This summer the windfarm dubbed the most productive in Britain stood idle in the country’s windiest area. The Viking windfarm in the Shetland islands is expected to harness the UK’s most abundant wind resources to generate enough electricity to power almost half a million homes. But in August the windfarm fell still on most days.
The problem is the UK’s power market. Although wind speeds in the Shetland Islands are ideal for the spinning blades of a windfarm, they hold less appeal as a base for homes and businesses, meaning the energy demand of the local area is low.
