REVEALED: Major reduction in wind-generated power due to calm weather conditions in July
New data shows which counties had the highest output from wind farms
The contribution of wind farms to meet Ireland's electricity demand fell considerably last month when compared to the same month a year ago.
The latest figures from Wind Energy Ireland (WEI) show that wind power generation in July totalled 656 gigawatt-hours - 22% of the total demand.
Wind farms in County Cork produced 80 GWh with Kerry (66 GWh), Galway (55 GWh), Mayo (54 GWh) and Tipperary (46 GWh) completing the top five.
While lower than July 2023, the amount of electricity generated last month was the third best on record for a July month according to Wind Energy Ireland, which has published its monthly wind energy report.
The average wholesale price of electricity in Ireland per megawatt-hour during July 2024 was €110.94, up slightly from €107.74 in June.
Commenting on the report, Justin Moran, director of external affairs at Wind Energy Ireland, said: “Having an affordable, accessible and reliable source of clean energy is vital for consumers to have confidence in our transition to a zero-carbon society. Electricity generated from Irish wind farms replaces imported fossil fuels and pushes the wholesale price of electricity downwards. The more wind we can get on the system, the less we have to rely on expensive imported gas and the more we can do to help Irish households struggling with high energy costs."
According to the representative group, the warm and calm weather in July resulted in the share of demand met by wind energy falling by 11% in comparison to the record-breaking results in July 2023.
Last month, solar power and other renewables accounted for 7% of Ireland’s electricity.
Justin Moran added: “One other piece of good news from this month is that, as part of Ireland’s renewable energy mix, we are seeing solar energy making a significant contribution over the summer and this is going to rise quickly as more solar farms are connected.”
The report shows that wind farms across Ireland provided 32% of Ireland's electricity in the first seven months of 2024.