Winds are caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth's surface and the earth’s rotation. Consequently, wind energy can be considered to be another form of solar energy. The strength and direction of the wind is then modified as it blows across land, bodies of water, and vegetation.
The UK has the best wind resource in Europe, an asset that has the potential to provide a considerable proportion of the UK energy market in years to come. The UK has 40% of Europe's wind energy resource, but this currently remains largely untapped, providing only 0.5% of current electricity needs and expected to rise to only 5% by 2010.
To check how windy it is in your area go to the Wind Speed Data Base provided by the Department for Buisness Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. (DBERR).
