How much power generate wind energy?

Renewable energy is, without a question, one of the European Union’s biggest development goals in the 21st century. Between 2004 and 2017, the share of renewable energy in energy consumption in the European Union increased from 8.5% to 17.5%. According to the Energy Union of the European Commission, the goal is to raise this figure to 20% in 2020 and 32% by 2030.

Among all renewable energy sources, wind power plays an increasingly significant role in supplying Europe with sustainable electricity. In 2019 alone, Europe installed 15.4 GW of new wind power capacity, raising the total installed wind power capacity in Europe to 205 GW.

While these are very impressive numbers, the wind farms have to be operating in order to really make a difference. How do we know it is practical and impactful to turn to wind power for sustainable electricity?

Check out WindEurope: Wind Power Numbers Daily

WindEurope is a non-profit organization founded by industry leaders and experts aiming to raise awareness of wind power by delivering relevant information of wind energy to the public and engaging in political decision-making processes. While their main website provides the latest news and reports regarding the industry, they also run a website called “Wind Power Numbers Daily.”

As named, “Wind Power Numbers Daily” showcases the performance of wind power in Europe each day. More specifically: How much wind was in Europe’s electricity each day.

Europe’s Real-Time Wind Map

The website opens up to a map of Europe, where each member states are colored with different shades of blue to indicate how much power demand wind energy covers in the respective countries in the day before. On the right side, three sets of data show the overall share of wind energy in electricity demand in Europe both onshore and offshore.

Yesterday’s Wind Country Rank

If you click into the second tab on the menu at the left, you can see two graphs showing the wind power performance of each European country in terms of electricity mix and amount of generation. What’s interesting about the graphs is, the country that uses most wind power to supply electricity does not necessarily generate the most wind power.

Hourly Electricity Mix & Wind Power Generation

Another interesting data available on the Wind Power Numbers Daily website is the hourly electricity mix and wind power generation. The first graph shows you which energy sources supplied how much of the electricity generated at certain hours of the day. The second graph shows how much wind energy is generated at certain hours of the day. Both graphs can be filtered by countries for more specific insights.

Wind Power Capacity Factors in Europe

Last but not least, the most interesting data in the website is the capacity factors of each country, regarding both onshore and offshore wind farms. Realistically speaking, it is impossible for a wind turbine to operate at full power all the time because wind turbine operation largely depends on available wind resources such as wind speed. Capacity factor describes how much power the turbine is actually generating compared to its full power capacity. This helps us understand the wind condition in certain environments.

Follow up with the local wind engagement

Whether you are a wind enthusiast, a sustainability supporter, or a normal citizen who wants to see what you can do to make the planet better, it is always encouraged to understand where electricity comes from and how much wind power is being utilized in your country. Knowing these facts and numbers can help you make conscious choices that will directly or indirectly improve the status quo.

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