The recent stormy weather across the UK has wreaked havoc on power lines in some areas, closed exposed roads and bridges to high sided vehicles and toppled unstable masonry.  However, it’s not all been bad news for our power supplies, as gusts of over 100 miles per hour have seen wind turbines operating at 60% rather than the normal 30% according to Scottish Renewables Chief Executive Niall Stuart.

On 28^th December while most of us were recovering from and overdose of turkey and Christmas pudding, our UK wind farms were producing a record 12.2% of our energy, smashing the previous record of 10%, which keeps us on track for reaching a 34% cut in carbon emissions by 2020 over 1990 levels.

Renewable UK praised the National Grid’s sterling job in coping with the surge in power produced by these wind farms, overcoming the engineering challenges of converting hugely fluctuating levels of wild and windy weather into the power that so many of us take for granted.

The New Year started in the same way with gusts of up to 160kmph on January 3^rd and 4^th, with a daily load factor on some turbines of 60%, which is double the norm.

While some wind turbines are shut down as a precaution in the very worst of the weather, others are showing that if we can continue our development of engineering expertise and commitment to harness the elements, then Renewable Energy will continue in its phenomenal growth in feeding our increasing global hunger for energy.

And as investment continues with Round 3 wind farms being developed off the coast of the UK, increasing our ability to produce home grown power, then jobs numbers in planning, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance of these wind turbines will also grow.

You can find all of the latest jobs  in wind energy right here at RenewablesCareers, and you can also register for daily live renewable energy job alerts.