoes, put on some naturesounds and imagine yourself walking through the beautiful nature Croatia offers.
Hello hiker, welcome to the Energy Nature Trail! Can you feel the air blowing around you? That's me, the wind! And are you carrying a phone? Each time you plug your phone into a power source I, the wind, provide the power to charge it. Would you like to know how this works exactly? I will show you as we walk up this trail. Hope you have enough 'power' in your legs for this two-kilometre hike.
So, get out your walking shoes, enjoy the natural surroundings and breathe in the fresh air. On the last panel, there is a QR code that you can scan with your phone for more information and a quiz. Now let's get hiking!
This trail is offered to you by Vjetroelektrana (VE) Licki Medvjed, a partnership between Enercon and Green Trust. We aim to build a wind farm with a capacity of approximately 400 MW on the top of these mountains which, at full capacity, can supply roughly half a million households with green electricity. It is our firm belief that wind farms can and should be built in a way that is socially responsible and nature inclusive. We are committed to producing green energy in harmony with nature by preserving natural habitats and wild species. Our ultimate goal is to make the best decisions for the planet as we strive for a sustainable future.
Enercon is a German manufacturer and one of the leading manufacturers of wind turbines. In line with its mission 'Energy for the World', Enercon has installed no fewer than 30,292 wind turbines since its inception in 1984 and has gained a vast amount of invaluable experience in this field. Enercon has also built several wind farms in forest areas in a nature-inclusive way.
'Changing energy' is the motto of Green Trust, an international consultancy firm in sustainable energy with its head office in the Netherlands and branches in Croatia and Serbia. Its ambition is to accelerate the energy transition – with you and for you. This involves developing wind and solar energy projects in harmony with nature while ensuring communities can participate in and benefit from them.
Did you know that I'm able to blow thanks to the sun? The sun heats the surface of the earth, causing warm air to rise. However, as the sun hits different parts of the earth at different angles, some places are warmer than others. Warm air, which weighs less than cold air, rises. Cool air moves in and replaces the rising warm air. The air moving from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas is what makes me, the wind, blow. The combination of these high and low-pressure areas and the rotation of the earth is what creates different weather patterns. So, without the sun, there would be no wind!
The wind is not only an awe-inspiring natural phenomenon, but also a powerful source of energy that can be used for different purposes. Managing the elements and making them serve civilization is part of who we are as humans. From the moment we set foot on this earth, we have tried to harness the wind's energy to ease everyday tasks and accomplish more in less time. As early as 5,000 BC, Egyptians used wind to propel their boats on the Nile River. By 200 BC, simple windmills were being used in China to pump water and in Persia to grind grain. And ancient mariners sailed to distant lands by making use of winds.
By the mid-19th century, the industrial revolution brought a major shift in energy sources with the usage of coal. As a result, wind as an energy source ended up on the back burner. In the last decade, however, wind has gained traction. The eagerness for economic development and irresponsible human activities have led us to overexploit natural resources and pollute the environment, causing ozone layer depletion, polar melting and rising sea levels. Amidst a raging threat to Mother Earth through emissions from energy generation, the world has turned to energy sources that are inexhaustible and environmentally friendly. By using these renewable sources instead of fossil fuels, we are saving the planet for future generations. We can all contribute to making the world a better place. We are all custodians for the future. As the Native American proverb says, 'We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.'
When the wind of change blows, some people build walls, others build windmills.
So, now you know where I come from. But how am I responsible for charging your phone? By blowing past a wind turbine! When I blow against a rotor blade, I cause the blades to turn. Sometimes I blow hard, and sometimes soft. But as a wind turbine's blades start turning at a wind speed of 3-5 meters per second, a gentle breeze is enough to power its continuous turning.
Do you cycle in the dark? Chances are that your bicycle has a dynamo attached to it that powers your front and rear light. Wind turbines work on the same principle. The propeller-like blades of a turbine turn around a rotor, which spins a generator. Inside the generator are magnets, which also start to spin. When they spin near a coil of wire, something strange happens inside that coil. Each coil carries charged electric particles called electrons. They're just sitting there, waiting for the magnets to spin. When this happens, all those electrons form a conga line and dance. It's hilarious! That's exactly what electricity is: a procession of electric particles.
This procession of electric particles is then converted in a transformer, fed into a supply grid and distributed to all the houses. You could say that I am converted into electricity and 'blown' into your home. When you plug your phone charger into the wall, you are actually charging your device with converted wind!
Congratulations, you have reached the top! You may notice that the wind is stronger here than at the beginning of the Energy Nature Trail. In some locations I am more present than in others. For example, coastal areas tend to be much windier than inland. Elevation can also make a difference. To get an idea of wind speeds at the VE Licki Medvjed site, data from the wind met mast in front of you will be collected for one year. How high do you think this mast is?
A whopping 105 metres! The mast is equipped with sensors to measure different types of data, such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, air pressure and turbulence. It is important to know all this to determine what type of wind turbine is best suited for this location.
This is the end of the trail. We hope you enjoyed the hike! Would you like to know more about VE Licki Medvjed? Then scan the QR code. You can find the quiz here, too.