In a win for alternative energy (there seem to be more and more these days) the recently released numbers show that during the month of October, wind power generated 126 percent of the energy needed to power every home in Scotland. The positive numbers spill over into other types of renewables. Solar power (roof-mounted) supplied 30 to 40 percent of power for homes that had it installed for the month of October as well.
It’s not really surprising since Scotland is already a leader in the renewable energy game with just under 40 percent of energy coming from renewable sources. While the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), who analyzed the results of data collected by WeatherEnergy, does acknowledge it’s a bit of a “bumper month,” it’s still pretty encouraging. This story comes on the heels of an announcement that wind farms outdid nuclear for the whole UK on October 21st. It’s apparently been quite a blustery month in the UK.
Part of the reason Scotland is so focused on renewable energy is because First Minister Alex Salmond is a big supporter. (Imagine politicians that fully support renewable energy and recognize the effects of climate change!) Onshore wind energy is the most common form of renewable in Scotland, but the offshore wind farms represent 25 percent of the total off shore wind farms in Europe. The UK’s largest windfarm, Whitelee Windfarm, is located just outside of Glasgow.
In October, the wind turbines generated 982,842 MWh of power, which the WWF says is enough to power 3,045,000 homes (or about 28 percent) of the total homes in the entire UK.
Whitelee Wind FarmRenewable energy (and energy in general) actually became a source of debate during the referendum vote for Scottish independence with the UK energy secretary saying independence would drive up Scottish energy costs. Meanwhile, a Scottish National Party minister claimed that given the 20 percent spare electricity margin in Scotland and the 2 to 5 percent margin in the whole of the UK, it was the UK that would be crippled. Scotland has a third of the total renewable energy in the UK. We’ll never know if this was just political pandering of if there is any truth to it. While independence would have freed Scotland from paying for some of the UK’s nuclear facilities, it’s difficult to say what the overall effect would have been.
The numbers from this month just support the Scottish government in their endeavor to make the country 100 percent reliant on alternative energy by 2025. And they’re exploring every option, including underwater turbines to capture the energy produced by the tides of the Pentland Firth. The water there can move up to 18 miles per hour, which could be enough to generate energy that could power a third of Scotland with an estimated 398 megawatts per year. Though difficult to install (and maintain, I imagine) the underwater turbines offer a steady flow of energy, whereas regular wind farms are at the mercy of, well, the wind. It’s not to say it can’t be done, South Korea has a tidal power station in Sihwa Lake that produces 254 MWh of power per year.
It’s good to see the renewable energy numbers improving and hopefully Scotland will set a good precedent for the rest of the world.