Climate & Environment

Wind Farm

Meaning statusEstablishedSource recordDirect document linkedWhy these are different

Definition

A wind farm is an installation of multiple wind turbines at a single site operated as a collective power station. Onshore farms occupy open land; offshore farms are built in coastal waters where winds are stronger and steadier, now including floating foundations in deep water.

References

IEAWind energy

Supports definition and framing.

Overview

How it is used

Developers secure permits and power purchase agreements; lenders finance farms as infrastructure assets; system operators integrate variable output; lifecycle assessments address materials, wildlife and end-of-life blade recycling.

Why it matters

Wind farms are among the cheapest sources of new electricity and a backbone technology of power-sector decarbonisation worldwide.