How Green is Wind Power?
Wind energy can be defined as a source of renewable energy that comes from air currents flowing over the surface of the earth. Wind power is arguably one of the earliest and most basic forms of energy, having been utilized since the development of the first windmills in Europe hundreds of years ago. As the world intensifies its search for alternative energy sources, there has been a shift of attention to technologies aimed at converting wind energy into usable forms of electricity. Wind energy has been viewed as a free, renewable and pollution-free source of energy. It is also viewed as a sustainable source of energy, since the same supply available today will be available in future. However, sentiments have been raised on how green wind energy is, especially with regard to its economic viability and the level of carbon emissions it helps reduce. This paper reviews the ‘greenness’ of wind as a source of energy in the face of global warming and climate change.
Wind energy production has grown tremendously over the last decade. Europe recorded the highest growth, with 81 percent of the world's new wind equipment installed in 1999. Estimates by the World Energy Council show that wind energy capacity worldwide could reach an overall total of 474,000 MW by the year 2020.
Wind Energy Generation
Wind energy results from the sun when it heats up the earth to different temperatures at different places and times. This result in unequal distribution of heat which creates wind as warm air rises and cooler air descends to fill the vacuum. This continuous air movement is what we perceive as wind.
Wind energy is generated by means of a wind turbine, which is a rotated by the wind’s kinetic energy and converts it into mechanical energy. The generated energy can be used directly by different types of machinery, such as pumps or grinding stones, in which case the assembly is known as a windmill. The mechanical energy can also be converted to electric energy through a wind turbine, wind generator, wind energy converter, or aero generator. According to an article from Wind Power Development Website, the use of wind machines has a long history. The ancient Egyptians used wind to sail along river Nile. In Persia, wind power was used as early as 200BC to grind grain and pump water.
Wind power was also used by the Dutch to reclaim land from the sea through draining of wetlands. As recently as the 1800s, windmills were used to generate electricity in North America, and continued to do until the 1930s. Wind power was also widely used in Alexandria, as the windwheel of Heron of Alexandria is one of the most well known wind power machines known in history (Drachmann, A.G, 1961). By the 7th Century, practical windmills emerged in Sistan, Iran, and were used in the gristmilling and sugarcane industries (Donald, R.H. 1991).
Today, wind power generation is widely used to provide energy in many countries. Some of the countries that widely use wind energy include Denmark, USA, Germany, and Sweden among others. It is estimated that wind machines can produce on average 30–40% of their rated capacity. For instance, a 400-ft-high, 2-megawatt turbine machine could produce as much as 600– 800 kilowatts over a one year period.
Why Wind Energy?
Wind energy, especially in the form of electricity, is developing fast all over the world. The installed generating capacity of wind energy increased by an average of 32% annually between 1998 and 2002 worldwide. This growth is attributed to the use of modern technology in installation of wind generating turbines, which has reduced the cost by over 80% since the first commercial wind turbines were installed. It is believed that in areas with an excellent wind resource, it is more affordable to get power from wind than from traditional sources such as coal and natural gas.
In the USA alone, wind power generation is the second most widely used source of power generation after natural gas, (Jackobson, n.d.). A total of 16,818 megawatts of power were produced in the USA by the end of 2007, with 30% of the generating capacity coming from newly installed plants. In 2008, the American wind energy Association, estimated that approximately 30 percent of all new electricity supplies were produced from wind energy. It is estimated that about 1 percent of the United States power requirements will be met by wind energy in 2009, which is sufficient to supply 4.5 million homes. Future projections indicate that an estimated 20% of the total energy production in the US will be provided by wind energy in the future. Denmark tops the list of countries that exploit wind energy, with 20 percent of power needs produced from wind generators.
Theoretically, wind power generation has great potential, with countries such as the USA estimating the potential to be five times higher than what is presently being generated. Wind farms could be located in a variety of areas, especially on farmlands. Wind power will vary depending on the location and the cost of installation. Although the market for wind power largely depends on the cost of installation, this has fallen dramatically by about 90 percent since 1980. It is projected that by 2010, wind energy will be cheaper than fossil fuel-produced power.
