AN Olympic windsurfer has teamed up with Smart Energy GB to reveal the power of Great Britain’s weather to create renewable energy.
Yesterday on Redcar Beach, Team GB and Olympic windsurfer Tom Squires explained how the power of British wind has shaped his career, as well as encouraging the nation to join the fight against climate change by getting a smart meter.
Redcar was chosen as it is one of the windiest parts of North England with record wind speeds up to 71mph recorded in 2017.
Smart meters are part of a smarter, more flexible grid, which will help us use more of Great Britain’s rich renewable energy sources, including wind and sunshine, to power our homes.
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Mr Squire’s love of windsurfing began at age 11, his passion for the sport has taken him across the world, most recently competing at the Tokyo Olympics and coming in seventh.
Mr Squires said: “The windy coastline of North Yorkshire is an amazing windsurfing destination. Only 130km off this coastline the world’s largest offshore wind farm is being built, Dogger Bank, and once finished it will be able to power six million homes.
“Whilst today I took to the sea just a kilometre from the Teeside Wind Farm. It’s amazing to be able to share the coastline and the power of the wind with this important technology.
"Just like I harness the power of the wind with my board and sail, we should be harnessing the power of our great British wind to create cleaner energy.
“That’s why I’m encouraging everyone to get a smart meter installed – so we can make better use of the energy generated by the wind.”
The UK has nearly 40 operational offshore wind farms and a whopping 2,500 onshore wind farms across the country.
The East Coast, in particular Yorkshire, is home to over a dozen offshore wind farms, including the first commercial one in Northeast England, Teesside wind farm.
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The 27 turbine, 62 MW capacity offshore wind farm is constructed just 1.5km off the North Yorkshire coast and can power up to 52,000 homes.
Almost a quarter of the UK’s electricity was generated by wind turbines in 2020, yet only a third of Yorkshire residents are aware of how much energy is generated by renewables and that the wind is our largest source of renewable energy.
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