Wind Energy

Today's world relies on energy to power many devices such as cars, lights, air conditioners, and much more. Fossil fuels are heavily relied on to power most technology necessary for society. Unfortunately, fossil fuels create pollution and emit greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. It is important to find and use alternative energy sources to protect the environment. Wind energy could be one of many clean and renewable energy sources to replace traditional fossil fuels.

Wind energy produces power from the wind and it is the result of several factors that involve the planet. Wind is created “by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth” (wind.anl.eis.gov). The sun is important for wind energy along with other factors. There are also wind flow patterns that are affected by terrain, bodies of water, and vegetation coverage on the earth (wind.anl.eis.gov). These aspects affect how wind travels on the earth, which makes some locations perfect for wind energy and others that are not. Electricity produced by wind energy is created by blades attached to a turbine that the wind spins.

Wind turbines are the devices used to convert the force of wind into electricity. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy states, wind energy is a process of converting the kinetic energy produced by the wind into mechanical power or electricity. The best way to convert this kinetic energy into electricity is with a wind turbine because the wind can turn it. Wind, “turns two or three propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity” (energy.gov/eere). These wind turbines look similar to a fan when the blades are spinning. There is enough force to create electricity with a generator if the wind is spinning the blades fast enough on the turbine.

There are two types of wind turbines that look vastly different but have the same process. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says horizontal-axis turbines are the most common and they have two or three blades resembling airplane propellers. Turbines that are taller create more electricity with some that are as tall as a 20-story building with more than 100 feet long blades (eia.gov). Vertical-axis turbines “have blades

attached to the top and bottom of a vertical rotor”, which is not as effective as horizontal-axis turbines (eia.gov). There is not a wide variety of wind turbines because the horizontal-axis turbines are the most effective. There also wind power plants or wind farms, which are areas with many turbines that are capable of producing enough electricity for utility power (eia.gov).

This is how wind energy can be used to produce enough electricity for large scale use, but it requires a large amount of land. Utility-scale turbines can produce from 100 kilowatts to several megawatts, are more cost effective, are used for wind farms, and can be used for offshore wind turbines (energy.gov/eree). Small turbines that produce less than 100 kilowatts can provide electricity on a smaller scale such powering homes or water pumping (energy.gov/eree). Wind energy can provide both small-scale and large-scale energy production, which makes this a versatile energy source. Small-scale wind energy is easier to implement because large scale wind farms need a large area of open land. Wind farms are more useful because they provide enough electricity for many people over a larger area.

There are several positive and negative aspects about wind energy that are important to understand. Wind energy is a free and renewable energy source, which is one benefit because it will never run out (eia.gov). This is good because wind energy is not going to be depleted in the future unlike with fossil fuels. Electricity produced from wind energy is clean and non-polluting, so it is good for the environment (eia.gov). The EIA states the U.S. Department of Energy in 1990 found that wind energy in California offset 2.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and 15 million pounds emitted by other pollutants.

Wind energy can make a sizeable impact on the environment by decreasing emissions from pollutants. Wind energy can be important to improving air quality and combating climate change. Costs for wind energy is more competitive than other clean energy sources, “because there is no fuel to purchase and minimal operating expenses” (eia.gov). This may make wind energy easier to implement than other clean energy sources with the low upkeep cost. Wind energy generated 226,993 megawatts in 2016 of utility scale electricity (eia.gov) and provided 102,000 jobs in 2016 (energy.gov). Wind energy can generate electricity on a mass scale and create thousands of jobs, which makes it a valuable resource.

One negative is wind energy has a higher initial investment compared to fossil-fueled generators (eia.gov). The EIA says, machinery accounts for 80% of cost for wind energy with site preparations and installation accounting for the other costs. Building wind turbines are the expensive part but it can be a good long-term investment. The negative effects on the environment include noise from the blades rotating and animals dying by flying into the turbines (eia.gov). These two negatives have been “reduced through technological development or by properly siting wind plants” (eia.gov). No energy source is completely safe for the environment and wind energy is no exception.

The difference is wind energy has minimal environmental impacts when compared to fossil fuels. Wind is not constant and cannot be stored so it may not meet electricity demands for when people need it (eia.gov). Wind-generated electricity can be stored with a battery (eia.gov). This is a major disadvantage because wind might be turning the turbines at night when people tend to use less power or certain regions do not have a lot of wind. Wind farms require large amounts of land so it can be located on land for animal grazing and farming, but those are remote locations away from areas that have a high demand for power (eia.gov). Wind energy may not be efficient for every area, but it is a great source of energy for areas that receive a good amount of wind.

Wind energy can be a useful energy source and can have a positive impact on the environment. Wind farms require multiple wind turbines to produce enough electricity to meet the demands of many people. There are minor environmental impacts from wind turbines, but those impacts are significantly less than those from fossil fuels. Wind energy is a great source of electricity for windy areas but not for areas with little wind. This form of energy must be used along with a combination of multiple other clean energy sources to improve the environment and decrease the use of fossil fuels.

References

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=wind_types_of_turbines

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=wind_environment

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/html/epa_01_02.html

https://www.energy.gov/downloads/2017-us-energy-and-employment-report

https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-work

http://windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/