The vast wind turbines peppering the countryside have sparked controversy and outrage from those who say they are ruining the views across England’s green and pleasant land.
But in a study that could solidify the trend toward construction of ever-more gigantic windmills, scientists have concluded that the larger the wind turbine, the greener the electricity it produces.
They propose that the size of wind turbines should be doubled to almost 1,000ft diameter to take the most advantage of this economy of scale and help move the world to a greener energy standard.
Wind energy provides almost 2 per cent of global electricity worldwide, a figure expected to approach 10 per cent by 2020. The size of the turbines also is increasing.
One study shows that the average size of commercial turbines has grown 10-fold in the last 30 years, from diameters of 50ft in 1980 to nearly 500ft today.
