Wind power energy generation has increased by 715% in the UK since 2009 according to new figures from the Office of National Statistics.
The sector makes up 24% of energy generation and is nearly evenly split between offshore and onshore wind turbines.
The National Grid called 2020 the ‘greenest year on record’ as CO2 emissions hit a new low and wind power in particular soared in productivity.
Professor of Green Economics at the University of Roehampton Molly Scott Cato said: “The reality is there has been an absolutely incredible boom in wind power across the world, onshore and offshore and I think everybody’s surprised by it.
“Because there is so much more activity the price of kits and the technology is falling, we’re in that phase of technological development where something just really takes off and its now getting cheaper than the conventional forms of energy.
“They aren’t just doing it for the sake of climate change, they’re doing it because it’s the cheapest way to generate electricity now. It’s amazing, it’s a green boom.”
Wind turbines are less feasible in urban areas of London but one of the largest offshore wind farms is in the Thames Estuary.
Scott Cato said: “The key to getting this right now is to store the surplus energy generated from renewables with batteries or pump storage. We’ll be using a mix of renewables and balancing the grid from different sources.”
On a community level there are organisations who can facilitate a local transition to renewable energy.
Repowering is a London charity that helps communities invest in clean and local energy sources like solar panels while maintaining communal control of the technology.
They have completed solar panel projects on the Vauxhall Gardens Estate and several schools in Lambeth.
Scott Cato said: “The key thing is community energy, so when we put solar panels up communities need to get the money for that not just lend their roofs to big energy companies.
“Really solar panels should be a planning requirement for new builds.”
The government is aiming to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and currently 42% of the country’s energy is produced from renewable sources.
Featured image credit: Ashley Dace via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 2.0 license
