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| Wind
power is the production of electricity or mechanical work from the
mass of air in motion pushing against a turbine. The energy in wind
is derived from the sun's radiation heating different surfaces, like
water and land, at different rates, then having hot air rise and cool
air drawn down to fill its void near the surface. The wind turbines
essentially "catch" the wind's kinetic energy and harness
it to do work or create electricity. Wind turbines originally were
designed for mechanical work like operating mills or pumping water,
but have more recently expanded into general electricity production.
In fact, there are currently two types of turbines on the market:
horizontal (propeller-shaped) or vertical (egg-beater shaped). The
United States are better established in the horizontal turbines than
Europe, which is making a move toward vertical. The amount of energy
that one wind turbine can generate can be in the hundreds or thousands
of kilowatts, dependent on the size of the turbine and the speed of
the wind. Additional turbines can gather more wind, thus generating
much more energy. For example, the U.S. Midwest has established a
number of wind farms due to consistent wind. Wind power is a form
of alternative energy, meaning it is an alternative to the unsound
energy harvesting techniques energy companies implement now. In addition,
it is renewable, a term used to imply that wind energy is available
for billions of years and does not deplete with consumption, unlike
non-renewable resources, such as oil and coal. These resources took
millions of years to form and are used at a faster rate than the Earth
can replenish. Wind energy opens doors to clean energy production,
Earth and atmosphere restoration and a diverse range of green business
opportunities. |
Wind turbines in Denmark |
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move toward wind energy is a worldwide effort. As of 2009, about 1.5%
of the world's energy usage was wind powered, generating about 157.9
gigawatts. Government subsidies in several countries have allowed
the establishment of large wind power generators. Denmark produces
19% of its electricity from wind, while Spain and Portugal produce
about 13%, followed by Germany and Ireland producing about 7% of their
energy from the renewable source. Over 80 countries are implementing
wind power generation in one form or another today. Researchers believe
that wind may be the way of the future with proper funding. The amount
of economically viable, extractable wind energy is more than all current
human electricity usage. In 2005, the average global energy consumption
was about 15 terawatts of electricity; the estimated amount of harvestable
wind energy is 72 terawatts globally. That is almost five times our
current usage! |
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| Wind
power has become more cost effective over time. Though it is an investment
of thousands of dollars up front, the long-term return will actually
save you money. Over the last 20 years the cost of wind energy has
fallen 80% from 30 cents per kWh to less than 5 cents, with help from
the Production Tax Credit to help compete with the coal and gas powered
plants. Pumped-storage hydroelectricity and other forms of wind energy
storage are used to store excess energy in times of high winds. Stored
energy raises the economic value of wind energy since it can be shifted
to displace higher cost generation during peak demand periods. Potential
revenue outweighs the costs and losses of storage, which adds 25%
to the cost of wind production. Yet, as the technology becomes available
prices decline and efficiency rises. In places like the United Kingdom,
electricity demand is high in winter, and winds are high in winter,
making it a prime candidate for wind power. Other areas, like the
American southwest, demand high energy in summer, but experience high
winds in winter. This is harder to establish as economically viable.
Plans for a super grid in the southwest have been proposed to provide
energy to accommodate a wider dispersed area when some areas experience
winds and other do not for more efficient distribution. This demonstrates
wind energy's growing popularity. In addition, over the last five
years alone wind generator installations have increased 27.6% each
year. Many American states provide incentives like exemption from
property taxes, mandated purchases and markets for green credit. Countries
like Canada and Germany provide tax credits or minimum purchase prices
for wind generation, with assured grid access as feed-in tariffs.
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The world's first automatically operated wind turbine
was built in Cleveland in 1888 by Charles F. Brush. It was 60 feet
tall, weighed four tons and had a 12kW turbine
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| Investing
in wind energy and wind generators is a good investment to make now;
investing in renewable and alternative energy can help you take advantage
of the green bubble energy market. As wind energy is a worldwide commodity,
wind generators have the potential to provide power everywhere. Though
not all climates allow for economically feasible wind power production,
as the technology improves the costs decrease and systems became more
widely available. Furthermore, as storage methods increase in efficiency,
costs will lower and seasonal harvesting may be an option. Whether
for the love of the environment or the economy, green and clean wind
energy is one component of the alternative energy future. |
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