ADVANTAGES OF WIND ENERGY

Thanks to the increased advantages of wind energy, wind farms reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a ratio of 1:1. Grids produce around 800 g of CO2. In contrast, wind energy displaces all these greenhouse gases.

In 2016, there were more than 314,000 wind turbines in operation worldwide. China had set up 104,934 wind turbines, while the US had set up 52,343 turbines by the end of 2016. By the end of 2019, the US added more than 60,000 wind turbines across 41 states. These turbines have a combined capacity of 105,583 MW.

What this proves is that wind energy is popular and has many benefits. Here are the pros of wind energy.

What is Wind Energy? What Are The Advantages Of Wind Energy?

Wind energy is a free, clean, and renewable energy source used to produce electricity. It can also refer to the process of generating electricity using wind. The wind is moving air or air in motion.

Saving energy and using clean energy is important in our fight against global warming. To reduce energy consumption, roof insulation is an important factor in the global picture.

As you already know, Earth has various water and land masses. These masses absorb solar radiation unevenly. It’s usually produced by the uneven heating of the surface of the Earth by the Sun.

When this happens, warm air expands, creating less pressure. The air begins to move from high-pressure regions to low-pressure regions producing wind. To convert wind into electricity, you need wind turbines.

Want to know how wind turbines work?

Keep reading!

How do Wind Turbines Work?

The most common types of wind turbines are:

  • Horizontal axis turbines
  • Vertical axis turbines

Horizontal axis turbines are the most common type of wind turbine. They have three blades located at the top of the tower. The blades pivot around the turbine or rotor. These blades operate upwind, and when they rotate, they turn the rotor, which produces electricity.

Vertical-axis wind turbines are available in different versions. One of the most common versions is the Darrieus model or eggbeater style. Named after its French inventor, its turbines are omnidirectional. No adjustment is needed to ensure the blades point into the wind to operate.

In this section, we discuss how a horizontal-axis turbine works.

First off, a horizontal-axis turbine has the following components:

  • Blades and Rotor
  • Low-speed shaft
  • Gearbox
  • Generator
  • High-speed shaft

When the wind blows, it lifts and rotates the three blades. This causes the rotor to spin. The low-speed shaft connects the gearbox to the rotor. This low-speed shaft turns at a speed of 30 to 60 rpm.

As the blades turn, the low-speed shaft increases the rotation speeds from 30 to 60 RPM to 1,000 to 1,800 rpm. This is the minimum rotational speed required by the generator to produce electricity. You need to know that the generator is the heaviest and most expensive part of the wind turbine.

It produces 60-cycle AC electricity. The controller starts the wind turbine at speeds of 8 to 16 mph. It then shuts off the machine at speeds of 55 mph. This is because turbines cannot operate at 55 mph or more wind speeds, and damage can occur due to high winds.

The wind turbine is usually set up atop a tubular steel tower. The steel tower has a height of 80 meters or 262 feet. It supports the rotor, generator, low and high-speed shaft, and other components.

Additional Wind Turbine Components

Wind turbines have other components used in measuring wind speed and direction. They are:

  • Wind vane
  • Anemometer

The wind measurements collected by the instruments above help direct the turbine to rotate and face the strongest wind. Also, they help to determine the angle of the blades, which improves the power generation efficiency.

Modern wind turbines have a yaw motor and drive. The yaw motor powers the yaw drive. In turn, the yaw drive helps to orient the turbine to face the wind when its direction changes. You need to know that downwind turbines don’t have a yaw drive. This is because the wind blows the rotor changing the direction.

A modern generator generates electricity once wind speeds reach 6 to 9 mph. This is the cut-in speed. The turbine shuts down if the wind speed is 55 mph or higher. This is to prevent damage to the blades and other components.

Advantages of Wind Energy

As we know, there are many advantages of wind energy. However, there are a few disadvantages of wind energy as well. In this post, we look at the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy.

1. Renewable Sources of Energy

The wind is a renewable source of energy. Not only is it free. But it’s ready and waiting, unlike fossil fuels such as gas, oil, and coal, which are non-renewable.

What most people don’t know is that wind relies on solar energy. It helps lower greenhouse gas emissions and their adverse effects. NASA predicted that the Sun would exist for another 6.5 billion years.

As such, solar energy and wind are not about to get depleted soon.

2. Wind Energy Is Cost-effective

Wind energy is cost-effective. When it comes to the cost of developing wind farms, it’s expensive. Unlike fossil fuels, where mining and shipping occur, wind energy requires no drilling.