Households are being encouraged to install small home turbines, as these would play a big role in the overall development of wind power. This is especially so because these turbines are sufficient to supply a home or a farm, and they are easy to install. Home owners are also being urged to reduce the cost of installing wind power by building turbines from auto parts.
Electricity produced from wind is sometimes referred to as Green Power because its production produces no pollution. Demand for wind energy is therefore increasing with an increase in health and environmental concerns. It is also said to be sustainable because wind is inexhaustible and therefore renewable. Production of electricity through wind only requires the wind itself and the turbine assemblage. Also, due to technological advancement, wind energy has become affordable. Wind energy production can also accelerate economic development. This is largely because its production enables communities to keep funds that would have otherwise been used to buy electricity. Further, it creates jobs through encouraging energy-demanding processes such as manufacturing, construction, service and operation.
Emerging Concerns over Wind Power Generation
According to an article by Reuters that was published by The Guardian (2009), France’s former president, Valery Giscard d’Estaing, is leading a fierce battle against the expansion of wind power turbines. There has been a growing political opposition of wind power generation in France, coupled with lack of government support. This puts France on the spotlight and it means that it is in danger of missing wind power generation targets set by European Commission. The former president stated that wind turbines were impairing the French landscape, and questioned the fiscal and financial rules governing their management.
Although most environmentalists urge for increased wind energy production, several sentiments have been raised over the impact of wind energy towards resolving global environmental problems. According to National wind watch (2009), the actual total wind energy production in the US is only about 25% of its total capacity. This is only possible for only a third of the time. Further, National wind watch reports that wind power generation produces no power at all for a third of the time, but will draw power from the grid. The high variability in output rarely conforms to energy demand, and therefore other sources of energy cannot be taken offline. It is feared that the extra burden of balancing the wind energy may lead to other energy sources using even more fuel, comparable to how cars use more fuel during traffic jams than in highway driving.
National Wind Watch reports that the wind power generation industry has failed to demonstrate how the use of wind power on the grid reduces reliance on other fuel sources. For example, Denmark has not reduced the use of other fuels despite claims that wind turbines produce approximately 20% of its electricity. Therefore, National Wind Watch reports that large-scale wind power production neither reduces dependence on other energy sources nor stabilizes prices. It does not appear to reduce emissions and pollution, and plays insignificant role in mitigating global warming.
In addition, every turbine assemblage requires a huge amount of land, and many acres of land must be cleared to pave way for wind farms. Concerns have also been raised regarding the turbines extreme height and rotating blades, which generate extreme noise. At night, the assemblages require strobe lighting, and various groups feel that these factors cancel out the wind power’s contribution. Further, each wind power facility needs transmission infrastructure including roads, which further degrade the environment and fragment habitats for wildlife.
It has been expressed that most utilities choice is to avoid energy sources from wind because of their unreliability. However, with the world now moving towards greener sources of energy, several governments have adopted policy regulations that require utilities to use a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources. For example, in the USA, several states are required to draw a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources, and additional ones will be required to do so in future. There lack programmes that require utilities to show the benefit of using renewable energy sources, which would monitor how effective wind power generation is in reducing emissions. In Japan, however, many utilities have the capability of limiting the amount of wind power that they can allow, while in Germany, grid managers shut down the wind turbines once in a while to help keep the grid network stable. Also in Denmark, much of the energy generated from wind has to be shunted to pumped hydro amenities in Norway and Sweden.
Wind energy is however quite profitable especially to wind turbine manufacturers. For example, the cost of erecting wind turbines is very high, and large portion of it (between two-thirds and three-fourths) is met by taxpayers. State governments need utilities to buy the generated energy. Although it does not appear to effectively replace other sources. Additionally, wind energy-generating companies may sell “renewable energy credits,” and “green tags,” which they invented. Many groups view this as a way to sell the same energy two times.
Why then, do communities support wind power generation as a source of energy? National wind Watch suggests that developers usually target poor communities and make deals with individual landowners and local authorities prior to the project’s public presentation. Reports indicate that the communities’ prospect of increased profits may overshadow their interest to inquire about the project’s negative impacts.
