5 things you should know about wind energy

Did you know that wind energy is one of the cleanest, most affordable and home-grown sources of energy? Together with other renewables, it helps us to power our homes and businesses, to become more energy-independent and to protect the environment from the harmful effects of fossil fuels. 

EU companies are market leaders in this sector and, by generating cheap electricity, wind power contributes to the competitiveness of EU industry and reduces the energy bills of households.

The number of European households and businesses powered by wind energy has increased substantially in recent years. Thanks to wind and other renewables, EU greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production dropped by a quarter (24%) in 2023 compared to the previous year.

In 2024, renewable energy was the leading source of electricity in the EU, accounting for 47% of all electricity production. In fact, more electricity was produced from wind last year than from natural gas, making it the EU’s second largest source of electricity (with a 19% share), right after nuclear.

Here are the 5 top things you should know about wind energy:

1. Wind turbines are environmentally-friendly

The average onshore wind turbine produces enough electricity per year to power over 1 500 EU households. And new turbines can already cover more than 3 times this figure. To achieve the same energy output, a coal plant would have to emit almost 6 000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. That’s the total climate impact of more than three fully occupied flights between Sydney and Paris!

Within less than a year of operation, an onshore wind turbine will offset the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during the turbine’s entire life cycle. After that, the electricity produced by the wind turbine will avoid emissions altogether.

Wind turbines safely operate for 25 years on average and the EU is investing in research to make them more efficient/powerful, even more sustainable, and last longer.

More than 85% of a wind turbine’s materials can be recycled – and there’s potential to recycle 100%. For example, blades have been recycled into construction material or bike shelters.

2. Wind energy is affordable

Renewables accounted for almost 50% of all electricity production in Europe in 2024 (compared to 38% in 2021 and 30% in 2015) and continue to grow. Despite the increasing share of renewable electricity, households and businesses have faced higher energy bills due to the energy crisis – mainly because of the spike in fossil fuel prices and Europe’s reliance on more expensive imported fossil fuels. Although the share is falling, some 28% of the EU’s electricity was still based on fossil fuels in 2024.

Wind energy is a much cheaper alternative by far. The price of building new wind energy capacity has fallen rapidly in the last decade. Onshore wind is now less than half the price of coal, which is also one of the reasons why it has become the second largest source of electricity in the EU.

3. Wind farms are wildlife-friendly

Like any other human activity, wind energy has an environmental impact. However, climate change remains the biggest threat to biodiversity, including many bird species. With an average temperature increase of 1.5°C, 6% of insect species, 8% of plant species and 4% of vertebrates would lose more than half of their habitat. Currently we are moving towards an increase of 2°C and more. 

Renewables like wind are crucial for lowering greenhouse gas emissions by replacing/displacing electricity generated from fossil fuels – thereby helping in the fight against global warming and its potential threat to wildlife.

Wind turbines are responsible for less than 0.1% of human-related bird deaths- much less than traditional energy plants or skyscrapers. Emissions from fossil fuel power plants kill over 30 times more birds than wind farms, per produced GWh. The EU also invests in research to make wind power generation even safer.

Offshore wind turbines harness the usually stronger winds at sea. While the construction phase has the potential to disturb marine mammals, the medium-term impact is marginal. The sound emitted by offshore wind turbines is significantly quieter than noise from offshore oil drilling, container ships or speed boats. Operating offshore turbines are safe for whales, dolphins and other marine animals.

4. Wind turbines are quiet and clean 

Wind farms are much quieter than you might expect, and their sound levels are regulated in each EU country. Even from a closer distance of 300-400 metres, the sound of a wind turbine is roughly as quiet as a household fridge. In any case, turbines are mainly located relatively far from homes.

According to research, wind turbine sounds are safe and create limited noise pollution. And the same is true of air pollution. This contrasts with, for example road traffic (or fossil-fuel powered energy plants), which can cause headaches, breathing problems and other health issues.  A number of studies found no direct link between sleep disturbances and noise caused by wind turbines. Rest assured: there’s much less pollution living close to a wind farm, than close to a busy road or an oil refinery, despite unfounded claims to the contrary.

5. Wind turbines take up very little space

Wind turbines use very little land – an average of 0.46 hectares of open space is required per wind turbine: less than a football pitch. The rotor blades are mounted on high towers, leaving most of the ground below free.  By their design, wind turbines leave plenty of space for farming, housing, and nature – that’s a fact.

Each EU country has its own rules on how close a wind turbine can stand to homes and other buildings (set-back distance). Some wind farms are also located in the sea (offshore), often far from the coast, where stronger winds provide even more power generation.

Conclusion

Over centuries, wind was vital for agriculture and industry, harnessing the force of the wind to grind grain and pump water. The continent’s first wind farm for electricity generation opened in 1982 on the Greek island of Kythnos.   

Today, EU countries are top-ranking wind power generators by capita, and the European Union is a global leader in the manufacturing of key wind turbine components: almost half of the main companies active in the wind sector are headquartered in the EU. Moreover, the sector already accounts for 400 000 jobs. To keep our competitive edge, the EU has published the Clean Industrial Deal, supporting our industry to create jobs, boost innovative technologies, and is working on the implementation of the Net-Zero Industry Act.

By ditching fossil fuels and embracing renewables like wind, we can not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also become less dependent on energy imports, protect our health, and save money on our energy bills.