WIND ENERGY

WHAT IS IT ???  Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electrical power, windmills for mechanical power, wind pumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships

DISCOVERY  Technically wind energy was discovered by the first people who built and used sail boats.  In the 17 th century BCE, Hammurabi, the Babylonian emperor developed the idea of using wind energy for his agricultural and irrigation project.  From 1974 through the mid-1980s the United States government worked with industry to advance the technology and enable large commercial wind turbines. The NASA wind turbines were developed under a program to create a utility-scale wind turbine industry in the U.S. With funding from the National Science Foundation and later the United States Department of Energy (DOE), a total of 13 experimental wind turbines were put into operation, in four major wind turbine designs.

ABOUT WIND POWER TO ELECTRICITY  Wind power is produced by using wind generators to harness the kinetic energy of wind.

AVAILABILITY  People think that as long as they can feel the wind, electricity should be generated from the wind turbine.  The power that is available in the wind depends on the wind speed, the density of the wind (which varies with altitude and temperature), and the amount of turbulence (swirling) in the wind.  Formula : P = ½·ρ· A·v³

EFFICIENCY  A modern wind turbine produces electricity 70-85% of the time, but it generates different outputs depending on the wind speed.  Today's wind turbines are much more efficient than the windmills of the past. They have fewer blades, usually two or three, that are designed to capture the most energy from the wind. As wind speeds increase, the amount of electricity generated increases proportional to the cube of the wind speed. The strength and quality of the wind resource at a wind project site will determine how much electricity a wind project can produce, impacting the costs of the wind electricity. Advancements in technology, such as taller wind towers and longer and lighter blades, have allowed for capture of better wind resource, which improves the production performance of wind turbines.

COST $$$  Wind energy is one of the most affordable forms of electricity today. Recent improvements in turbine technology has reduced the cost of wind energy. As a renewable resource, wind energy has no fuel cost, allowing electricity consumers and utilities to lock-in known electricity rates for 20 to 30 years through contracts called Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).  Wind turbines depends on a lot of factors, such as land costs, environmental statement costs, the size, how close they are to a major power line, etc.Wind turbines under 100 kilowatts cost roughly $3,000 to $5,000 per kilowatt of capacity. That means a 10 kilowatt machine (the size needed to power an average home) might cost $35,000-$50,000.

LOCATION  Most wind turbines are located in Australia as of There are many other places which use wind turbines but Texas is the main source. Wind turbines can be located anywhere there is enough room to place them and danger to populace. The preferred locations are sufficiently windy and have largely constant winds, exposed high areas, like hills or small mountains or coastal areas, some wind turbines are even places off the coast.  The limiting factors in the placement of the wind turbines are the price and case of transport to that area, the infrastructure of the area and assembling the turbines.

PROS AND CONS  Pros : Wind energy is a green energy source and does not cause pollution. Wind power is renewable and there is no way we can run out of it (since wind energy originates from the sun). Prices have decreased over 80% since 1980 and are expected to keep decreasing. Good domestic potential: Residential wind turbines yields energy savings and protects homeowners from power outages.  Cons : The manufacturing and installation of wind turbines requires heavy upfront investments – both in commercial and residential applications. Wind turbines can be a threat to wildlife (e.g. birds, bats). Wind is a fluctuating (intermittent) source of energy and is not suited to meet the base load energy demand unless some form of energy storage is utilized (e.g. batteries, pumped hydro).

WORKS CITED  power/ power/  47#CostofWindEnergy 47#CostofWindEnergy 