Knowledge: Wind
Wind
survives
FiTness
test
Flying high: The business case for wind energy has become even more compelling despite a reduction
to the Feed-in Tariff, says Stephen Bradley, business development partner at Glasgow-based
UrbanWind
Despite a five percent cut to the Feed-in Tariff for onshore wind coming into effect
on April 01, potential adopters of the technology needn’t worry if the sector can
still offer the same levels of benefit it did previously, argues Stephen Bradley,
UrbanWind’s business development partner
he issue of energy is increasingly
becoming a key talking point in
many boardrooms, and onshore
wind remains one of the best
options available to combat a
looming energy ‘trilemma’. This consists of
rising costs, concerns over security of supply
and the growing need for us all to reduce our
carbon footprint.
As we have seen over the last 12 months,
the cost of energy is profoundly linked to the
vagaries of international events. In March we
saw gas prices jump more than 10 percent
on the back of the Russian annexation of the
Crimea. Towards the back end of 2014, we
saw oil prices collapse, dragging down what
had previously looked like a strong recovery
from recession and robbing it of much of its
momentum.
T
A 500kW wind energy
project could save 17,200
tonnes of CO2 over the 20-
year lifespan of the turbine
28 | www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
Price protection
The ability for a business or landowner to
generate their own electricity provides an
invaluable cushion, protecting your business
and productivity against the volatility of global
energy and commodity prices. The owner of a
well-sited, well-maintained turbine can ensure
that their energy costs are both substantially
reduced and consistent, and that their access
to enough power for all of their needs is never
jeopardised by a sudden upheaval in the
global market.
Unexpected shutdowns of a number of
British nuclear power plants in 2014 saw the
possibility of brownouts or blackouts begin to
be taken very seriously, with energy-intensive
businesses particularly at risk. A wind turbine
ensures that even if a brownout or, worse,
blackout was to happen, you are protected by
a consistent supply of clean, cheap power on
your own terms.
Carbon reduction
As well as the threat of rising costs and
uncertain supply, wind power is at the
forefront of helping businesses and the UK,
as a whole, reduce its carbon footprint and
help to combat the potentially devastating
effects of climate change. The IPCC meeting
in November 2014 confirmed that measures
to cut carbon emissions are urgently needed
to prevent widespread, severe and irreversible
damage from climate change. However,
this stark warning was tempered by the
acknowledgement that the technology
needed to combat climate change is already
available – and affordable.
Wind energy is able to make a bigger
impact on carbon footprint than almost any
other technology. To illustrate the possible
impact of an onshore turbine, a 500kW wind
energy project could save 17,200 tonnes of
CO2 over the 20-year lifespan of the turbine,
the equivalent of taking 200 cars off the road
for the same period of time.
Good investment
Onshore wind also remains a compelling and
attractive option to investors, despite the
erosion of the Feed-in Tariff. Uncertainty over
renewable energy policy and disappointing
dithering from the government over providing
clarity has shaken some confidence, but
wind’s value as a source of power, and
starring role in meeting our carbon reduction
targets, means that it continues to present a
strong case for investment.
As our rapidly growing order book for
2015 demonstrates, businesses across a wide
variety of sectors are recognising that small
and medium-wind turbines stack up as a
viable, productive investment by themselves,
with or without the added benefits of the
Feed-in Tariff.