# Onshore wind: Techniques

How one design became among the cheapest electricity anywhere

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_onshore_wind/techniques/

What this tab covers The methods used to capture this energy: how each works, and how they compare on efficiency, cost, life-cycle emissions, maturity and scale.

Onshore wind uses one dominant design: a three-blade horizontal-axis rotor on a steel tower, facing into the wind. It is now among the cheapest sources of new electricity.

#### Comparison

| Method | Efficiency | Cost | Life-cycle emissions | Maturity | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Horizontal-axis turbines, onshore**^[1](https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.00982)^[2](https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2026/Jul/IRENA_TEC_RPGC_in_2025_2026.pdf)^[3](https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy25osti/91775.pdf)^[4](https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_annex-iii.pdf#page=7)^[5](https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4020227)^[6](https://www.nacleanenergy.com/wind/global-wind-installations-rise-record-40-as-industry-charts-way-out-of-energy-crisis)^[14](https://www.modernpowersystems.com/news/gwec-unveils-offshore-wind-plan-as-global-capacity-hits-92-5-gw/) | 40-50% power coefficient in normal operation; 36% average capacity factor for 2025 projects | USD 33/MWh global average LCOE for 2025 projects, installed cost USD 976/kW (IRENA, 2025 USD); US reference project USD 42/MWh and USD 1,968/kW (NREL, 2023 USD) | Median 11 g CO2e/kWh, range 7-56 (IPCC AR5); 7.8-16 g CO2e/kWh (UNECE 2022) | mature | 155 GW added in 2025; about 1,200 GW installed worldwide at end of 2025 (calculated as 1,299 GW of all wind minus about 92 GW offshore) |

The global average cost of electricity from new onshore wind fell by 71% between 2010 and 2025, to USD 33/MWh (IRENA), driven by bigger rotors, higher capacity factors and cheaper installation. Costs vary widely by country: NREL's US reference project, at USD 42/MWh in 2023 dollars, sits above the global average. Life-cycle emissions are among the lowest of any source, since there is no fuel and almost all emissions come from making steel, concrete and blades. The main drawback is variability: output follows the weather, so wind needs storage, flexible plants or grid links to supply power at all hours.

#### How each method works
**Horizontal-axis turbines, onshore**

Wind passing over aerofoil-shaped blades creates lift that turns the rotor, typically at 10-20 revolutions per minute. A gearbox (or a large direct-drive generator) turns this into electricity, and power electronics match it to the grid. A yaw motor keeps the rotor facing the wind and the blades pitch to limit power in strong winds. Turbines are grouped into wind farms connected to a substation.^[1](https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.00982)^[2](https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2026/Jul/IRENA_TEC_RPGC_in_2025_2026.pdf)^[3](https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy25osti/91775.pdf)^[4](https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_annex-iii.pdf#page=7)^[5](https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4020227)^[6](https://www.nacleanenergy.com/wind/global-wind-installations-rise-record-40-as-industry-charts-way-out-of-energy-crisis)^[14](https://www.modernpowersystems.com/news/gwec-unveils-offshore-wind-plan-as-global-capacity-hits-92-5-gw/)

#### Sources

1. [Physical limits of wind energy within the atmosphere and its use as renewable energy: from the theoretical basis to practical implications (Kleidon, Meteorologische Zeitschrift 30(3))](https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.00982) arXiv (author manuscript of peer-reviewed paper), 2021
2. [Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2025 (Executive summary, Figure S1)](https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2026/Jul/IRENA_TEC_RPGC_in_2025_2026.pdf) IRENA, 2026
3. [Cost of Wind Energy Review: 2024 Edition (NREL/PR-5000-91775), reference projects in 2023 USD](https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy25osti/91775.pdf) National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2025
4. [Climate Change 2014: Mitigation, Annex III Technology-specific cost and performance parameters, Table A.III.2 (life-cycle emissions, min/median/max)](https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_annex-iii.pdf#page=7) IPCC AR5 Working Group III, 2014
5. [Carbon neutrality in the UNECE region: integrated life-cycle assessment of electricity sources (ECE/ENERGY/141)](https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4020227) United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, 2022
6. [Global wind installations rise a record 40% (reporting GWEC Global Wind Report 2026, 2025 data)](https://www.nacleanenergy.com/wind/global-wind-installations-rise-record-40-as-industry-charts-way-out-of-energy-crisis) North American Clean Energy, 2026
7. [GWEC unveils offshore wind plan as global capacity hits 92.5 GW (reporting GWEC Global Offshore Wind Report 2026)](https://www.modernpowersystems.com/news/gwec-unveils-offshore-wind-plan-as-global-capacity-hits-92-5-gw/) Modern Power Systems, 2026

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_onshore_wind/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_onshore_wind/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_onshore_wind/correlation/index.md)
- [Efficiency](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_onshore_wind/efficiency/index.md)
- [Resources and labour](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_onshore_wind/resources/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_onshore_wind/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_onshore_wind/links/index.md)