What is Wind Energy?

The Highlands and Islands of Scotland - an area the size of Belgium - is one of the windiest places in Europe. Indeed Scotland accounts for around 25 per cent of the total European wind energy resource, with much of this in the Highlands and Islands.

The bulk of renewable energy activity is currently focused on wind power given that this technology is well developed and is commercially viable. There are a number of onshore windfarms operating across the Highlands and Islands including in Caithness and Sutherland, Shetland, Orkney, Ross-shire, Moray and Argyll and the Islands. For example, the Causeymire wind farm in Caithness, operated by Npower Renewables, is a 21-turbine development which produces 48MW of electricity, enough to power 25,000 homes each year.

Offshore wind power generation in the UK is mainly focused in the shallow water areas around the east and west coast of England. In the longer term there will be further opportunities to exploit deepwater offshore wind power, where there is huge potential. For example, Talisman Energy and Scottish and Southern Energy are leading a consortium which is developing the world’s first deepwater windfarm in the Moray Firth, 24km off the north east coast of Scotland. One of the two 5MW demonstrator turbines was deployed in August 2006 and the other is due to be in position early in 2007.

In addition to commercial developments, the Highlands and Islands is also home to a variety of community-based windfarm projects. These vary in size, but the area's first small-scale commercial project is on the Isle of Gigha. The 'Dancing Ladies' as they have become known are three 30-metre high wind turbines that produce approximately 2.1 gigawatt hours of electricity per annum, enough to run 12,000 energy-saving lightbulbs continuously. The ‘Ladies’ were also Scotland’s first community-owned, grid-connected wind farm. There are many other smaller scale community projects across the Highlands and Islands.

Try the 'Key Links' for further wind power facts and statistics including how to develop your own community wind project.

Click here to read Paul's Hill Wind Farm Photostory.

* Photography courtesy of Ted Leeming photography.

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