The future of wind power

Wind power has been used for centuries. It pumps water, grinds grain, saws wood and brings sailing ships to their destination. In Europe, there were hundreds of thousands of wind turbines in the 19th century. The Dutch mainly used them to drain marshes. Today, wind power generates clean electricity and is central to meeting climate targets.

Wind turbines often generate the cheapest energy. Electricity from a new coal or nuclear power plant costs two to three times more today. Wind power generated on land is particularly cheap. According to forecasts, the cost of wind power will drop even further, to €0.03 ($0.04) per kilowatt hour (kWh) by 2030 in good wind locations.

A large wind turbine installed near Wilhelmshaven in northern Germany generates 6,000 kilowatts of power and covers the household electricity needs of 10,000 people there. Older models dating back 25 years, only achieved 500 kilowatts — enough for about 500 people. Modern turbines now stretch up to 180 meters into the sky. The taller they are, the more wind they catch.

At sea, the wind is reliable and strong. About 5% of the world's wind power comes from offshore parks like this one off the Dutch coast. Turbines such as these have an output of up to 10,000 kilowatts. From 2025 their capacity is expected to rise to as much as 15,000 kilowatts and provide electricity for more than 40,000 people.

Half of all new wind turbines worldwide are currently installed in China. In 2020 alone, the country built new turbines with a capacity of 52 gigawatts of wind power. That is equivalent to the output of 50 nuclear power plants. The pioneers in wind expansion are Denmark and Germany. Denmark already covers about 50% of its electricity needs with wind power, while Germany achieves 25%. 

About 1.3 million people work in the wind industry worldwide. About 550,000 of them are in China, 110,000 in the USA, 90,000 in Germany, 45,000 in India and 40,000 in Brazil. Installing and operating wind turbines is more costly than coal-fired power, so the expansion of wind power is creating more and more jobs. 

In densely populated regions, wind power is often met with resistance. But this can change when citizens get involved in local projects. In Starkenburg, near the German city of Frankfurt, for example, many residents favor an expansion of wind power. They are investing in new turbines — and profit from the sale of electricity.

In the past, sailing ships carried freight all over the world, but then diesel engines took over. Now, modern sails are coming back into play. With additional wind propulsion, the energy consumption of freighters can be reduced by up to 30%. In addition, ships will be able to use green hydrogen as fuel in the future.

There is enough space in the sea for wind power. But in many places the water is too deep for a foundation in the seabed. Floating turbines on buoys are an alternative. They are fixed to the seabed with long chains. Floating wind farms already exist in Europe and Japan, and remain stable even during storms.

The 147-meter-high Strata SE1 skyscraper in London is an eye-catcher with futuristic wind turbines. But such rooftop installations are usually not economical, because the wind in cities is generally too weak. Photovoltaic systems on roofs are almost always the more efficient alternative. 

Within 3 to 11 months, wind turbines generate the energy required to build them. No CO2 is produced in the electricity generation process but they do alter the landscape. Still, compared to other energy sources, they come off best in the environmental balance sheet. According to Germany's Federal Environment Agency, their environmental cost is 70 times lower than that of coal-fired power. 

Wind and solar power plants together can meet the world's energy needs. Wind turbines generate electricity at wind speeds of 10 km/h and above. In regions with a lot of sun, photovoltaics is the cheapest energy source. A little further north and south of the equator, it is usually a mix of wind and solar power. In particularly windy areas, wind power can become the most important source of energy.