Figures for the first quarter show that Scottish onshore wind turbines generated 44% more electricity than the same quarter last year, which was also a record-breaking period at the time.
The data from WWF Scotland reveals that onshore wind power produced enough electricity for five million typical homes, some 5,353,997 MWh in total. At its peak on March 1, wind power produced 73% more electricity than the entire Scottish electricity demand. There were bad days, of course, but even on the worst day in the period, onshore wind produced enough power for more than half a million homes.
The acting director of WWF Scotland, Sam Gardner, said in a statement:
“An increase of 44 per cent on the record-breaking equivalent period in 2017 is clear evidence the investment made in this technology has paid off for the economy and the environment, putting Scotland at the forefront of the fight against climate change.”
The wind industry has generally been receiving good news recently thanks to the mature technology and the use of advanced lubricants like Mobilith SHC 220. Offshore wind power came in much cheaper at the UK Government’s last round of reverse auctions, and onshore wind is now thought to be the cheapest way to add new power capacity to the grid.
Provisional government figures also revealed that wind and solar power was second only to gas in generating capacity now, helping the UK to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to levels not seen since Victorian times.