How Much Energy Does a Wind Turbine Produce?
 Topic: how much energy does a wind turbine produce |  Read Time: 5 mins |
 Landowner type:Independent landowners | Institutional landowners | Professional advisers | Site Operator |  Energy: Onshore wind |
19th July 2024Are you wondering, “How much energy does a wind turbine produce?” If so, you’ll want to follow us as we uncover everything you need to know about wind energy generation.
If you’ve been searching for an answer to the question, ‘How much energy does a wind turbine produce?’, I can help.
Here, I’ll explain everything from how turbines work to the renewable energy makeup in the UK. I’ll also compare the energy produced by onshore and offshore turbines to see which makes the most electricity, and discuss factors that might affect energy production.
How Do Wind Turbines Work?
Wind turbines use large blades to collect kinetic energy from the wind. The wind passes over the blades to create a sense of aerodynamic lift, causing the blades to turn. This turning motion turns an electric generator connected to a drive shaft.
The combination of the blades and electric generator turning produces energy that funnels through the National Grid (or local businesses, in some cases). This energy is then distributed to end users.
The higher the wind speed, the more furiously the blades turn. The more rotations you get on the turbines, the more electricity you’ll generate. This is because the nacelle of the wind turbine converts kinetic energy to electrical energy. The blades of a commercial-scale wind turbine typically revolve between 10 and 20 times a minute.
Want to learn more? Take a deep dive into how wind energy works.
How Much of the UK’s Energy Comes from Wind Power?
A considerable percentage of the UK’s energy comes from renewables.
In 2024, the makeup of renewable energy across the UK was:
- 30 per cent from wind
- 5 per cent from solar
- 6.8 per cent from biomass energy and the burning of renewable organic materials
- 2 per cent from hydropower
Electricity generation from wind power hit 83 TWh in 2024. This figure is only set to rise as we edge closer to net-zero targets set for 2050.
How Much Energy Does an Onshore Wind Turbine Produce?
Every wind turbine has a different wind speed as they’re dotted around the country where speeds are variable. And while there may be a range of energy production levels, areas of Yorkshire and Scotland are generally the most promising spots for wind production.
Wind speeds generally range from around 30 to 55 miles per hour. When wind speeds are lower, energy production decreases.
If wind speed is reduced by 50 per cent, then the wind production levels decrease by a factor of eight. As a result, wind turbines typically operate at around 15 to 30 per cent efficiency. Most developers account for this when scouting appropriate sites for wind farms.
Most onshore wind turbines have a capacity of between 2 and 3 megawatts (MW), which can produce approximately 6 million kilowatt hours (KWh) of electricity each year. If the blade span of a turbine is more significant or the turbine’s capacity hits around 3.6 MW, energy production is likely to increase.
To put things in perspective, in 2024, the UK’s wind farms generated enough electricity to power over 22 million homes. This is about three-quarters of all households nationwide. That’s enough energy to power every home in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds combined.
The UK’s onshore wind capacity
The UK’s onshore wind capacity at all stages of development is 42.7GW, a significant increase since the first wind farm was established in November 1991.
A single onshore wind turbine producing around 6 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year could power roughly 1,600 typical UK homes. That’s an entire village running on clean, renewable energy.
However, to meet net-zero limits, the UK must install 35 GW of onshore wind by 2035, which may prove difficult considering current planning restrictions on new projects.
Onshore turbines also need to be shut down if wind speeds exceed 55 mph in order to prevent any damage to the internal mechanisms.
How Much Energy Does an Offshore Wind Turbine Produce?
Offshore wind has a lot more capacity for energy production as these turbines are enormous, with some as tall as the Washington Monument. For example, one GE Haliade-X 13 MW rotation (which stands at a total height of 260 metres), could power a UK household for more than two days.
Most new offshore turbines have a capacity in the 8 to 12 MW range, making them considerably more productive than onshore turbines. These turbines send power through cables down the turbine tower and under the seabed to a substation tucked offshore.
Wind offshore is significantly faster, producing far more energy than onshore turbines. Generally, offshore wind speeds are over 7 metres per second, while onshore speeds are usually more variable.
Factors That Affect Energy Production
Wind speed
Wind turbines usually start operating when wind speeds hit 4–5 m/s (8.94–11.18 mph). They tend to reach maximum operating capacity at higher wind speeds of 15 m/s (33.55 mph), but we rarely see these speeds in the UK.
As I mentioned earlier, extremely high winds can damage the turbine and force it to shut down, hampering energy production.
While modern turbines typically produce some electricity 70 to 85 per cent of the time, they usually only generate 24 per cent of their maximum capacity. This figure is generally called the turbine’s capacity factor and can vary almost entirely based on wind speeds in an area.
If you want to learn more about average wind speeds in the UK, head to our dedicated blog post on the topic.
Size of the turbine
The size of the turbine has a significant impact on how much energy a wind turbine produces. Rotor diameter and blade length usually increase the amount of energy turbines produce.
Bigger blades can extract wind energy from a larger area as they rotate, but the longer towers also catch higher wind speeds. A larger rotor diameter gives the blades the scope to sweep a greater area, so it’s a win-win.
Type of turbine
The other main factor that can affect the answer to the question, ‘How much energy does a wind turbine produce?’ is the type of wind turbine you’re dealing with. There are two main categories: horizontal-axis and vertical-axis turbines.
Horizontal-axis turbines are typically more common and feature three blades shaped like aeroplane propellers. The height of the horizontal-axis turbine will also impact how much energy it produces.
Vertical-axis turbines are less common and don’t have traditional propeller blades. Instead, they look more like egg beaters and don’t tend to produce as much energy as horizontal-axis alternatives.
But vertical-axis turbines aren’t inefficient. In fact, they’re excellent for built-up areas, as they can often be placed on top of buildings. However, their design means they can’t harvest as much energy as horizontal-axis turbines.
There You Have It: The Rundown That Should Help You Answer the Question, ‘How Much Energy Does a Wind Turbine Produce?’
Turbine size and type can significantly contribute to how much a turbine can produce, but wind speeds and location are also critical factors to consider before placing turbines on your land.
If you’re interested in putting a wind project on your land, reach out to our team. We’ll guide you through starting a commercial-scale wind project from start to finish. Whether you need guidance on leases, are confused about option agreements or want to maximise income from your payment arrangement, we’ve got you covered.
