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Wind Power - Upload Knowledge
Wind energy is
arguably the cleanest form of renewable energy available right now, rivaled only
by solar power. And according to the
DOE, it is
the fastest growing energy source in the world. Wind energy is produced by
the wind blowing through turbines of two to three blades that are mounted on a
pole a hundred feet or more in the air. When the wind turns the blades,
the blades turn a generator, and the generator creates electricity.
Wind power can be produced
independently of the power grid with just one wind turbine application for
small needs, or that small application can be
backed up by the power grid. Many wind turbines can even be combined
in the same area to create a power source that’s distributed over the power
grid.
Wind technology’s flexible nature of being able to produce energy on or off the
power grid and with as many or as few turbines as you want is strikingly similar
to the modular
benefits of solar power. Solar power can produce energy in small
applications off the grid, as well as on the grid, and capacity can easily be
adjusted by simply adding modules to meet any power demands. Therefore,
sometimes wind and solar
photovoltaic
systems are combined into what’s called a “hybrid
PV-wind system.” There is also the potential for the
integration of wind and hydropower technologies. Check out this site
by the DOE to learn about other
upcoming applications of wind technology.
Because wind is so readily available, it has been around a long time as an
energy source. Check out the
history of
wind energy by DOE to learn more. For more about its history, also
check out
this site by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Wind energy has come a long way from its early applications of pushing the sails
of boats or turning the blades on a basic windmill. To understand the
modern mechanics of wind turbines, check out
this page by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
This site
by the Department of Energy also covers the basics in an easy-to-understand way.
For more detailed information on how exactly wind turbines work, check out
this site
by the DOE, which includes the
system components and the
parts
inside a turbine.
One of the biggest myths of wind energy, just like solar, is that it’s sparsely
available as a resource. This is just not true. In fact, according
to the
DOE, good wind areas covering only 6% of the United States could supply us
with over one and a half times our current electricity needs. Of course,
different regions of the country have varying capacities of wind, and as an
energy source, it’s just not practical everywhere, including a large portion of
the South East and some parts of the South West and Midwest. But, it is
practical in many other places throughout the country and you can see this on
the wind
energy potential map. Another way to see the wide range of its
availability is by looking at the total wind energy in megawatts developed by
each state provided here by the
American Wind Energy Association. For more wind resource maps, including
seasonal and regional maps, check out this amazing
Wind Atlas by the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
If you’re curious about where the wind market is now, and what the future may
hold, check out this
informative site by the Union of Concerned Scientists. The market for
wind energy, like the other renewable energy sources, faces unique challenges.
The National Wind Coordinating Collaborative has helpful
publications
addressing the issues related to the development of wind power. Also check
out their
wind energy issue papers.
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If you want to learn more than what we’ve discussed here, check out the NWCC’s
links organized
in a user-friendly way.
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Pros—
Wind energy produces no air pollution or toxic waste while it generates
electricity! As the
Union of Concerned Scientists say, “It is hard to imagine an energy source
more benign to the environment than wind power.” The only hazardous
substances involved at all in wind turbines are the same as those found in any
large machines, and essentially pose no safety threat.
Not only is wind energy clean, but it is definitely a “renewable” energy
resource in every sense of the word. As the
DOE
explains, wind is actually caused by the sun heating up the atmosphere and the
interaction between heat and the earth’s rotation and surface irregularities.
So, we’ll have an unlimited supply of wind, until the sun burns out. And
by the time the sun burns out, we’ll have a much bigger problem to worry about
than energy!
Wind energy will be able to compete very successfully in the energy market.
The
DOE
reports that the wind industry is growing at a rate of 27% per year and now
produces over 11,500 megawatts of power in the U.S. alone. Not only is it
the fastest growing energy source in the world, but the
DOE reports
that it is one of the cheapest renewable energy technologies available,
averaging between 4 and 6 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Wind power is also economically viable in that it allows consumers to avoid the
unpredictability of fossil fuel energy prices according to the
American Wind Energy Association.
The
NWCC
adds that the price of wind power is also more reliable in the long-run because
the industry won’t be subject to the same strict environmental regulations that
will increasingly make fossil fuels more expensive. Coal and oil-fired
power plants will have to pay high costs to regulate emissions of mercury,
cadmium, carbon dioxide, and methane, which will result in higher costs being
passed on to energy consumers.
The U.S.
Department of Energy explains that wind power will reduce the negative
economic effects from fluctuating fuel prices and result in greater energy
independence. Furthermore, the U.S. actually leads the world in wind
capacity additions according to the
Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends.