Wind turbines have been responsible for massive declines in bird populations. For example, in the early 1980s, three wind farms were built in California along bird routes, which resulted in deaths of birds, especially raptors. This prompted some studies, which recommended that turbine design and location could avert death of birds. It was realized that birds of prey perch on the wind generators for a better sighting of their prey, and sometimes get crashed by the rotating blades. Current turbine designs are tubular, and this prevents birds from perching. Turbine blades also rotate at a slower speed, and this reduces chances of birds colliding with them.
Conclusion and Way forward
Traditional forms of energy such as atomic and fossil fuels are still regarded as more efficient in generating electricity needed for drive modern ways of life compared to wind energy. However, they contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect, and there is therefore need to explore other alternatives in order to ensure a better environment for present and future generations. Wind energy is not only natural, but also clean and healthy. Its impact to the environment is minimal, and it produces no harmful byproducts such as those produced by nuclear power and fossil fuels. Contrary to beliefs of many groups and individuals, wind power generation is very cost effective. It is estimated that currently it costs approximately 5 cents per kilowatt-hour on average to produce wind energy. This makes generation of wind energy far much cheaper than any other forms of alternative energy.
Because wind is unlikely to stop blowing, it is 100% renewable form of energy. As such, the price of production of wind energy is also unlikely to increase. It is in actual sense expected to decrease even further. Wind power is mostly generated in rural areas. The prospect of boosting the economy can be increase through expanding the capacity to generate electricity from wind power in rural areas, which will ultimately contribute to the overall economy.
Conversion of wind energy into electricity may not be highly efficient, but one can apply simple technologies even at the domestic scale. Although it is not possible to convert type of energy into another with 100% efficiency, the efficiency of wind power generation is approximately 10-20% for propellor turbines and 35% for Darrieus turbines. Propeller turbines are however preferred to the Darrieus turbines because they are practically more efficient because their design. Additionally, the Darrieus turbines operate within a narrower wind speed range and ado not start automatically as propellor turbines do.
Home and farm owners should explore the option of installing small-scale wind energy systems to their households. This practice is common in many rural areas, and has been practiced for decades. Batteries can be used to store the excess energy, which can be used during periods of low wind speed. It is also possible to channel the excess energy generated to the national grid through a connection. Wind power can also be used in combination with solar and fossil-driven power in order to increase the output. Most household appliances can be driven by the smaller wind turbines, which have a direct current output. Ranchers in rural areas should exploit this opportunity, which is a good utilization of their ranchland. They could lease for windmills to provide a constant source of income, especially during this time when global climatic changes affect other forms of landuse.
Wind energy production has grown tremendously over the last decade. Europe recorded the highest growth, with 81 percent of the world's new wind equipment installed in 1999. Estimates by the World Energy Council show that wind energy capacity worldwide could reach an overall total of 474,000 MW by the year 2020.
Wind Energy Generation
Wind energy results from the sun when it heats up the earth to different temperatures at different places and times. This result in unequal distribution of heat which creates wind as warm air rises and cooler air descends to fill the vacuum. This continuous air movement is what we perceive as wind.
Wind energy is generated by means of a wind turbine, which is a rotated by the wind’s kinetic energy and converts it into mechanical energy. The generated energy can be used directly by different types of machinery, such as pumps or grinding stones, in which case the assembly is known as a windmill. The mechanical energy can also be converted to electric energy through a wind turbine, wind generator, wind energy converter, or aero generator. According to an article from Wind Power Development Website, the use of wind machines has a long history. The ancient Egyptians used wind to sail along river Nile. In Persia, wind power was used as early as 200BC to grind grain and pump water.
Wind power was also used by the Dutch to reclaim land from the sea through draining of wetlands. As recently as the 1800s, windmills were used to generate electricity in North America, and continued to do until the 1930s. Wind power was also widely used in Alexandria, as the windwheel of Heron of Alexandria is one of the most well known wind power machines known in history (Drachmann, A.G, 1961). By the 7th Century, practical windmills emerged in Sistan, Iran, and were used in the gristmilling and sugarcane industries (Donald, R.H. 1991).
Today, wind power generation is widely used to provide energy in many countries. Some of the countries that widely use wind energy include Denmark, USA, Germany, and Sweden among others. It is estimated that wind machines can produce on average 30–40% of their rated capacity. For instance, a 400-ft-high, 2-megawatt turbine machine could produce as much as 600– 800 kilowatts over a one year period.
