The wind is an incredibly valuable renewable energy source and is in the forefront of renewable energy developments. It is used to convert wind energy into energy that can be harnessed and used via a variety of methods, including; wind turbines, windmills, sails and windpumps. For a renewable energy source, however, it is wind turbines that are used to generate electricity (see figure 1). Wind power has been used for this since the end of the nineteenth century, after Professor James Blyth of the Royal College of Science and Technology first attempted it (Boyle, 2012). However, It wasn’t until the 1980s that using wind power technology was sufficient enough to experience a rapid growth of the technology. Wind power is one of the most sustainable ways of generating electricity as no toxic emissions are produced; it does not add to global warming and is one of the most available sources of renewable energy and theoretically it is an infinite source of energy. On sufficiently windy areas, wind turbines are one of the most economical methods of generating electricity, which makes it appealing to many individuals, governments and organizations. Due to this it is the fastest growing source of electricity in the world (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014) with a 10% increase in yearly additions installed in 2012 compared with 2011 (Global Wind Energy Council, 2012). However the proportion of energy that can be harnessed through wind power is restricted by the cost of the infrastructure needed, construction, the amount of wind that occurs and that there are only a narrow number of sites within the UK that are windy enough for the wind turbines to be worth installing. 1.1.0. How wind turbines work The wind’s kinetic energy can be u... ... middle of paper ... ...ioxide emissions. With advances in modern technology becoming bigger and more complex and progressively competitive pricing, The Global Wind Energy Council predicts that by 2017 the global wind capacity will extend to 536,000 megawatts, which is nearly double than that currently. However, to achieve this a substantial investment in infrastructure, electricity grids and interconnection will be needed (Boyle, 2012). Even though development is slowing down due to factors such as, environmental concerns, public concern about aesthetics and health issues, along with the financial crisis slowing down financing for new wind energy projects, the wind is still a significant source of renewable energy for the future. With the correct management and more resources being cultivated to educate the public about the benefits of wind power, the future for wind energy looks bright.
With concern over global warming growing, people are starting to turn a more serious eye toward cleaner sources of energy. Instead of solar power making a comeback as the ideal form, we are seeing a growth in the use of wind power. Wind farms are beginning to crop up all around the country. This new trend has gathered significant attention. Questions are being raised concerning the effects wind farms may have, from critics and supporters alike. Michelle Nijhuis, in the article “Selling the Wind” discusses the arguments on behalf of and in opposition to the increasing use of wind power, addressing what the consequences may be on the United States.
Wind energy can play a critical role in saving our planet from the negative effects of energy powered by fossil fuels. Wind turbines work effectively at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. For instance, a single utility scale wind turbine can prevent the emission of 5,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere a year by displacing the power generated by fossil fuels. Also, a single 750-kilowatt turbine can produce roughly 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Turbines of this nature are the ones now being used in power plants around the world (Wind Energy Weekly). One good example is California. Their wind power plants displace 4.5 billion pounds of CO2 each year with the 3 billion kilowatt hours of energy they produce. To put it into an environmental perspective, that is as much CO2 as could be absorbed by a forest covering 1100 square miles (Wind Energy Weekly). Although wind energy has little to no impact on the environment when it comes to air pollution or greenhouse gases, there are other environmental concerns surrounding this form of energy production. Some of the concerns about wind energy include visual impacts, birds and other living resources, lightning and noise (Wind Energy Development).
“A wind turbine is a machine for converting the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy”. (1) The inventor of the first electric wind turbine was Clevelander Charles Brush, who ran his entire Euclid Avenue mansion off of one for 20 years, which later made the cover of Scientific American in 1888. (2) Although the use of alternate energy didn't rise a great deal afterward, this event did open the eyes for many environmentalists. Wind power is only one of our several “energy source[s] whose ‘fuel’ is free and will never be exhausted” (3) with the pros and cons not completely weighed out as to whether it will be truly beneficial or not. The two main issues regarding wind turbines are the environmental effects that they have and the cost effectiveness of building them.
"For centuries, the power of the wind has been harnessed for the benefit of humanity and commerce. In the United States, mechanical wind systems pumped water and helped open the Great Plains to human settlement and agricultural production during the 1800s." https://www.planning.org/research/wind/pdf/pas566.pdf (Introduction). In the early 20th century, “wind chargers” brought lights and communication technology to rural American households and businesses. Wind energy provided electricity
In everyday life, there are things that one needs to survive. And sustainability problems arise every day. One such problem is energy loss. The world is using up a lot of energy and new ideas need to be formed to help the rest of the world and the future of the generations that are to follow, to survive. With that the problem is that people use up energy and they do not use it efficiently. Therefore scientists are needed to find ways to deal with the sustainability problem that is arising. That is where wind turbines are used to generate this energy but the actual wind-turbines are very large, loud and they kill birds, thus new designs need to be found in order to help energy usage and to bring the size and structure of the wind turbines to a smaller scale to prevent injuries to nature and the species around it.
