The Basic Facts of Wind Powered Energy

By: Ryan Narendra

Wind powered energy is, under the right circumstances, a reliable source of electricity that serves as an excellent contributor to any alternative energy plan. While the power it generates is clean, there are various considerations that must be taken into account before harnessing the wind to generate energy.

The concept behind wind powered energy is fairly easily grasped. Wind drives a series of turbines which, in turn, are connected to a generator. The resulting electricity can either be used immediately, or can be stored in batteries for times when wind is unavailable. In essence, wind power converts the energy of moving air into useful electricity.

Wind energy has a number of advantages. Most obviously, it is a clean generation method which produces no greenhouse gases. It is economical, and many power companies are beginning to work with large-scale wind farms to provide lest costly electricity.

Wind powered energy is also renewable. Based on the movement of air driven by temperature changes, wind is a phenomenon which will always exist. By harnessing the kinetic energy of moving air, we gain a source of electricity that will never vanish completely.

There are certain regions in which wind power is more economical. Coastal and mountainous regions are particularly valuable, as these terrain types are more conducive to constant wind. Additionally, off-shore turbine installations are being built to harness the more reliable and powerful streams of air crossing the oceans. Wind farms have small footprints, and are often found in rural areas. While once quite expensive to generate, recent technological advances have dramatically slashed costs and increased efficiency for generating wind powered energy. What was once the costliest method of generating electricity is now priced competitively not only with alternative generation methods, but with fossil fuels and nuclear power as well.

There are, of course, disadvantages to wind power. Most obvious is its ineffectiveness in areas where wind currents are unreliable or completely absent. Wind power is also somewhat impractical in small installations, and is generally deployed in the form of large-scale harvesting facilities. While small turbines exist, they must still be supplemented by solar power or other forms of electricity. Rapidly-moving turbines are also hazardous to birds, and are incredibly noisy for anyone living or working nearby. Finally, while deserts seem like an ideal place for wind farms, ground erosion can result if the site is improperly dug out.

In the United States, wind accounts for roughly 1% of the energy produced, and many estimates assert that the US is under-utilizing its wind generation capacity. At a minimum, turbines require wind speeds from between 9 and 13 MPH, speeds which are commonly available in many more places than currently use wind power. Some estimates claim that the United States' wind energy potential is equivalent to that found in 20 billion barrels of oil, an amount roughly equal to the global annual oil supply.

Wind represents a vast, untapped potential in the alternative energy space. While once costly and inefficient, recent advances have made realizing this potential a far more realistic and appealing proposition, both for those interested in green power as well as those for whom economics is the main driving factor.

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The Basic Facts of Wind Powered Energy

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