Wind energy output up 18% in 2011

05 January 2012

Wind energy output from Britain’s leading green energy company, Ecotricity, increased by 18% in 2011 when comparing windmills like-for-like from the previous year.
 
A comparison of the same 51 Ecotricity windmills spread across 16 windparks from Scotland in the north, to Norfolk in the east and Somerset in the south west – showed a total energy output of almost 123.8 Gigawatt hours in 2011 – an increase of 18% compared to an output of 104.6 GWh in 2010.
 
Eight of the twelve months in 2011, produced increased wind energy output compared to 2010. In total enough energy was produced to power over 37,500 homes.
 
Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said: “There were whole months during 2011 when green energy contributed nearly 10% (and wind power 5%) of the Britain’s total electricity needs.
 
“But Britain has 40% of Europe’s total wind resource, so we should be making more use of this clean, indigenous energy source.
 
“You could say we are the Saudi Arabia of wind energy and this resource gives Britain the potential to be energy independent again.”
 
The Gloucestershire-based company will build 19 new windmills at five sites across Britain in 2012 – increasing their total capacity by 50%. A further 78 windmills are still seeking planning approval (enough to power over 100,000 homes).
 
The new-build windmills will be financed using money from customer’s energy bills and also from the £10 million that Ecotricity raised through their innovative ecobonds during December.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
Ecotricity expects to have over 200MW of operational windmills in the next three to five years. 

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Media contacts: Stuart Brennan, Ecotricity

stuart.brennan@ecotricity.co.uk or 07557 436 697.