The wait for technological advancements in the wind sector is over. Wind energy can now be collected on- and virtually anywhere offshore, making it a very feasible source of energy. Wind is ready, are you?
Wind power is ready to take over as the world’s main producer of electricity while simultaneously working within the earth’s natural limits. Since 2013, the world has added more renewable capacity than fossil fuels and, by 2040, renewables will have the same share as oil, coal and gas. At this rate, there is no question that wind power will take over the world’s nuclear fleet in the next five years.
The world is finally realising the power of wind turbines. In 2014, annual installation exceeded 50 GW for the first time, making the global installed wind power grow to 370 GW. The EU alone has taken advantage of wind energy by installing 128.8 GW, approximately 120.6 GW onshore and just over 8 GW offshore, at the end of 2014. This produced 284 TWh of electricity, which covers 10.2% of the EU’s electricity consumption, or enough to power up to 73 million households.
New technological advancements of wind turbines allow for easier access to wind energy from flexible locations. Wind turbines can already be built on- and offshore, but floating turbines will enter the market in four years, allowing offshore wind turbines to be placed virtually anywhere at sea.
Today’s average onshore wind turbine (2.5 MW) can power more than 1,350 European households. The largest offshore wind turbine of 8 MW currently stands in Østerild. Its 80 m-long blades produces enough electricity in one day for 13,500 households in Denmark.