Top Ten Facts

About wind turbines:

• The UK is the windiest country in Europe
• Onshore wind energy is now established as a mature clean energy generating technology
• Every unit of electricity from a wind turbine displaces one from a conventional power station
• Wind energy is now the largest renewable generation source
• Wind turbines have an average working life of 20 years
• In over 20 years of operating experience and more than 50,000 machines installed around the world, no member of the public has ever been harmed by operating wind turbines.
• Wind energy contributes 2.2% of the UK’s electricity supply
• Wind is the fastest growing renewable energy source
• The Government wishes to generate 15% of all the UK’s energy from renewable sources by 2020

An individual wind turbine will generate electricity for 70 - 85% of the time and its electricity output varies between zero and its full, “rated” output in accordance with the wind speed.