Why Wind Energy?
Wind energy, especially in the form of electricity, is developing fast all over the world. The installed generating capacity of wind energy increased by an average of 32% annually between 1998 and 2002 worldwide. This growth is attributed to the use of modern technology in installation of wind generating turbines, which has reduced the cost by over 80% since the first commercial wind turbines were installed. It is believed that in areas with an excellent wind resource, it is more affordable to get power from wind than from traditional sources such as coal and natural gas.
In the USA alone, wind power generation is the second most widely used source of power generation after natural gas, (Jackobson, n.d.). A total of 16,818 megawatts of power were produced in the USA by the end of 2007, with 30% of the generating capacity coming from newly installed plants. In 2008, the American wind energy Association, estimated that approximately 30 percent of all new electricity supplies were produced from wind energy. It is estimated that about 1 percent of the United States power requirements will be met by wind energy in 2009, which is sufficient to supply 4.5 million homes. Future projections indicate that an estimated 20% of the total energy production in the US will be provided by wind energy in the future. Denmark tops the list of countries that exploit wind energy, with 20 percent of power needs produced from wind generators.
Theoretically, wind power generation has great potential, with countries such as the USA estimating the potential to be five times higher than what is presently being generated. Wind farms could be located in a variety of areas, especially on farmlands. Wind power will vary depending on the location and the cost of installation. Although the market for wind power largely depends on the cost of installation, this has fallen dramatically by about 90 percent since 1980. It is projected that by 2010, wind energy will be cheaper than fossil fuel-produced power.
Households are being encouraged to install small home turbines, as these would play a big role in the overall development of wind power. This is especially so because these turbines are sufficient to supply a home or a farm, and they are easy to install. Home owners are also being urged to reduce the cost of installing wind power by building turbines from auto parts.
Electricity produced from wind is sometimes referred to as Green Power because its production produces no pollution. Demand for wind energy is therefore increasing with an increase in health and environmental concerns. It is also said to be sustainable because wind is inexhaustible and therefore renewable. Production of electricity through wind only requires the wind itself and the turbine assemblage. Also, due to technological advancement, wind energy has become affordable. Wind energy production can also accelerate economic development. This is largely because its production enables communities to keep funds that would have otherwise been used to buy electricity. Further, it creates jobs through encouraging energy-demanding processes such as manufacturing, construction, service and operation.
Emerging Concerns over Wind Power Generation
According to an article by Reuters that was published by The Guardian (2009), France’s former president, Valery Giscard d’Estaing, is leading a fierce battle against the expansion of wind power turbines. There has been a growing political opposition of wind power generation in France, coupled with lack of government support. This puts France on the spotlight and it means that it is in danger of missing wind power generation targets set by European Commission. The former president stated that wind turbines were impairing the French landscape, and questioned the fiscal and financial rules governing their management.
Although most environmentalists urge for increased wind energy production, several sentiments have been raised over the impact of wind energy towards resolving global environmental problems. According to National wind watch (2009), the actual total wind energy production in the US is only about 25% of its total capacity. This is only possible for only a third of the time. Further, National wind watch reports that wind power generation produces no power at all for a third of the time, but will draw power from the grid. The high variability in output rarely conforms to energy demand, and therefore other sources of energy cannot be taken offline. It is feared that the extra burden of balancing the wind energy may lead to other energy sources using even more fuel, comparable to how cars use more fuel during traffic jams than in highway driving.
National Wind Watch reports that the wind power generation industry has failed to demonstrate how the use of wind power on the grid reduces reliance on other fuel sources. For example, Denmark has not reduced the use of other fuels despite claims that wind turbines produce approximately 20% of its electricity. Therefore, National Wind Watch reports that large-scale wind power production neither reduces dependence on other energy sources nor stabilizes prices. It does not appear to reduce emissions and pollution, and plays insignificant role in mitigating global warming.
