The Winter Gap

By Andreas Bruun Okholm

Winter production gap

Small Wind vs Solar in Northern Europe

Why combining both often gives the best result

If you're producing your own electricity in Northern Europe, solar panels are often the first choice. They are simple, widely available, and perform well during summer.

But there is a fundamental limitation:

Solar produces the least energy when you need it the most.

This is where small wind turbines like the KiteX TWT-11 come in. Try the winter gap simulator below to compare wind and solar month by month.

Winter Gap Simulator

Example yearly wind production 15.000 kWh
Example yearly solar production 5.000 kWh
≈ 5.9 kWp system
Show combined output Makes the seasonal balance easier to see

Seasonal production example

This is a simplified illustration meant to explain the seasonal pattern clearly. Exact production depends on local wind, site conditions, turbine placement, solar orientation, and system setup.
Solar during winter
Wind during winter
Wind advantage
335 kWh
5.235 kWh
+4.900 kWh
Solar value
Wind value
Wind value advantage
335 DKK
6.540 DKK
+6.205 DKK

The seasonal mismatch problem

In Denmark and Northern Germany, energy demand is highest in:

  • Winter months

  • Cold, dark periods

  • Times with higher electricity prices

At the same time, solar production drops significantly.

Typical pattern:

  • Summer: high solar production, low energy demand

  • Winter: very low solar production, high energy demand

In practice, solar output can drop by 80–90% in winter months compared to summer.

Wind behaves differently

Wind energy follows a different seasonal pattern:

  • Wind speeds are typically higher in autumn and winter

  • Energy production increases during the same period where solar drops

  • Production often aligns better with real consumption

This makes wind a strong complement to solar.

Why wind turbines produce more in winter

The key reason is simple:

Energy production increases rapidly with wind speed

A small increase in wind speed leads to a much larger increase in energy output.

  • 5 m/s → baseline

  • 7 m/s → ~2× energy production

  • 9 m/s → ~3–4× production

This is why winter months, which often have higher average wind speeds, contribute a large share of yearly wind energy.

How the TWT-11 power curve fits into this

The KiteX TWT-11 is designed with a large rotor area (~89 m²), which allows it to:

  • Start producing meaningful energy at lower wind speeds (~3–4 m/s)

  • Ramp up production efficiently in the 5–9 m/s range

  • Capture substantial energy during moderate and strong wind conditions

This is important because:

Most locations in Northern Europe experience average wind speeds in the 5–8 m/s range.

Instead of focusing only on peak power (kW), the TWT-11 is optimized for annual energy production (kWh) across realistic wind conditions.

Example: Solar vs Wind over the year

A simplified comparison for a rural property:

Solar:

  • Strong production: April → September

  • Weak production: October → March

Wind (TWT-11):

  • Moderate production: Spring and summer

  • Strong production: Autumn and winter

The result:

  • Solar dominates in summer

  • Wind contributes most in winter

  • Combined system smooths total energy output across the year

What this means for your energy system

Relying on solar alone often leads to:

  • Overproduction in summer

  • Underproduction in winter

  • Continued reliance on grid electricity during peak price periods

Adding wind changes that:

  • More balanced production across seasons

  • Higher self-consumption

  • Better alignment with energy prices

When does small wind make sense?

Wind becomes particularly attractive if:

  • You are in an open or rural area

  • You experience consistent wind (5 m/s+)

  • Your energy consumption is high in winter

  • You want to reduce reliance on the grid year-round

The hybrid approach: the practical solution

For many homes and farms, the most effective setup is:

  • Solar for summer production

  • Wind for winter production

  • Grid connection or storage for balancing

This combination provides:

  • More stable yearly output

  • Better financial return

  • Increased energy independence

Final takeaway

Solar and wind are not competing technologies.

In Northern Europe, they solve different parts of the same problem.

  • Solar = strong summer production

  • Wind = strong winter production

The KiteX TWT-11 is designed to take advantage of this, delivering meaningful energy output when it matters most.

If you want to understand what wind could produce at your specific location, you can use our estimator or reach out for a site-specific assessment.

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