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Green energy firm Ecotricity generated more power in 2011 than the previous year the company said today, suggesting its onshore wind turbines had a load factor of about 27 per cent in 2011.
A comparison of the same 51 turbines showed a total energy output of almost 123.8 Gigawatt hours in 2011, an increase of 18% compared to an output of 104.6 GWh in 2010, said the firm.
Across the UK, onshore wind load factors in 2010 were about 21 per cent. Load factors for onshore wind turbines for the whole of the UK in 2011 are not yet available but are likely to be well above those of 2010, which according to government statistics was the least windy year for a decade.
While average wind speeds in the first three months of the year were well below the 10 year mean, Decc’s Energy Trends statistics based on Met Office figures show that the second and third quarters of 2011 were higher than the 10 year mean, despite speeds dipping in July and August. September was the windiest for 10 years, the figures suggest. Data for October and November show wind speeds were also above the 10 year mean.
See the weather stats here and the energy trends here.
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