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About Wind Energy

Why Wind?

Wind power is reliable, abundant and affordable. According to the Lazard’s 2021 Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis 1, onshore wind energy is the lowest cost energy resource and offers a natural hedge against volatile fuel prices. In today’s changing energy landscape, energy security is more critical than ever. This has placed an emphasis on the need for more locally produced energy resources and the lowest-cost option is renewables. Moreover, the reduced environmental impact of this energy source makes it the ideal choice.

Wind Energy’s Success

According to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA), wind power alone represents over 17 GW of installed capacity on 337 projects across the country. In 2023, wind power grew by 11.2% nationally. In fact, Canada ranked 8th in the world for installed wind power capacity at the end of 2022. 2 Invenergy has developed over 18,000 MW of wind power with close to 120 projects in operation. With global, national and local experience, Invenergy is a developer of choice for the region.

How Wind Works

Wind turbines are made to capture natural power from the wind to convert to electricity, and the energy from a single turbine can power hundreds of homes. A standard wind turbine consists of a steel tower, three blades, and a nacelle in the center containing the shaft, gearbox, generator and controls. Wind blows through the turbine blades causing them to rotate, which spins a generator located in the turbine gearbox producing electricity.

Wind energy production is commonly measured by a Net Capacity Factor (NCF), which is the ratio of energy production over a given period of time. As the wind industry has grown, turbine technology has become more efficient and more affordable, allowing wind projects to become economically feasible and producing enough electricity to compete with traditional energy sources.

Image Works Wind

Low Cost Wind

Wind power keeps electricity costs low in Quebec, and helps protect against future significant price shocks increases for consumers. According to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA), wind energy costs have dropped by 70% since 2009 on a global scale. 2 Technological development in recent years has made wind power highly competitive amongst all energy sources.

Wind’s Environmental Benefits

Wind power is clean and produces no global warming emissions once in operation. A typical wind turbine offsets the carbon footprint associated with its construction in less than 6 months, and produces carbon-free electricity for the rest of its lifespan, which can extend from 20 to 30 years depending on the model. 3

In 2022, wind power avoided around 270 million tons of CO2 emissions in the United States alone, the equivalent of taking 60 million cars off the road. In the same year, Invenergy's clean energy portfolio - which includes 18,600 Megawatts of wind power worldwide - avoided 50.7 million tons of CO2. That's the equivalent of taking 9.9 million cars off the road. 4 As a responsible and respectful developer, Invenergy ensures regulatory compliance and adopts ethical practices throughout project development and operation. In addition, Invenergy's Environmental Compliance and Strategy team is proficient in natural resource management, regulatory and permitting processes, and vegetation management. This team is involved in each project for its entire lifespan. We also work with local, provincial and federal authorities to ensure that all regulations are complied with at every phase of a project, with the aim of minimizing environmental impact.

Energy Transition

Quebec has set ambitious GHG reduction targets, and a major energy transition is needed to achieve them. Wind power is one of the main sources of abundant, inexpensive energy that can rapidly replace fossil fuels. Quebec has an immense wind energy potential and can take advantage of this transition to increase resilience and create economic growth on its territory. Invenergy is therefore proud to offer clean energy to Quebecers and to contribute to a collective vision. For more information about wind energy in the world, check this page from the International Renewable Energy Agency.

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