From Guest Blogger Anja: UK Sets New Record For Wind Power Production
Investing in renewable energy sources means investing in our future. While 2014 was an excellent year for wind energy, 2015 is already showing great potential. In fact, the newest statistics are indicating an annual market growth of 44 percent and installations of more than 51 GW of wind energy. Asia is holding its position as a world leading market followed by emerging markets in Africa and Latin America while Europe is facing a slight downturn.
According to research done by GreenMatch and the Global Wind Energy Council, the UK has broken its previous record for generated wind power and is now the European leader in the offshore wind industry. The UK is not only remaining on track to secure 15% of the country’s total energy powered from renewable energy sources but also broke its previous record set in 2013.
Denmark and Germany have led the European market with installed wind capacity for the past few years, but the issue has assumed center stage in the UK, accompanied by the desire to move away from the feed-in-tariff scheme. With the financial support provided by the UK’s government through the Renewable Obligation and the domestic funding the rate of installed renewable energy is growing each year.
When looking into statistics, the UK has the largest offshore wind capacity in Europe with 55% of all installation followed by Denmark with 15,8%, and Germany with 13%.
However, as UK’s use of wind power has grown, the discussion regarding projects has been raised at the local and political level, leaving a negative effect on investments caused by the changing financial regime.
Wind Vision
As a renewable and clean energy source, wind energy is the fastest growing industry. Even though the costs of the investment are high, researchers are constantly seeking possible ways of lowering costs and finding new solutions to increase engagement with this source of energy. One of them is the usage of existing offshore oil platforms that are nearing the end of useful life as an installation field.
Newest research within the wind industry is pointing to the high potential of new generations of wind turbines capable of harnessing stronger and more consistent winds higher in the atmosphere. Although these new models are still in the testing stage, there is significant potential and visible results associated with their development.
All of it indicates that we will be seeing a lot more of wind power in the future and not only in the UK but in more regions around the world. While developers are constantly working on making new technology faster, lighter and more useful for the life on Earth we can already see the high potential for wind generation. Wind energy assured its place in the future as the inexpensive way of harvesting electrical power. As the emphasis on the environment is growing, wind power is looking better as an option for a sustainable future.
See infographic on the subject here:
