Britain’s first commercial wind farm generates 340GWh over 25 years of power generation

In a major milestone for the nation’s wind power industry, Britain’s first commercial wind farm celebrate its 25^th anniversary today (21 Dec 2016).

Located in north Cornwall coast, Delabole wind farm first began generating renewable electricity in 1991, before being later bought by independent renewable energy company, Good Energy.

Since 1991 – the same year in which the world wide web was launched –  the wind farm has generated over 340GWh of renewable electricity, enough power to boil 3.4 billion kettles and cook more than 40 million Christmas turkeys.

The achievement comes a week after research from Edinburgh University revealed that wind power is playing a key role in curbing carbon emissions released from other energy sources such as coal and gas.

Peter Edwards – known as the ‘grandfather of Britain’s wind industry’ – who first developed the wind farm, said: “After the wind farm started generating in 1991, one of the main criticisms was that the amount we contributed to the National Grid was so insignificant that we shouldn’t have bothered.

“That’s why it’s so satisfying to see just how far wind energy has come and how it now competes with nuclear.”

In 2013, the site became the first in the UK to offer its own local tariff, rewarding residents with lower electricity bills.

See also: Edinburgh experts say UK and Scot-Govts under-estimate role of wind-farms in cutting carbon emissions

http://www.scottishenergynews.com/edinburgh-experts-say-uk-and-scot-govts-under-estimate-role-of-wind-farms-in-cutting-carbon-emissions/

Good Energy Chief Executive Juliet Davenport, OBE, commented: “Since the turbines started turning, renewable technologies have come a long way, with wind power last year generating a record-breaking 12% of the UK’s electricity.

“The success of the wind farm has largely been down to the support of the local community who are the real custodians of this site. It’s thanks to them, and their belief in the project, that has helped make Delabole the perfect model for further wind power developments here in the UK.”