Also, the
American Wind Energy
Association states that the vast majority of small wind turbines are
manufactured right here in the United States. And studies have shown that
wind energy produces more jobs per kilowatt-hour generated than traditional
energy sources according to the
NWCC.
Wind power generation also helps local property owners who can sell or rent out
their land to wind power plants, and it helps local municipalities by collecting
substantial property taxes.
Flip the switch
to see all the benefits of wind power over a traditional energy source, such as
coal.
Cons—
One of the most popular criticisms of wind power is that wind doesn’t blow
steadily, so therefore, it’s not reliable. The
DOE explains
that wind doesn’t always blow when electricity is needed and it can’t be stored
unless it is hooked up to a battery system. Furthermore, wind resources
are not equally rich everywhere in the United States. But, the DOE and
other players in the industry are addressing these issues by developing
hybrid wind
systems which allow solar power, hydro, or other regionally appropriate
energy sources to pick up the slack when wind doesn’t perform and vice versa.
After all, we need a diverse mix of renewable energy sources anyway to
successfully move toward a sustainable future.
The major economic criticism of wind power is that the initial investment in the
technology is expensive according to the
DOE, even
though consumer cost has decreased dramatically over the last 10 years.
However, reliable prices independent of the volatile oil market and strict
environmental regulations still make the installation of wind turbines a smart
investment for small consumers or power plants.
Another drawback is that wind turbines are usually located in rural areas
because that’s where available space is, that’s where the sight of them won’t
bother as many people, and that’s typically where more wind is available.
The DOE
explains that this is far from the populated areas where power is needed.
Competition with more valuable uses for the land is also a problem in rural
areas that are heavily based on agriculture. Furthermore, if it’s not
farmland, the
Union of Concerned Scientists explains that the wind turbines might be
constructed in heavily forested wilderness areas, which means trees will have to
be cut, roads will have to be made, trucks and machinery will use and burn fuel,
and the local ecosystem will suffer. And in fact, the
NWCC
concedes that some of the best wind sites are rural, mountainous areas.
The
Union of Concerned Scientists explains how competition with agriculture may
not be as daunting a problem as some think. They explain how many people
misunderstand wind power land-use because some think wind turbines have to be
spaced a particular distance apart and that there’s no use for the land around
them. The UCS references a report that circulated in the 70s claiming that
in order to generate only 20% of the U.S. power needs, it would require 18,000
square miles of wind turbines. Only a fraction of this land would actually
be used for turbines, though, and the remaining land can be used for something
else, such as farming. For example, farmers can plant right up to the base
of towers and farm animals can also use the land in and around turbines.
Therefore, wind turbines and farming may fit nicely together, but what about
wind turbines and wilderness areas that many plants and animals may call home?
The
Union of Concerned Scientists admits that this is a serious obstacle and
explains how it can especially be a concern for local bird populations.
They cite an example at the Altamont Pass wind “farm” in California where 30
golden eagles and 75 other birds, such as hawks, were either injured or killed
over a three-year period. Presumably, the birds were injured by being
electrocuted on transmission lines or by flying into the spinning blades of the
turbines. Even the
NWCC
echoes the point that wind technology can disturb wildlife and kill birds.
However, the
NWCC and
UCS claim that these problems can be avoided by careful research, creative
designs, and by consulting with affected communities and concerned environmental
groups early in the planning process so that wind turbines can be sited in
appropriate spots. The
DOE adds
that new technological developments have helped to resolve and greatly reduce
the environmental problems.
The last major stumbling block for wind power is simply that many people don’t
like the way they look or the noise they make. The
Union of Concerned Scientists explains how some people in populated areas
especially, object to local wind power because they don’t find the turbines
pleasing to the eye. Cape Wind ran into many oppositions when planning to
build
130 wind turbines off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, but one of the
biggest was the argument that the turbines would ruin the pristine view of
Nantucket Sound. Another related argument that often arises is that view
of the wind turbines will reduce local property values. But according to a
report by the Renewable Energy
Policy Project, statistical evidence does not show that properties within
site of wind developments suffer a decline in property values compared to
similar areas without wind developments.
The
Union of Concerned Scientists explains that the noise people complain about
is caused by the rotor blades turning. However, the
NWCC
says that technological progress has greatly reduced this noise since the early
1980s. And according to the
DOE’s
Small Wind Consumer Guide, modern residential-size wind turbines only
produce 52 to 55 decibels of noise, which is no louder than a refrigerator.
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For more on the issues, check out these papers from
NWCC.
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