Renewable energy sources power up Scotland and Costa Rica
Countries are increasingly managing to meet all of their energy requirements using renewable energy Hot on the heels of Costa Rica announcing that their state run energy company had managed to provide 100% of the territory's energy requirements for 113 consecutive days using renewable energy sources last weekend Scotland announced it too was able to provide 106% of its renewable energy requirements.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Renewable energy sources power up Scotland and Costa Rica', 311 Institute, 31 August. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/renewable-energy-energy-sources-power-up-scotland-and-costa-rica/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Countries are increasingly managing to meet all of their energy requirements using renewable energy
Hot on the heels of Costa Rica announcing that their state run energy company had managed to provide 100% of the territory's energy requirements for 113 consecutive days using renewable energy sources last weekend Scotland announced it too was able to provide 106% of its renewable energy requirements.
High winds in Scotland meant that wind power was able to over-provide energy for the first time on record, pumping 39,645 megawatt hours into the National Grid within 24 hours and environmental group WWF Scotland confirmed that Sunday 7 August saw Scotland’s renewable energy source pump over the required 37,202 MWh needed to operate all homes and businesses.
“While it’s not impossible that this has happened in the past, it’s certainly the first time since we began monitoring the data in 2015 that we’ve had all the relevant information to be able to confirm it,” said WWF Scotland Director Lang Banks.
Having said that, last Sunday was not a typical summer’s day though as high winds across Scotland forced bridges to be closed and ferries and trains to be delayed and the Met Office issued a yellow ‘Be aware’ alert as winds reached speeds of 115mph in the Cairngorms and up to 60mph in the north of the country.
“While Sunday’s weather caused disruption for many people, it also proved to be a good day for wind power output, with wind turbines alone providing the equivalent of all Scotland’s total electricity needs,” said Banks.
Back in February, WWF Scotland released data showing that January was a bumper month for wind turbines in Scotland; providing 1,125,544 MWh of electricity enough to supply, on average, the electrical needs of 123% of Scottish 2.98 million households.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Countries are increasingly managing to meet all of their energy requirements using renewable energy Hot on the heels of Costa Rica announcing that their state run energy company had managed to provide 100% of the territory's energy requirements for 113 consecutive days using renewable energy sources last weekend Scotland announced it too was able to provide 106% of its renewable energy requirements.

About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on earth and energy and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- Scottish press centre wwf.org.uk
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 31 August 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Renewable energy sources power up Scotland and Costa Rica. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/renewable-energy-energy-sources-power-up-scotland-and-costa-rica/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.