But according to studies, wind farms are cheaper to set up and operate than nuclear plants or coal plants. Prices decreased by more than 80% since 1980.

As a consumer, you can buy power from a wind farm, which means you don’t have to invest any money to enjoy the benefits of wind energy.

3. Wind Energy is a Clean Energy Source

Advantages Of Wind Energy are a clean energy source
The advantages Of Wind Energy are a clean energy source

Coal-fired plants generate electricity by burning coal in a boiler. This produces steam under tremendous pressure. The stream flows into a turbine, which helps produce electricity. After power generation, the steam is usually cooled and condensed back into the water before flowing to the boiler to start the process again.

Carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides are usually produced in a coal-fired plant. These gases pollute the atmosphere. For example, carbon dioxide contributes to an increase in temperature, while Sulphur dioxide leads to acid rain.

Wind energy does emit any chemicals during the production of electricity. As such, it’s safe for the environment.

4. No Waste

Nuclear power was once a popular source of energy. The problem is nuclear power plants produce radioactive waste. Based on studies, nuclear power plants produce 10,000 cubic meters of high-level waste.

Wind energy produces no waste. Why you may ask, when it comes to coal plants, a 1000MW coal plant produces 300,000 tons of ash annually. This pollutes the air leading to respiratory diseases.

This is because wind turbines harness kinetic energy, producing electricity. No burning or chemical processes are involved.

5. Requires Less Water

Yes, wind turbines require less water. Unlike nuclear power plants, which require 600 times more water, coal-fired plants require 500 times more water. This makes wind energy the perfect power source, especially in drought-prone or semi-arid areas.

Modern wind turbines are incredibly attractive. They don’t look clunky or rustic. They are white and modern looking. As such, they will not become an eyesore on your farm or disrupt operations.

Not only that. The modern design allows wind turbines to capture 30% to 40% more kinetic energy than older versions.

6. It Creates Jobs, and Landowners Make Extra Cash

Wind energy projects create exciting job opportunities. From meteorologists to structural engineers, lawyers, bankers, and assembly workers. Studies show that wind energy creates more than 30% more energy than coal and nuclear power plants.

Government organizations and service providers need land to set up a wind farm. As a landowner, you can make extra cash by renting out your property for wind farms. Alternatively, you can sell the land and settle in another location.

Disadvantages of Wind Energy

The following are the disadvantages of wind energy.

1. Causes of Visual and Noise Pollution

One downside of wind energy is that it creates visual and noise pollution, which led to protests worldwide, barring the construction of onshore and offshore wind farms. According to experts, the closest distance for installing a wind turbine to a home is 300 meters or more.

At this distance, the wind turbine can emit noise levels of 43 decibels. This is less than the noise produced by a refrigerator at 40 decibels and an AC at 50 decibels. If the distance increases to 500 meters, the noise level falls to 38 decibels.

2. Unsafe to Wildlife

Wind energy provides many environmental benefits, such as reducing greenhouse emissions and air pollutants. Despite this, wind turbines are unsafe for wildlife. In particular, they are dangerous to birds and bats as they kill more than 328,000 birds yearly. This is common during migration.

The most vulnerable birds are the night migrating songbirds, grassland birds, and raptors. Engineers must site wind turbines away from migratory corridors to prevent the death of birds and bats.

Besides causing death to bats and birds, wind turbines significantly impact the landscape. As they spread over more land, it leads to the industrialization of the countryside and habitat loss.

3. Safety of Residents

Engineers spent thousands of hours designing wind turbines. Not only to improve electricity production but to ensure they are safe for residents. Damage can occur to the wind turbine blades in a severe storm or high winds. This is a safety hazard for people living or driving near the wind farm.

Apart from being unsafe to people, wind turbines suffer from intermittency. Shrapnel from the blade may end up causing damage to nearby homes or moving vehicles. As such, it may lead to physical disability or even death.

This is where disruption occurs caused by the inconsistency of wind. As such, predicting the amount of energy collected can be hard.

4. Expensive

The construction of wind turbines and wind farms is costly. In 2017, the cost of constructing a wind turbine was $1.6 million per megawatt. To generate 20 MW, a wind farm needs at least 13 turbines. This means the wind farm cost will rise to $32 million.

Apart from being expensive, they take a long time to construct. First off, meteorologists and engineers must evaluate the following:

  • Wind speed
  • Temperature
  • Wind direction
  • Air pressure
  • Humidity and other factors.

They need to build local meteorological towers and radars to monitor the site for a