The advantages of onshore wind farms
The advantages of onshore wind energy generation are plentiful. Firstly, and most obviously, wind power is a renewable energy source, inexhaustible in its supply and associated with less greenhouse gas emissions than its fossil fuel counterparts. The carbon footprint of a wind turbine is mostly associated with the manufacture, installation and transport of the turbine, equating to around 9g CO2/KWh. This is very low compared to that of a gas generator, which generates around 450g CO2/KWh, and coal which yields a hefty 1,050g CO2/KWh.
Assuming the land is properly managed and maintained, agricultural and stockbreeding activities can be carried out around the turbines. It also takes a relatively short amount of time to erect and take down a wind turbine. One turbine takes about a week to install assuming you’re using an efficient and knowledgeable crew.
The disadvantages of onshore wind farms
One of the primary disadvantages for onshore wind is that it is an intermittent power source, meaning the turbines will only generate electricity if the winds are blowing at the right strength. However, problems of intermittent supply can be overcome by linking with the wind power networks of other countries.
The most common criticism of onshore wind farms is their visual impact, with many critics seeming to prefer the sights and smells of gas and oil refineries. However, 78 per cent of respondents surveyed in spring 2023 said they supported the use of onshore wind in the UK, but just 43 per cent said they would be happy about an onshore wind farm in their local area.
There is evidence to suggest that bird and bat species are impacted by turbines, although the number of bird fatalities because of collision is lower than the numbers compared with bird fatalities from traffic or domestic cats. More importantly, the overall benefits to biodiversity and ecosystems byfitigating climate change through renewable energy solutions outweighs the risks.
The future of onshore wind
The most recent win for UK onshore wind has been the new UK Government’s move to lift the de facto ban as of 8 July 2024. This is a promising move for the UK’s renewable energy sector.
According to the House of Commons Planning for Onshore Wind report, the UK’s installed onshore wind capacity increased by around 11.3GW between 2010 and 2023. By the end of 2023, total installed capacity for onshore wind was 15.4GW. The majority of this, 62 per cent of the UK’s overall installed capacity, is situated in Scotland., followed by 20 per cent in England, and 8 per cent in Wales.
In terms of the UK’s overall renewable energy technology blend, onshore wind made up 26 per cent of this, compared to 24 per cent for offshore wind and 10 per cent for solar PV. As one of the UK’s largest renewable energy sources, onshore wind generated 32.4 TWh of electricity in 2023, equivalent to 24 per cent of all renewable electricity generated in the UK that year and 11 per cent of total electricity generated in the UK.
By the end of 2023, the UK had 758 operational onshore wind farms with over 7,000 active turbines. Now that the de facto ban on onshore wind farms has been lifted, the UK has the potential to progress with the planning and development of further wind farms, placing it on the map as global leaders of renewable wind energy.
