Ireland reached a record level of wind power output of 1,540 megawatts (MW) on the evening of 21 March – that’s the equivalent of powering more than 1m homes with renewable electricity – according to figures from Eirgrid. The Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) revealed the figures today during its annual conference.
Based on the new figures from Eirgrid, a new record of 1,540MW was recorded on 21 March at 6.45pm during the evening demand peak. That’s the equivalent of generating enough electricity to power more than 1m homes. In addition, a new all-island record was also set at the same time for energy generation, with levels reaching 1,917MW on the island of Ireland – enough to power more than 1,246,000 homes.
According to the Eirgrid analysis, the 1,540MW of wind generation recorded on 21 March corresponded to 36pc of the demand at that time, which would be ample to power more than 1m homes. The figures also pointed to how the average wind contribution on this day was 39pc of system demand, reaching 50pc of system demand at times. Eirgrid monitors and matches electricity generation and usage nationally every day. Wind generated more than 1,000MW for a sustained period of 40 hours starting at 1.45am on 21 March and continuing to 5.30pm on 22 March, meeting on average 40pc of the Irish electricity demand over this timeframe.
Kenneth Matthews, chief executive of the IWEA, said the records show the growing importance of wind energy in Ireland. “Ireland is leading the way and showing that high wind levels are achievable, which brings with it great opportunities for investment and growth. The country is uniquely positioned to continue this momentum and reach ever-higher records in the future,” he said.
Source: Silicon Republic – Ireland Achieves Record Wind Energy Output to Power 1m Homes