In addition, every turbine assemblage requires a huge amount of land, and many acres of land must be cleared to pave way for wind farms. Concerns have also been raised regarding the turbines extreme height and rotating blades, which generate extreme noise. At night, the assemblages require strobe lighting, and various groups feel that these factors cancel out the wind power’s contribution. Further, each wind power facility needs transmission infrastructure including roads, which further degrade the environment and fragment habitats for wildlife.
It has been expressed that most utilities choice is to avoid energy sources from wind because of their unreliability. However, with the world now moving towards greener sources of energy, several governments have adopted policy regulations that require utilities to use a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources. For example, in the USA, several states are required to draw a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources, and additional ones will be required to do so in future. There lack programmes that require utilities to show the benefit of using renewable energy sources, which would monitor how effective wind power generation is in reducing emissions. In Japan, however, many utilities have the capability of limiting the amount of wind power that they can allow, while in Germany, grid managers shut down the wind turbines once in a while to help keep the grid network stable. Also in Denmark, much of the energy generated from wind has to be shunted to pumped hydro amenities in Norway and Sweden.
Wind energy is however quite profitable especially to wind turbine manufacturers. For example, the cost of erecting wind turbines is very high, and large portion of it (between two-thirds and three-fourths) is met by taxpayers. State governments need utilities to buy the generated energy. Although it does not appear to effectively replace other sources. Additionally, wind energy-generating companies may sell “renewable energy credits,” and “green tags,” which they invented. Many groups view this as a way to sell the same energy two times.
Why then, do communities support wind power generation as a source of energy? National wind Watch suggests that developers usually target poor communities and make deals with individual landowners and local authorities prior to the project’s public presentation. Reports indicate that the communities’ prospect of increased profits may overshadow their interest to inquire about the project’s negative impacts.
Wind turbines have been responsible for massive declines in bird populations. For example, in the early 1980s, three wind farms were built in California along bird routes, which resulted in deaths of birds, especially raptors. This prompted some studies, which recommended that turbine design and location could avert death of birds. It was realized that birds of prey perch on the wind generators for a better sighting of their prey, and sometimes get crashed by the rotating blades. Current turbine designs are tubular, and this prevents birds from perching. Turbine blades also rotate at a slower speed, and this reduces chances of birds colliding with them.
Conclusion and Way forward
Traditional forms of energy such as atomic and fossil fuels are still regarded as more efficient in generating electricity needed for drive modern ways of life compared to wind energy. However, they contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect, and there is therefore need to explore other alternatives in order to ensure a better environment for present and future generations. Wind energy is not only natural, but also clean and healthy. Its impact to the environment is minimal, and it produces no harmful byproducts such as those produced by nuclear power and fossil fuels. Contrary to beliefs of many groups and individuals, wind power generation is very cost effective. It is estimated that currently it costs approximately 5 cents per kilowatt-hour on average to produce wind energy. This makes generation of wind energy far much cheaper than any other forms of alternative energy.
Because wind is unlikely to stop blowing, it is 100% renewable form of energy. As such, the price of production of wind energy is also unlikely to increase. It is in actual sense expected to decrease even further. Wind power is mostly generated in rural areas. The prospect of boosting the economy can be increase through expanding the capacity to generate electricity from wind power in rural areas, which will ultimately contribute to the overall economy.
Conversion of wind energy into electricity may not be highly efficient, but one can apply simple technologies even at the domestic scale. Although it is not possible to convert type of energy into another with 100% efficiency, the efficiency of wind power generation is approximately 10-20% for propellor turbines and 35% for Darrieus turbines. Propeller turbines are however preferred to the Darrieus turbines because they are practically more efficient because their design. Additionally, the Darrieus turbines operate within a narrower wind speed range and ado not start automatically as propellor turbines do.
Home and farm owners should explore the option of installing small-scale wind energy systems to their households. This practice is common in many rural areas, and has been practiced for decades. Batteries can be used to store the excess energy, which can be used during periods of low wind speed. It is also possible to channel the excess energy generated to the national grid through a connection. Wind power can also be used in combination with solar and fossil-driven power in order to increase the output. Most household appliances can be driven by the smaller wind turbines, which have a direct current output. Ranchers in rural areas should exploit this opportunity, which is a good utilization of their ranchland. They could lease for windmills to provide a constant source of income, especially during this time when global climatic changes affect other forms of landuse.
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