Wind Energy Essay

Geography Research Paper Rough Draft Wind energy is really a converted form of solar energy. (Halacy) The sun’s radiation heats different parts of the earth at different rates. It is mostly noticeable in the day, but it also is available when different surfaces, like water and land, absorb or reflect at different rates. This causes portions of the atmosphere to warm differently. After, hot air rises, and that reduces the atmospheric pressure at the earth’s surface, and cooler air is drawn in to replace it. The result is wind. (“Wind”) Wind energy is kinetic energy, the energy of moving molecules of gas that cause a reaction in whatever they strike. (Halacy) Some portion of that energy can be converted into other forms of mechanical force

(Halacy) The stronger the wind, the more power we get. A wind energy system will transform the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical use. Wind electric turbines generate electricity for homes and businesses and for sale to utilities. There are two kinds of wind turbines: vertical-axis, and horizontal-axis machines. Horizontal-axis turbines are most common today with the ability to have 100 kilowatts capacity and larger. (“Wind”) The ability for these turbines to generate electricity is measured in watts. Watts are very small units, so the terms kilowatt, megawatt, and gigawatt are most commonly used to describe the capacity of generating units like wind turbines or other power plants. (Halacy) Electricity production and consumption are mostly measured in kilowatt-hours. That means one kilowatt, one thousand watts, of electricity produced or consumed for one hour. The output of wind turbines depends on the size and the wind’s speed. Wind speed is a crucial element in projecting turbine performance. Generally, an annual average wind speed greater than four meters per

(Halacy) Utility-scale wind power plants require minimum average wind speeds of six meters per second. An average U.S. household uses about 10,655 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. One megawatt of wind energy can generate from 2.4 to more than 3 million kWh annually. Therefore, a megawatt of wind generates about as much electricity as 225 to 300 households use. It is more important to note that since wind does not blow all the time, it cannot be the only power source for that many households without some form of storage system. The purpose for getting wind farms in the U.S. is to cut back on our harmful carbon dioxide emissions from out fossil fuels. To achieve this we would need 400,000 wind turbines at 2.5 megawatts each. Each wind turbine needs sixty acres around it because the towers are several hundred feet tall and they have blades up to 165 feet long. To get 400,000 turbines, we would take up 37,500 miles, all of Indiana or Maine. Along with that, we would need to clear more land for ridge-lines, facilities, access roads, and other things needed to support these. (Komanoff) Therefore, restrictions should be placed on wind farms because they are inefficient, harmful to the environment and endangered species, and