1. WIND POWER How does it work? Efficiency Advantages and Disadvantages
Amount of wind energy in use
Residential Wind turbines
Source: Roger Rivera,

2. Wind Turbines: How they work
Blades capture wind energy (Kinetic) and then use a generator to convert it to electrical energy.
3 blade design is most common because of stability.
The design determines how efficient it will be. (Weight, blade pitch, number of blades, etc.)

3. Efficiency At most, wind turbines are about 60% efficient.
The wind needs to blow at least 12 MPH to maximize efficiency for most designs.

4. OTHER DESIGNS

5. Advantages of Wind Energy
Renewable
No pollutants
Cost effective
Less area used (compared to conventional power plants)

6. Disadvantages of Wind Energy
Wind not consistent
Noisy? Ugly?
Wildlife? - Birds/Bats (NOT a Disadvantage)
About 60,000 birds killed by wind turbines
- About 100 million birds killed by cats

7. Amount of Electricity from Wind
Enough electricity for 9.7 million homes. About 1/4 is produced in Texas.
2% of US electricity usage
8% in Texas

8. Wind power by state

9. Wind power by state

10. Wind power by state

11. Wind power by state

12. Residential Wind Power
Residential wind turbine systems cost between $4000-$6000/KW.
The average wind speed in Allen Texas is about 10.5 MPH. Not the optimal wind speed of 12MPH but will still produce sufficient electricity.
Would take about 15 years to gain back initial investment from purchasing wind turbine.
With the decreasing cost of wind power and the growing interest in renewable energy sources, prices should decrease for wind turbines in the future.