In the period 2010-2019, renewable electricity generation in the UK from wind power grew from 2.7% to 19.8%, with offshore wind exceeding onshore production towards the end of 2019.
By 2020, onshore and offshore wind together generated 75,610 GWh of clean electricity, accounting for 24% of the UK’s total electricity output, with onshore wind accounting for 11% – much of this located on farmed or managed land.
This technology will continue to play an important part in the UK’s renewable energy mix – and provide an additional source of farm income and opportunity for business and community investment.
It can also be economic to combine solar PV, a farm-scale wind turbine (under 50 kWe) and battery storage for use on-site or for grid export. The addition of wind to solar PV systems can increase renewable generation over the year and better match the demand cycles, as many areas experience more wind in the winter months when solar PV output is minimal.
A small wind turbine makes an excellent addition to a solar PV system because the wind often blows in winter when the sun doesn’t shine. Both technologies are amongst the cheapest forms of producing low-carbon electricity. The Climate Change Committee’s projections require 22-29 GW of onshore wind capacity and 23-43 GW of solar by 2030 – and more by 2050 – compared to existing onshore wind and solar capacity of around 13 GW each in 2020.