Further Development of Wind Energy Name: Qiwei Li Major: Economics BBE2201: Renewable Energy and the Environment April 25, 2014 Topic addressed: Further Development of Wind energy Audience: Citizens In this paper I will discuss the current status of wind energy and show the pros and cons of wind energy in details. I will also address several brief recommendations for wind energy’s further development in the U.S. Executive Summary In the last five years, global wind energy market has experienced a fast and unbelievable expansion of capacity. It has become one of the fastest growing renewable energy resources around the world. Wind is a kind of clean, abundant, renewable resource that enjoys its unique advantages, such as zero input costs, zero GHG emissions, and zero additional sources needed. However, wind is not a perfect substitution of traditional energy. The drawbacks of wind energy are related to its properties, such as unpredictable, intermittent and etc. In the recent years, the impact that wind energy has had in our daily life in general, is undeniable. Therefore, when it comes to the question that whether wind energy should be further developed, people’s notions vary from one to another. But one indisputable factor is that the growth of wind energy is skyrocketing and this trend is expected to continue into the future. In this paper, I will briefly talk about the current status of wind energy, the pros and cons of wind energy technology and wind farms, and also, show several recommendations for wind energy’s further development. Introduction and Background According to historical records, human beings have taken advantage of the energy of wind for thousands years. Dating back to 5000 B.C., wind was... ... middle of paper ... ...on is of vital importance to maximize the utility of offshore wind farms. We should ensure that the structure of overall offshore wind farms is well-designed to make sure these wind farms can be integrated into the national grid system. Reference: Frosch, D. (2013, December 16). A Struggle to Balance Wind Energy with Wildlife. The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/science/earth/a-struggle-to-balance-wind-energy-with-wildlife.html?_r=0 American Institute of Biological Sciences. (2013, November 8). High bat mortality from wind turbines. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131108091314.htm Hope, M. (2014, Jan 30). The Carbon Brief Blog. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2014/01/the-uk-was-an-offshore-wind-leader-in-2013,-but-how-long-will-it-last/
With concern over global warming growing, people are starting to turn a more serious eye toward cleaner sources of energy. Instead of solar power making a comeback as the ideal form, we are seeing a growth in the use of wind power. Wind farms are beginning to crop up all around the country. This new trend has gathered significant attention. Questions are being raised concerning the effects wind farms may have, from critics and supporters alike. Michelle Nijhuis, in the article “Selling the Wind” discusses the arguments on behalf of and in opposition to the increasing use of wind power, addressing what the consequences may be on the United States.
The need for alternative energy is a pressing issue for countries all over the world. One of the solutions this for problem is wind power, which has been in use for many thousands years. “About 5000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians used wind to sail ships on the Nile River. Later, people built windmill to grind wheat and other grains. American colonists used windmill to pump water, and cut wood at sawmill. In 1920s, they started to use it to generate electricity.” (Renewable energy trends, 2005).
United States International Trade Commission (2009, June). Wind Turbine Industry and Trade Report. Retrieved, August 12, 2011 from http://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/ITS-2.pdf
"For centuries, the power of the wind has been harnessed for the benefit of humanity and commerce. In the United States, mechanical wind systems pumped water and helped open the Great Plains to human settlement and agricultural production during the 1800s." https://www.planning.org/research/wind/pdf/pas566.pdf (Introduction). In the early 20th century, “wind chargers” brought lights and communication technology to rural American households and businesses. Wind energy provided electricity
Spears, J. (2011). The spin on Ontario’s Wind Turbines. The Star. Available Online at: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2011/11/09/the_spin_on_ontarios_wind_turbines.html
Just as long as wind continues to blow and the sun shines, then wind power can produce energy to send to many different areas. There aren’t many locations that have continuous wind. And because of that, the widespread development of wind power isn’t as great as it could be. Although there are more advantages than disadvantages when it comes to this energy source, the disadvantages should be taken just as seriously. Wind power can harm animals, there was a study that stated birds were coming in contact with turbines and dying.
Over the years my family has taken numerous road trips across the country. During these trips we would pass through countless wind farms which would peak my curiosity. Therefore, I decided to do some research into wind turbines.
