How long does it take for a turbine to pay back the energy used to manufacture it?
The comparison of energy used in manufacture with the energy produced by a power station is known as the ‘energy balance’. It can be expressed in terms of energy ‘pay back’ time, i.e. as the time needed to generate the equivalent amount of energy used in manufacturing the wind turbine or power station. The average wind farm in the UK will pay back the energy used in its manufacture within six to eight months, this compares favourably with coal or nuclear power stations, which take about six months.
