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WIND ENERGY
Wind power actually originates with the sun; as
different air masses are heated by solar energy, they
move from place to place, creating wind that can be
harnessed. Like other forms of renewable energy, wind
energy has been used for a very long time in a primitive
state. The most obvious example is the windmill, which
has been used worldwide for hundreds of years to pull
water from wells or to mill grain. The primary current
application is to use this same principle to turn a
turbine and create electrical energy.
While wind energy cannot be commercially utilized
everywhere, it is often feasible in areas that are
remote, or that are non-traditional sources of energy.
For example, the American Midwest could theoretically
generate enough electricity to power the entire United
States on a sustained basis. Windmills also require
little surface area to implement, usually less than a
few square meters for each turbine. Many agricultural
farms and ranches continue to operate relatively
normally despite the presence of wind-farms on their
property, and some turbines are even constructed on top
of urban buildings.
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Wind energy also may be the most economically attractive
alternative, especially in the short run. The cost of
producing electricity from wind turbines has dropped
nearly eighty percent since the 1980s, and may soon be
the most economical means of electrical generation
world-wide.
The primary disadvantage of wind power is the
unpredictability of wind itself. While air moves almost
anywhere on Earth, economically viable electrical
generation requires sustained winds of ten-to-twelve
miles per hour. Because the energy potential of wind is
dependent on the cube of wind speed, a decrease from
twelve miles per hour to eleven miles per hour means a
thirty-three percent decrease in electrical production.
Prime wind farm locations are often in remote, rural
areas, meaning that large scale implementation will
require transferring the power long distances to urban
areas where demand is highest. Because a fairly large
number of turbines are needed in a particular area to
make it economically viable, there are also a few
aesthetic concerns, such as the size and noise pollution
of a turbine farm. However, these are minor problems
compared to the issues with other renewable sources.
Published by Carol Foss - in the hope that it will make
a difference, however small. |
