The Benefits Of Wind Energy

According to BP the share of energy used for power generation will rise from 42% which it was in 2015 to 47 % by 2035. (BP 2017) Wind power uses wind turbines which convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. Where is the risk in wind power? The wind turbines could cause bodily harm to humans or to wildlife. Turbines can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour that can create deadly obstacles for birds. (Looper, Lance 2017) Bird populations could be in harm due to the danger of the turbines turning in rotation, especially at night when these turbines would not be visible. With the government giving subsidies and incentives to get farm plants built, the price may be decreasing in producing energy, but the upfront cost of having them built and installed is in the millions. This is the biggest risk in wind farms is the cost compared to the energy that will be

Wind power drives the air in the atmosphere through the turbines and generates electricity. Windmills have been using from the past hundred years and even more, but the modern turbines have their own significance with their advancement of technology. During the generation of electricity no greenhouse gas is produced but large area is required for the turbines. For instance, in Texas Lone Star is a 200MW farm and has an area of 36,000 acres. China had the major capacity of generation of wind with more than 62MW in 2011 and the United States stand second with 47MW capacity.

The United States is the world’s largest energy consumer with about five percent of the world’s population using eighteen percent of the energy, a staggering statistic from the U.S Energy Information Administration, which causes a search for a long-term solution that is both efficient and environmentally conscience (Energy Information Administration).Fossil fuels, which the world depends on for much of its energy production, will not last forever and a renewable source of energy is needed. Thankfully, a solution, wind energy is in sight with the modernization of an old technology that goes back hundreds of years. Wind energy is a form of solar energy; as sure as the sun will shine, the wind will blow and this energy can be harnessed. Opposition to wind energy claim that there are many risks and problems with the system, and would not be feasible on a large scale and which is why the technology was abandoned for fossil fuels. New wind energy technology, however, will replace non-renewable energy sources as an environmentally friendly, sustainable and economic energy source.

As the global supply of fossil fuels becomes steadily lower, need is growing for new energy sources that are beneficial to the environment and cost-effective. Wind power is one solution to this need. Wind turbines require significant investment, but are cost-efficient in the long term. If construction of turbines is sufficiently increased, the wind may be able to in the future provide a very major portion of global energy.

One of the fastest growing energy sources in the world, wind power is a globally advantageous renewable resource.

Have you ever driven down highway 30 in west central Iowa at night, looked out the window and seen hundreds of red flashing lights? How about driving through north Lincoln and seeing two enormous white turbines spinning in the wind? If you did not know previously, the red flashing lights at night and white turbines are windmills used for generating power. These windmills can produce 2.5 to 3 megawatts of electricity daily. Wind power can be easily used to generate electric for both personal and public use. Looking at the benefits of wind power over fossil fuels, uses of wind power for personal and public use, and the effects of global warming on wind power, you can decide if using wind energy is a good option or not.

The cause for this great rate of growth in wind power is contributed to tax incentives and state laws mandating renewable energy research. The nation 's total Wind power production is relatively low but some states like Iowa are investing in it heavily. Wind power produces 4.7 percent of the United States electrical energy and makes up over thirty percent of Iowa 's energy (American Wind Energy Association). Wind energy is gaining a lot of traction in northern states but almost does not exist in the southern states. When it comes to reliability wind energy is inferior to Hydropower. In order for a wind turbine to work wind speeds need to be around 8-55 mph and they are only efficient at wind speeds above 30 mph, anything below that minimal (National Wind Watch). This makes wind turbines less reliable because the wind can vary wildly throughout a day. Wind power also comes with some environmental impacts too. Wind Turbines kill tens of thousands of birds a year do to Turbines essentially being giant metal fans (Hosansky). Bats are especially affected because they rely on echolocation to see and giant moving blades confuse them into running into the blades.

“The potential of wind power is enormous – 20 times more than what the entire human population needs” (Energy Informative). The largest wind turbines can produce enough electricity to power 600 houses. Wind turbines can also be very space-efficient. They can be built on any existing farms, and those farmers are given a lot money as well. “About two billion people worldwide do not have electricity.

