New analysis confirms Scottish wind farm provided enough power last month for nearly five million homes Scotland’s fleet of onshore and offshore wind farms set another record last month, providing enough clean power for nearly five million homes. According to a new analysis from WWF Scotland, wind turbines delivered power over the course of the month that was equivalent to 98 per cent demand, although peaks and troughs in supply and demand meant fossil fuel power plants were still required throughout the month to help balance the grid.

However, Dr Sam Gardner, acting director at WWF Scotland, said the latest surge in clean energy generation highlighted how critical wind power has become to the country’s grid. “What a month October proved to be, with wind powering on average 98 per cent of Scotland’s entire electricity demand for the month, and exceeding our total demand for a staggering 16 out of 31 days,” he said in a statement. “These figures clearly show wind is working, it’s helping reduce our emissions and is the lowest cost form of new power generation. It’s also popular, with a recent survey also showing more and more people support turbines in rural areas.” He added that it was “essential that the UK government unlocks market access for onshore wind at a time when we need to be scaling up electrification of heat and transport”.

The analysis reveals that wind generation remained remarkably high throughout much of the month.

On the best day of the month – 23rd October – wind power generation hit 105,900.94 MWh, enough to power 8.72 million homes or 356 per cent of Scottish households. In contrast, the worst day for wind power – 18th October – still saw enough generation for 62 per cent of households and a quarter of overall demand. Alex Wilcox Brooke, Weather Energy Project Manager at Severn Wye Energy Agency, said: “October’s figures are a prime example of how reliable and consistent wind production can be, with production on 16 days outstripping national demand.” The performance also highlights the growing appeal of energy storage and flexible grid systems that can help shift peaks in supply and demand to maximise the value of variable renewable power generation. Click here read more

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