WIREDGOV

Wind turbines generate equivalent of all Scotland’s electricity needs for a record four straight days

New record set for largest amount of wind-generated power in a single day.

Spectacular” achievements should embolden politicians to aim even higher, says WWF.

Scotland set two new wind power records at the end of December, according to data on Monday 9^th January by WWF Scotland.

Analysis by the environmental group of data provided by WeatherEnergy [1] found that wind turbines in Scotland generated power equivalent to all of the nation’s electricity needs for a record four straight days – on 23, 24, 25, and 26 December.

Although wind turbines have previously generated more power than needed in a single day in Scotland, this is the first time that such a feat has been recorded on consecutive days.

The same four-day period also saw a new record set for the most amount of wind-generated power in a single day – on Christmas Eve – with 74,042MWh of electricity sent to the National Grid.

As total electricity demand on Christmas Eve was 56,089MWh it meant that wind turbines generated the equivalent of 132% of Scotland’s total electricity needs that day.

However, the proportion of Scotland’s total power needs that could have been met by wind on Christmas Day was even greater - equivalent to 153% of total electricity demand. This was because, although output from wind turbines on Christmas Day was slightly less that generated on Christmas Eve at 70,002Mh, total electricity demand was also much lower at 45,756MWh.

WWF Scotland’s director Lang Banks said:

“These are two spectacular achievements, which underline the massive progress Scotland is making in securing an ever increasing proportion of its electricity needs from wind power and other clean renewable sources. Scotland can be proud that its record-breaking wind power output at the end of December, and resulting export of excess electricity through interconnectors to England, greatly contributed to what also proved a record-breaking week for wind power across the entire UK. [2]

“By reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, we’re also helping to address the threats posed to people and nature by climate change. That is why we must continue to take steps to reduce our overall energy demand and harness more of what we do use from the wide range of renewable energy sources now available.

“Later this month, the Scottish Government is expected to publish its new energy strategy. We hope these latest wind power records embolden Ministers to aim high when it comes to the role renewables play in their forthcoming strategy especially in areas beyond the power sector, such as heat and transport.”

Karen Robinson of WeatherEnergy said:

“It was only as recently as August 2016 that we first recorded a day where wind powered electricity generation exceeding demand. [3] However, thanks to increasing levels of renewables capacity and improved energy efficiency reducing power demand, we’re starting to see more and more such days.

“Given these figures, now is the time for serious consideration to be given to using more of this excess renewable electricity to help de-carbonise other areas of society, such as powering electric vehicles or heating our homes and businesses using non-fossil fuel technologies.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Part of a joint project to help the public better understand the nation’s renewable energy resource, the data is provided by WeatherEnergy, and was part of the European EnergizAIR project, supported by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, led by the European Agency for Competiveness and Innovation (EACI). Severn Wye Energy Agency is the UK partner.

http://www.weatherenergy.co.uk

For the four consecutive days:

Date

Power sent to the National Grid by wind turbines in Scotland (MWh)

Total power demand in Scotland (MWh)

% of Scotland’s total power needs met by wind

23 December

68,604

57,431

119%

24 December

74,042

56,089

132%

25 December

70,002

45,756

153%

26 December

66,480

50,419

132%

Looking across the entire month of December:

• Wind turbines in Scotland provided 1,154,864MWh of electricity to the National Grid, enough to supply, on average, the electrical needs of 127% of Scottish households (3.1 million homes) – this represents a decrease of 15% compared to that of December 2016, when wind energy provided 1,352,398MWh.
• Scotland’s total electricity consumption (i.e. including homes, business and industry) for December was 2,166,433MWh. Wind power therefore generated the equivalent of 53% of Scotland’s entire electricity needs for the month.

In generating the monthly report, the following assumptions are made:

Average annual Scottish household electricity consumption - 4,435 kWh (this figure is greater than the UK average)

Number of households in Scotland - 2.42 million.

Total annual electricity consumption in Scotland is 25,873GWh, of which 41% is domestic and 59% is non-domestic.

Further technical information can be found here:

http://www.weatherenergy.co.uk/sites/default/files/About%20WeatherEnergy_technical%20%282%29_0.pdf

[2] http://www.renewableuk.com/news/324181/Trio-of-new-wind-energy-records-set-at-end-of-December-.htm

[3] http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/scotland-wind-energy-renewable-power-electricity-wwf-scotland-a7183006.html