Onshore vs Offshore Wind Energy: advantages and disadvantages

Onshore wind energy represents more than 10% of the electricity consumed in some regions of countries as Denmark, Spain, German or Sweden. It’s growth over the last decade has been spectacular.

Most of this electricity is produced by large turbines (part of wind farms), but small wind turbines connected to single home’s electricity needs also have their place in the present and in future trends.

See: Power and size of wind turbines


The Future and the Offshore wind farms

Offshore wind energy is growing faster than onshore, and the trends seem to point to a growing importance of the offshore segment. Most of the highest goals on renewable energy production are based on offshore wind systems. They involve mega-turbines, and large scale resources and investments, and only they seem to be able generate the high volumes of electricity demanded by our cities and the more electricity-consuming applications.
 

See, for more information:
Landowners and wind systems
Mini wind turbines
Power and size of Wind Turbines
Wind power generators technology


Objections to onshore wind turbines

The onshore location of wind farms – or even of a residential wind turbine - may raise some problems, restrictions and objections: turbulence and obstructions (buildings, mountains, etc.), land-use disputes, limited availability of lands, objections based on visual impact, noise, impact on wildlife, etc.

These reasons – and the wider wind-marine resources and availability – may explain the dislocation of a significant part of the investment in wind energy to offshore systems.

See:
Wind Systems & Legal requirements


Advantages of onshore wind turbines

But onshore wind systems has also some advantages, far from negligible, relatively to offshore wind farms:

- cheaper foundations;
- cheaper integration with the electrical-grid network;
- cheaper installation and access during construction;
- cheaper and easier access for operation and maintenance…

Besides, small and mini wind turbines (necessarily onshore applications) cover a set of needs and goals that offshore wind farms can't cover.
 

See, for more information:
Wind Energy Basics
Power and size of Wind Turbines
Landowners and wind systems
Mini wind turbines
Legal requirements






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