Clean technology series: wind power – an overview

In this instalment of our clean technology series, we explore wind power.  Wind power has evolved from its ancient roles in propelling ships and milling grain to becoming a keystone of modern clean energy strategies.  As of 2024, the total contribution of wind power to global electricity exceeded 8%^[1].  This figure is expected to continue to rise amid growing environmental concerns and technological innovation.  With governments and industries accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels, wind power – particularly offshore installations – is poised for significant expansion.

Here, we explore the wind power landscape, considering challenges and the outlook for the future.

Technology

At its core, wind power operates on simple aerodynamic principles.  Wind turbines convert kinetic energy from air currents into mechanical energy.  As air flows over the rotatable blades of the turbine, the pressure difference created between the two sides of the blades generates lift.  This causes the blades to rotate, and this rotation drives a generator to produce electricity.  These turbines are typically grouped into wind farms, either onshore or offshore, and connected to the electrical grid.

Patents

We have come a long way from the first windmills, and wind turbines are now a common sight across much of the UK.   Despite being such an established technology, innovation in wind technology is accelerating as the demand for renewable energy increases.  When weather conditions are right, modern wind turbines can generate a huge amount of electricity.  For example, each rotation of the 107m long Haliade-X 13MW blades on Dogger Bank’s first operational turbine “can produce enough clean energy to power an average British home for two days”^[2].  The National Energy System Operation reported that over the course of a day it is possible for more than 50% of Great Britain’s electricity generation to come from wind.  In July 2025, wind provided the third largest source of electricity in the UK at 19.1%^[3].

The shape of the blade, and the overall design of the turbine, generator and control systems affect the amount of energy captured and converted into electricity.  Intellectual property rights, especially patents, play a key role in protecting and incentivising advancements in these areas.

Patentable innovations span a wide array of components, such as:

• Blade design: Aerodynamic improvements to blade geometry can significantly enhance energy capture.  Furthermore, innovations in materials, such as carbon fibre composites, reduce weight and increase durability.
• Floating structures: These are critical for deep-water offshore wind installations, where traditional foundations are impractical. These structures or platforms must withstand harsh marine conditions while maintaining the stability and efficiency of the turbines mounted on them.
• Generators and control systems: Optimising energy conversion efficiency and operational stability is key to maximising output.  Smart sensors and AI-driven control systems are enabling predictive maintenance and real-time performance optimisation.

There has been a large increase in patent filings in in the last decade, with China, Europe and the USA typically leading the way.  Data from the EPO, shown in Figure 1 below, highlights the rapid increase in filings in areas such as floating structures, mechanical power transmission and grid requirements^[4].  Blade design also shows a steady increase in patent filings, reflecting its longstanding role as a cornerstone of wind power development for decades.

Figure 1

The rise in filings is not, however, limited to hardware.  Applications directed to software innovations, data analytics platforms, and energy forecasting tools are also now being filed as users seek to dynamically manage the output from wind turbines.  The rapid increase in filings related to wind power acts as an indicator of the enhanced research and development in this sector, which is likely to continue as wind power becomes increasingly integral to national energy strategies.

Challenges and Opportunities

Wind power, like many renewable energies, is inherently variable.  Electricity generation depends on wind availability and in the absence of air currents, power cannot be generated.  As a result, consistency of supply is an issue when dealing with both onshore and offshore settings.

This intermittency necessitates robust energy storage solutions and smart grid integration to ensure consistent supply.  Without adequate storage, surplus energy generated during high wind periods can go unused, while demand during calm conditions may outstrip supply.  We will consider developments in energy storage solutions in our next article.

One innovative solution to try and alleviate variability in wind supply has been the use of solar power in combination with wind turbines.  Data from the EPO in Figure 2 below shows that this sector has also seen a rapid increase in patent application filings, particularly since 2018^[4].   This integration of different power generation systems allows for more consistent energy generation in regions with variable weather patterns and improves the commercial viability of renewal energy systems.

Figure 2

Another challenge to wind power is the requirement for suitable infrastructure to support wind farms.  Efficient interconnection between turbines and power transmission is crucial to minimise costs and reduce environmental disruption.  In this regard, offshore wind farms are typically more demanding than onshore wind farms, due to complexities in cable infrastructure and grid connectivity and the need to transport power to land, but offshore wind farms have much greater wind generation capacity than onshore wind farms.  Innovations in subsea cabling, floating platforms, and remote monitoring systems are helping to address these challenges in installation logistics and grid connectivity, and are driving the installation of the world’s largest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank^[5].

One company has gone a step further and sought to bring these industrial and research problems into the classroom by providing an educational platform about wind farm installation^[6].  Kinewell provide a software platform that allows students to design and optimise a wind farm layout, for example by calculating cable lengths and determining project costs.  This interactive project gives students an opportunity to tackle real world industrial problems and is helping develop the next generation of wind power engineers.

Global and Future Outlook

A switch to renewable energy is seen as a key part of the global effort to combat climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.  As nations push towards this goal, technological advances have led to greater efficiency in energy generation and lower production costs, making renewable energy an increasingly viable alternative to fossil fuels.  2024 saw a record increase in renewable energy supply that, coupled with nuclear power, resulted in clean power surpassing 40% of global electricity generation^[1].

According to the International Energy Agency’s 2023 Renewables report, “the world is on course to add more renewable capacity in the next five years than has been installed since the first commercial renewable energy power plant was built more than 100 years ago”^[7], with the biggest increases seen in solar and wind technologies.

Certainly, an increase in the adoption of wind power has been supported by a rapid decline in implementation costs, which fell by 85% in the decade to 2020^[8].  Globally, installed wind power capacity exceeded 800 GW in 2021^[9].

The UK Government has set out a Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, with the aim of reducing electricity sourced from fossil fuels to less than 5% by 2030^[10].  To try and meet this target, it is not surprising that numerous new wind farms, both onshore and offshore, are gaining approval across the UK.  Infrastructure upgrades are also essential to meet these ambitions. In the UK, initiatives like The Great Grid Upgrade aim to reinforce transmission networks to accommodate increased offshore wind generation^[11].  Hopefully, these government initiatives will be a catalyst for further research and development and will cement wind power’s key role in energy generation strategies.

Conclusion

As nations strive to meet climate goals and reduce fossil fuel dependence, wind power’s trajectory will be shaped not only by advances in engineering but also by the strategic management of this innovation through patents and other IP.

International cooperation, licensing agreements and open-source initiatives can help ensure that critical technologies are shared across borders, especially in developing regions.  It is clear that with continued innovation, wind power can help to provide a more sustainable future for energy supply.

[1] Global Electricity Review 2025 | Ember

[2] https://doggerbank.com/construction/worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-produces-power-for-the-first-time/

[3] https://www.neso.energy/energy-101/great-britains-monthly-energy-stats

[4] https://www.epo.org/en/searching-for-patents/technology-platforms/clean-energy/renewable-energy

[5] https://doggerbank.com/

[6] https://kinewell.co.uk/edukloc/

[7] https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2023/executive-summary

[8] Clean Electricity | Ember

[9] Wind energy generation vs. installed capacity, 2020

[10] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-power-2030-action-plan

[11] https://www.nationalgrid.com/the-great-grid-upgrade