Asked by: Jamie Hill, Inverness
As critics of wind power point out, there is a risk involved in relying on the weather as a source of electricity. In February 2003 parts of Denmark – the world’s most wind power-dependent country – suffered a virtual dead calm for a week, during which turbines in the west of the country produced no power at all.
A similar event struck Germany in November 2003, when a six-hour lull led to the nation losing the equivalent of three conventional power stations.
And in February this year, parts of Texas came close to a blackout following the sudden loss of over 80 per cent of the state’s wind power production, caused by a change in the weather.
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Authors
Robert is a science writer and visiting professor of science at Aston University. He likes maths, West End musicals and hamsters.
