Wind energy is one of the most promising sustainable energy sources, and it’s increasingly viewed as an excellent investment. Considering all of its advantages over carbon-based sources, it’s not a surprise that many highly developed countries are prioritising this form of clean energy – in 2015 alone, 15,800 MW of wind power installations was added to the grid in the EU. When harnessed the right way, wind energy can solve many of our most persistent problems and create a lot of excess value.

EnviroTech has considerable expertise in this field and can assist with wind farm projects at any scale. Based on our experience, we believe that the following factors should be taken into account when considering a project of this nature: 

Major advantages of wind farms

The benefits created by wind power can be divided into three main groups – economic, environmental, and strategic. The first factor may be the easiest to quantify – wind power is widely considered to be the most affordable form of energy, with prices for 1MW/h reaching as low as $20 in the US in 2018, which is lower than with fossil fuels. However, the expected economic impact of wind farms goes far beyond cheap electricity, as in the upcoming period wind farm building and operation will create plenty of new jobs. A lot has been said about the adverse impact of traditional energy sources on aerial pollution and global warming, and the mass adoption of wind power technology is perhaps the best safeguard against catastrophic climatic changes. Finally, for countries without sizeable coal and oil reserves, switching to renewable energy sources can reduce dependence on imports, with far-reaching political and strategic consequences.

Wind power looks like one of the most viable alternatives for obsolete fossil fuels, with very few valid arguments against it.

Onshore vs. offshore farms

The location of a wind farm greatly impacts its output, as such, a great deal of planning should go into the selection of a suitable site. There are two competing approaches – land-based wind farms which are easier and cheaper to build, and offshore sites that typically offer better potential for energy production but require higher initial expenses. The latter category holds a lot of appeal, even if it’s currently less developed – for example, the UK currently has an active capacity for offshore wind power generation of just 8 GW, while its needs with respect to governmental targets exceed 29GW by the year 2020.

With this in mind, it’s reasonable to expect a shift of focus in the near future, as the best onshore locations are being taken and the value of offshore investments continues to rise. The technology for developing wind farms on both types of locations is already available, with new, more energy-efficient turbines providing a great opportunity to leverage even more of the natural power at our disposal.

EnviroTech can provide expert guidance and ensure that your investment in onshore or offshore wind farms has a very brief return on investment period.