What is wind power?

Wind is a free natural resource which can be converted into energy.  Windmills can capture this energy by utilising wind to turn their rotors.  This energy is converted to electricity.  Wind turbines are designed to start running at wind speeds of around 3 to 5 metres/second and to stop if the wind speed reaches gale speeds of 25 metres/second [1].

Why should the UK embrace wind power?

Wind power is a good way for the UK to reduce its carbon emissions, whilst providing a percentage of renewable energy to the national grid in the decline of non-renewable energy such as coal and gas.  Despite popular belief, wind turbines are not unreliable because of intermittent wind speeds.  When the wind stops blowing, electricity continues to be provided by other forms of generation, such as gas or coal-fired power plants [5].  The Sustainable Development Commission says that the UK has the best and most geographically diverse wind resources in Europe, more than enough to meet current renewable energy targets [2].

Quick facts [3]

• Wind power reduces greenhouse gas emissions by displacing power generation from fossil fuels.
• In 2008 there were over 180 wind farms operating in the UK, using more than 2,100 turbines, providing enough electricity for 1.5 million homes.
• UK wind resources are more than enough to provide 20% electricity by 2020.

On shore vs. off shore wind farming

The UK is a relatively small island and densely populated.  It can be questioned how feasible on shore wind farms are.  MacKay (2009) suggests that if we want wind power to truly make a difference, the wind farms must cover a large area [1].  However, this is not entirely feasible in the UK.  The best areas to harvest wind are usually protected areas such as National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).  There is always the issue of NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard), people who do not want wind farms near their homes.  However, wind farms are not as intrusive as people may think.  A typical on shore wind farm of 20 turbines can extend over an area of 1 square kilometre, but only 1% of the land area would be used to house the turbines, electrical infrastructure and access roads [5].  The rest can be used for farming or as natural habitat, for example.

UK wind speeds (the higher and most regular the better) are a valid point to consider.  Off shore farming has higher wind speeds and more regular winds.  Therefore it seems a more sensible idea to build wind farms off shore.  Off shore wind farms need to be financially viable and so are best built in shallow waters.  They are still in the research and development phase but are slowly coming into the mix.  Things that need consideration when planning off shore wind farms include rusting turbines from saltwater, limited access to ships, and the negative effect on fish and birds.  All of these can be effectively avoided through careful planning and design.

There are currently four offshore projects operating in the UK, making a total of 213.80 MW [4]. Each turbine typically generates enough electricity each year to meet the needs of 2500 households while displacing in the region of 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide [4].

The UK Wind Energy Database (UK WED) shows how many current wind turbines are operating, what energy they are producing, how many homes they are powering and the reduction in CO2 per year.  These encouraging figures show the potential for expanding wind power in the UK.

Currently operational at a glance [6]

Domestic systems are now available to install on your land to generate renewable energy to help power your home, and ESW can help you get a quote for a project like this.

Useful links and references

[1]  Sustainable energy – without the hot air (2009) David MacKay.

[2] Sustainable Development Commission http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/wind-power-in-the-uk.html

[3] Wind Power – Your Questions Answered http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications/downloads/Wind%20Power%20-%20your%20questions%20answered%20FINAL.pdf

[4] BWEA Offshore Wind Farms FAQs http://www.bwea.com/offshore/faqs.html#where

[5] BWEA Onshore Wind Farms FAQs  http://www.bwea.com/ref/faq.html#stop

[6] UK Wind Energy Database (UK WED) http://www.bwea.com/ukwed/index.asp

Kentish flats – offshore UK wind farm http://www.kentishflats.co.uk/index.dsp?area=1374

All wind farms in the UK using google maps http://www.bwea.com/ukwed/google.asp