Wind energy

Use of the wind as a drive power has a long tradition. Windmills were used to grind grain or as a saw and oil mill. Modern wind turbines produce electricity from the power of the wind. They utilise the lift produced by the wind when it flows past the rotor blades.

Electricity generation from wind energy has risen sharply within a few years. In 2010, the wind turbines installed in Germany produced around 36.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. Wind energy therefore now covers 6.0 percent of the total electricity consumption. It makes the largest contribution to electricity generation from renewable energy. The potential of wind energy has not yet been exhausted. Above all, the replacement of older turbines with modern, more efficient ones ("repowering") and utilisation of wind energy at sea ("offshore") offer prospects for further expansion.