Wind energy is one of the oldest forms of obtained energy on the planet. Wind energy is used for many things, but more recently has been used for wind power, and has become one of the most cost effective sources of electricity in the new electric generation. Wind power takes wind energy and transforms it into mechanical energy, and then to electricity. People started using wind power centuries ago with the invention of the windmill in about 500- 900 A.D by the Persians. The manufacturing of windmills however is a more recent idea which started in 1854 by Daniel Halladay. Wind being a renewable element of the earth, means that if it is harnessed as energy it could help sustain the people of the planet, and with a resource that is readily available at anytime, it could help advance the human race, as it is doing on a daily basis.
Wind is called a renewable energy source because wind will continually be produced as long as the sun shines on the earth. The sun’s contribution to wind energy deals with converting air into heat or cool wind. Wind is produced by the irregular heating of the earth’s surface by the sun. On land, the warm air spreads and goes up in the sky, in the water, heavier and cooler air moves in to take the warm air’s place, thus providing local winds. This power source should be used more often in the United States for its safer standards regarding the environment and finance.
The purpose of this lab is to see how many blades on a windmill will create the most voltage. Another purpose of this lab is to find out at what blade angle will the windmill create the most voltage. Wind energy has been used for thousands of years because it is a renewable source; therefore, the wind power will never run out. WInd energy had been put into use by 5000 BC ,and simple windmills in China were used for pumping water, and vertical-axis windmills were grinding grain in the Middle East. The new technology of wind energy was taken to the New World in the 19th century for pumping usage and to generate electricity for homes and
Today, wind farms generate about 50,000 megawatts of clean, renewable energy -- the equivalent of the energy produced by 12 Hoover Dams. As this report illustrates, clean, renewable energy is just the start of what we get from growing the number of wind farms across the country. The wind industry now employs 75,000 Americans. U.S. companies and their workers produce approximately 65 percent of every wind turbine part. Wind energy is giving American companies the chance to participate in a new and exciting global industry, American workers the chance to apply existing skills and seek new opportunities in a growing sector, and American communities the chance to prosper from truly clean, renewable energy.
As long as the sun shines, there will be wind on the Earth. We will never run out of wind energy. It is also free, since no one can own the sun or the air. Wind is a clean source of energy, and overall, the use of wind for energy has fewer environmental impacts than using many other energy sources. Wind turbines are a great choice to convert wind into electricity. They do not release emissions that pollute th...
The wind is an incredibly valuable renewable energy source and is in the forefront of renewable energy developments. It is used to convert wind energy into energy that can be harnessed and used via a variety of methods, including; wind turbines, windmills, sails and windpumps. For a renewable energy source, however, it is wind turbines that are used to generate electricity (see figure 1). Wind power has been used for this since the end of the nineteenth century, after Professor James Blyth of the Royal College of Science and Technology first attempted it (Boyle, 2012). However, It wasn’t until the 1980s that using wind power technology was sufficient enough to experience a rapid growth of the technology.
Wind is a form of solar energy. The term wind energy describes the process by which the wind is used to generate electricity or mechanical power. Wind turbines convert mechanical energy from the wind into electrical power. Wind turbines usually have three main parts. There are blades that connect to a central hub, a box behind the blades that contains the generator, and a long stem that connects to the ground. The way how it works is that the wind turns the blades, which spins a shaft that connects to a generator making electricity. After the electricity is produced it is sent through transmission lines to a substation that is sent to business and homes. For the sake of our planet, we must promote a renewable energy economy. Wind power can be a foundation of that sustainable energy future because it provides jobs in states that are building wind turbines, is a renewable energy source, and does not damage our environment. The environment will not be damaged by the pollution, the natural resources will not be used up, and there won’t be generating of hazardous wastes. Welcoming wind energy today will lay the foundation for a healthy tomorrow that will affect everyone in the United States. There are obstacles and challenges that will make it more difficult, but the environmental impact is well worth it to invest more money into wind energy.
Deal, W. (n.d.). Wind power: An emerging energy resource.Technology & Engineering Teacher, 70(1), 9-15. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=a747d6c4-9f9f-4066-be3e-d7d26a427ef2@sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=114&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWNvb2tpZSxpcCxjcGlkJmN1c3RpZD1zc2Mmc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZlJnNjb3BlPXNpdGU=