One of the main types of renewable energy that we have used the most is the wind energy. Wind energy is the energy produced from the power of the wind. Throughout the 20th century, wind energy was used by sailboats as a fuel to move the boat in different directions. In the past, this was the most frequent way for shipment of goods. Sailboats were also used as a method of transportation. Also, wind energy is used to power wind turbines and convert the wind energy into electricity. Without the wind energy, the production of electricity and the shipment of goods would have been very difficult and perhaps life on earth might have perished. Thus, the efficient ways of using the renewable energy such as wind energy has played an enormous role to our existence and it has made engineers more successful at harnessing
The technological advancement of wind mills to wind turbines has been largely contributed from science. This new technology has cause an uproar between two fractions. One fraction side goes against wind turbines as it has resulted in an increased of birds and bath mortality and has negative impacts to the human health (The Wind Resistance of Ontario, Unknown). The other fraction supports the use of wind turbines as it is a clean and renewable source of energy and it can reduce carbon emissions (Windfact, 2013). The use of scientific research da...
Now-a-days the handling of “Electricity” has been increased rapidly. Due to this the “Fossil Fuels” are getting extinguished day-to-day. So we need to choose for an alternate source of energy that is Renewable Source. Among the Renewable Sources “Wind Energy” is one of them.
Wind energy is one of the oldest forms of obtained energy on the planet. Wind energy is used for many things, but more recently has been used for wind power, and has become one of the most cost effective sources of electricity in the new electric generation. Wind power takes wind energy and transforms it into mechanical energy, and then to electricity. People started using wind power centuries ago with the invention of the windmill in about 500- 900 A.D by the Persians. The manufacturing of windmills however is a more recent idea which started in 1854 by Daniel Halladay. Wind being a renewable element of the earth, means that if it is harnessed as energy it could help sustain the people of the planet, and with a resource that is readily available at anytime, it could help advance the human race, as it is doing on a daily basis.
Wind energy has been around for a very long time, as early as 5,000 B.C.. It has even been historically utilized by the Egyptians, Dutch, Persians, and more. Wind energy is known as an alternative source of energy, which is any form of energy that does not harm our environment or diminish any natural sources. Wind energy is renewable, is not expensive, and is a clean source of energy that does not produce any pollution. Wind energy is the best form of energy there is.
First and foremost, unlike power plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, wind turbines do not produce atmospheric emissions. Strangely enough, wind is a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by the irregular heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the variations of the earth 's surface, and rotation of the earth. This wind flow, or kinetic energy, when "harvested" by modern wind turbines, can be used to generate electricity. There is an abundance of wind to meet our needs, “the potential of [the total] wind power [in the world] is… 20 times more than what the entire human population needs” (Maehlum). Currently, wind power is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies available, costing between four and six cents per kilowatt-hour, depending upon the wind
Wind vitality is a spotless fuel source. Wind vitality doesn't dirty the air like power plants that depend on ignition of non-renewable energy sources, for example, coal or flammable gas. Wind turbines don't deliver climatic discharges that expansion medical issues like asthma or make corrosive rain or nursery gasses
Why do we need to rely on renewable sources? Most of the energy that we use today come from fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and oil. All of these resources are non-renewable, it can finish one day. In order to have a better world and a healthy environment for the future, people are trying to obtain energy from natural resources instead of non-renewable sources. In the lecture “Renewable energy resources” (2014), Mistry focuses on some advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy. There are different kind of resources that we can use in order to produce renewable energy. Solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power are just some of the kinds of renewable energy that might be the best options to obtain energy because they come from
Wind is a form of solar energy. The term wind energy describes the process by which the wind is used to generate electricity or mechanical power. Wind turbines convert mechanical energy from the wind into electrical power. Wind turbines usually have three main parts. There are blades that connect to a central hub, a box behind the blades that contains the generator, and a long stem that connects to the ground. The way how it works is that the wind turns the blades, which spins a shaft that connects to a generator making electricity. After the electricity is produced it is sent through transmission lines to a substation that is sent to business and homes. For the sake of our planet, we must promote a renewable energy economy. Wind power can be a foundation of that sustainable energy future because it provides jobs in states that are building wind turbines, is a renewable energy source, and does not damage our environment. The environment will not be damaged by the pollution, the natural resources will not be used up, and there won’t be generating of hazardous wastes. Welcoming wind energy today will lay the foundation for a healthy tomorrow that will affect everyone in the United States. There are obstacles and challenges that will make it more difficult, but the environmental impact is well worth it to invest more money into wind energy.
Deal, W. (n.d.). Wind power: An emerging energy resource.Technology & Engineering Teacher, 70(1), 9-15. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=a747d6c4-9f9f-4066-be3e-d7d26a427ef2@sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=114&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWNvb2tpZSxpcCxjcGlkJmN1c3RpZD1zc2Mmc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZlJnNjb3BlPXNpdGU=