New quarterly report shows wind energy growing faster than ever

Wind provided 27 per cent of our electricity in Q2 2019 as new wind farms connect and get planning

The Irish Wind Energy Association, Ireland’s largest renewable energy organisation, today published its quarterly industry report for quarter two of 2019, covering April, May and June of this year. The figures show wind provided 27 per cent of Ireland’s electricity in quarter two, up from 22.5 per cent for the same period last year.

Dr David Connolly, CEO of the Irish Wind Energy Association, said: “It has been a fantastic first half of 2019 with new wind farms connecting, getting planning and our share of electricity demand rising year-on-year.

“Wind energy is an Irish success story. Every day it is driving down electricity costs for consumers, cutting CO₂ emissions and guaranteeing this country real energy independence.

“With the right policy framework and support we are confident that our industry can deliver on the targets set out in the Government’s Climate Action Plan and continue to play our part in leading Ireland’s energy transition.”

New wind farms

Another industry success story is the continuing growth of new wind farms. Six new projects were connected in quarter two while over the first half of 2019 another three wind farms, with a combined capacity of 96 MW, passed their first big milestone by getting planning permission.

Dr Connolly continued: “We have been building and connecting wind farms at a record rate in the last couple of years. With new wind farms getting planning permission it shows how strong our onshore wind pipeline, which will soon be supplemented by a strong offshore sector, is for the months and years to come.”

The 27 per cent share of electricity demand for quarter two amounted to almost 1.9 million MWh of electricity, compared to 1.6 million in the second quarter of 2018. The average Irish household uses approximately 4.2 MWh of electricity every year.

The total installed capacity of Ireland’s wind farms has now risen to 3,748 MW.

Key statistics

Wind energy’s share of electricity demand: 27% – up from 22.5% in Q2 2018

Total amount of electricity generated by wind in Q2 2019: 1,874,000 MWh – up from 1,559,800 MWh in Q2 2018.

Total installed wind energy capacity at end of Q2 2019: 3,748 MW.

Total new capacity installed: 48 MW.

Number of new wind farms built: 6.

Number of new wind farms to get planning permission in the first six months of 2019: 3 with a total capacity of 96.25 MW.

Amount of wind energy dispatched down in Q2 2019: 133,297 MWh

Note to Editors

The figures in the IWEA Quarterly Report are based on data provided by EirGrid, ESB Networks, the SEAI and our own members. Some figures are provisional and may change as new data comes in.

A megawatt (MW) is a unit of power. A single megawatt is equivalent to around 1,000 kilowatts. Boiling a kettle, for example, takes around two kilowatts. 

A megawatt-hour (MWh) is a unit of energy. It is normally used to refer to the amount of electricity generated or consumed. A standard Irish household would use around 4.2 MWh every year.

Wind energy is ‘dispatched down’ when wind farms are instructed by EirGrid, as the system operator, to stop generating electricity.

This is typically done due to constraints on the electricity network – the transmission system is physically unable to carry more electricity from where it is being generated to where it is needed – or to ensure system stability.