Wind energy curiosities

Wind energy is a key part of today’s electricity mix. Wind farms and wind turbines have been part of the landscape for decades and have become familiar elements: we know them, we recognise them and, to a certain extent, we sometimes see them without seeing them. However, despite their everyday presence, wind energy is full of surprising facts and curiosities.

A cornerstone of the energy transition

Wind energy is one of the most relevant renewable sources at a global level in the process of decarbonising the planet and reducing the carbon footprint. According to the Global Wind Report of the Global Wind Energy Council, in 2024 a total of 55 countries installed new wind turbines, totalling a global installed capacity of 117 GW, a figure that is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

In Spain, wind energy already covers 24 % of electricity demand, according to data from the Spanish Wind Energy Association (Asociación Empresarial Eólica).

A millenary history

Although today it is presented as a modern solution to energy challenges, harnessing wind has thousands of years of history. It is estimated that the first windmills emerged in the 7th century in Persia, used to grind grain and pump water.

They then reached Europe in the 11th century, where they were perfected to be oriented according to the direction of the wind, and America in the 19th century, where they evolved into mills with a vertical axis and multiple blades. The latter innovation laid the foundation for today’s wind turbines.

Wind as a source of electricity

It was in the 19th century that wind was first used to generate electricity. The first wind turbine was installed in Cleveland, USA, to power a mansion. However, the first modern wind farm was not built until 1981. In Spain, the first was inaugurated in 1984 in Garriguella (Girona), on an experimental basis. It was the second in Europe, after one in Greece.

Giants of the wind

The world’s largest wind turbine, located at an offshore wind farm in China, has a diameter of 260 metres and blades 123 metres long. With each full rotation, it can power an average European home for five days. Despite its colossal size, even larger models are already being designed.

Spain, leader in wind energy

Spain ranks fifth in the world in cumulative installed wind capacity and second in Europe, behind only Germany. The country has 1,345 wind farms in 1,053 municipalities, and the sector employs some 39,000 people.

Clean and economic energy

Wind energy uses a renewable and inexhaustible resource: wind. It is a clean source that, in Spain alone, has avoided the emission of 32 million tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere. Furthermore, according to the Global Wind Energy Council, it is one of the most economical forms of generation, which contributes to reducing energy costs for consumers.

A second life for wind turbines

Wind turbines have a lifespan of around 25 years, but at the end of their life cycle they do not become waste. Thanks to recycling and the circular economy, their materials are reused to manufacture new products. They can be transformed into playgrounds, office furniture or structural beams, among other uses.