Jason M. Everett claims that “The kinetic energy in the wind can be used to turn a propeller-like wind turbine connected to an electric generator. The generator converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy, which can then be used to power a wide range of things.” Because of this, “Wind energy comes from the sun. As solar radiation heats the earth’s surface, hot air rises and cool air fills the voids. This air movement is defined as wind energy. Wind that is harnessed via mechanical means is also referred to as wind energy.” Jason M. Everett states

Wind energy does not pollute that air and water like some power plant that use the combustion of fossil fuels, like coal or natural gas. Wind energy does not make emissions that can later be traced back to health problems such as asthma. It also does not create acid rain or greenhouse gases. Wind energy has the potential to save $400 billion dollars by reducing greenhouse emissions and saving money by avoiding global damage. Wind energy is an unlimited resource that will never run out. There will always be wind unless the world has some sort of downfall and the sun does not shine anymore. Wind is created by uneven heating of the earth’s surface. “Over the past 10 years’ wind capacity increased an average of 31% per year, reaching a cumulative capacity over 75,000 megawatts in 2016, which is enough to power over 20 million homes.” (Energy.gov). Another great benefit of wind turbines is that they can already be built on existing ranches or farms. This can greatly benefit the rural areas where some of the best wind farms are found. The ranchers and farmers can continue to use the land by either planting crops or using the land for grazing purposes. Having a wind turbine on the land will take only a small fraction of the acreage. Also, wind power plants pay the rancher or farmers for the use of the land in rent payments. In 2015, the United States paid ranchers and farmers $222 million dollars for land and lease

The lab tested various properties associated with wind turbines while measuring the effect on the power. It was shown that wind turbines can supply a significant amount of energy and power. This wind energy has an important application with wind turbines across windy areas of the United States. These turbines can provide power as a replacement for nonrenewable resources. Although wind energy might not be the most vital form of energy currently, it could become a very important alternate energy source in the near future. Wind turbines can be placed all across the United States wherever there is a strong amount of wind. When talking about implementing wind energy there are a lot of things to think about.

A wind turbine looks and works like a giant fan, but difference is turbines uses wind to make electricity, while a fan uses electricity to make wind. The size and model of a turbine depend specifically on the area in which it will be used. A turbine is made up of an 80 meter steel tower that is secured into the ground by steel rebar and concrete. Three large blades are attached to the hub, which is the center of the rotor. The hub directs energy from the blades into the generator. The energy then is transported to the nacelle. The nacelle is a container that houses the gearbox, low shaft, high speed shaft, controller, generator, and break. The blades cut through the air and distort the wind force, which can affect another turbine in another spot, so spacing is important. In one square kilometer can fit twenty wind turbines. The distance between the blades depend on size of turbines and geographical area.Wind turbines are usually 300 meters apart, or seven rotor diameters apart. Rotor diameter refers to the amount of area swept by the

It drops almost 90 percent. (Brown 2005) (See Figure 2) However, the U.S was still behind Europe, because of some political and financial issues. Many European countries had started on building windmill projects. Europe comprised two-thirds of the global use of wind electricity-generating capacity. (Brown 2005). The leading countries that use wind power are Germany, Spain, USA, India and Demark. In addition, other countries are now started to utilize wind energy. Asia’s growth is up to 7000KW in 2005. (Florence 2006).

Wind energy is essentially the conversion of the kinetic energy from air molecules in motion to mechanical energy which is generally then converted into electrical energy. People have used wind power since 700 AD in

Wind energy is the type of energy which is converted from wind into electricity. It is a renewable source of energy which can provide certain amount of electricity according to the variability of the wind, “yet, wind does not blow 24/7/365 in most location” (Kevin & Brian, 2012:41). The wind power turbine is made on the outside of a tower, blade, rotor, pitch and the nacelle. Although wind energy does not causes pollution in the environment, the flying creatures have few chances of surviving when taking a direct hit through a rotating wind power turbine. The rotating motion of a turbine causes noise therefore building a wind energy power in an urban area should be avoided.