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The essay about wind energy
The essay about wind energy
The essay about wind energy
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Abstract
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and one of the most philanthropic men in history giving over 28 billion dollars to charity so far, states his number one wish for the world wouldn't be to rid the world of aids, vaccinate kids around the world, or feed every starving children; instead, it would be to invent and utilize a cheaper emission-free source of energy. My research aims to cut through the vast amounts of wind turbine designs and analyze the two most promising types. The first type is Small Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs), roughly 1.5 meters by 1 meter and generating roughly 500 watts. The second subclass which is less easily defined but generally termed modified or innovative horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs).
Project Significance and Background
As the world's population grows, and the already extensive use of technology in our daily lives expands and grows deeper ingrained into our lifestyles, many people overlook the shortcomings of this type of life style. What is powering iPods, computers, and televisions? Currently, the world releases over 26 billion tons of CO2 per year. Americans release about 20 tons of CO2 on a per capita basis annually; however poorer countries limit their annual per capita emissions to less than 1 ton. Many people fail to realize how much of a monetary burden cheap and clean energy would relieve for the poorest two billion people of this world. Some would argue it could in fact be the biggest fundamental change this world sees, when we have a viable solution. Almost everyone in rich countries overlooks the cost of electricity due to the small portion of our budget it accounts for [1]. Wind will need to be part of the clean energy equation. Using wind turbines alone could redu...
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...bruary 18). Innovating to Zero!
[8] Hara, T., Ohmoto, S., Takahashi, T., & Yasuda, Y. (2009). Proposal and Development of Radial Air-Gap Coreless Generator Suitable for. Electrical Engineering in Japan , 167 (1), 589-595.
[9] Musgrove, P. J. (1984). Energy From Wind In Rural And Urban Communities. In A. Bowen, & S. Yannas (Ed.), Passive and Low Energy Ecotechniques (pp. 290-309). Mexico City, Mexico: Pergamon Press.
[10] Müller, G., Jentsch, M. F., & Stoddart, E. (2009). Vertical axis resistance type wind turbines for use in buildings. Renewable Energy, 34(5), 1407-1412.
[11] Oppenheim, D., Owen, C., & White, G. (2004). Outside the square: Integrating wind into urban environments. Refocus, 5(3), 32-35.
[12] Wilks, N.. (2009, March). Windy city. Environmental Engineering, 22(1), 24-25. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from Sciences Module. (Document ID: 1735033381).
Nijhuis presents a series of detailed explanations that argue in favor of and against the development of wind farms. In the first portion of “Selling the Wind”, the
Unrhuh C, Leiker D. [Internet]. cJ.S. S.W. Aber. Kansas wind power. [last update 2009 Nov, cited 2010 Oct 3]. [about 1 paragraph]. Available from: http://www.geospectra.net/kite/ks_wind/ks_wind.htm
Wind turbines, by nature, must be sited in highly visible areas to give them enough space to produce the amount of energy desired. However, many of the sites for wind turbine farms are now located in areas that are ...
Palmieri, Nancy. “Off the Grid or on, Solar and Wind Power Gain.” USA Today 12 April 2006. Print.
Wind power is one of the fastest growing renewable energy technologies in the world, with an annual growth rate of 30.7 percent (Flomenhoft, 2007). Its popularity stems from its renewable characteristics, emission free properties and the cheap electricity that it produces. Thus far, Belize has not harnessed the wind energy in the country which I believe is unfortunate. Approximately 50% of Belize?s electricity production is imported from Mexico (Launchpad consulting, 2003). Hydro accounts for 25%, diesel makes 20%, bagasse, produced by the local sugar industry creates 5% and a mere 0.03% is produced through using solar and wind power combined (Launchpad consulting, 2003). I personally feel as though it would be in the country?s, as well as the world?s best interest if this number increased drastically. This essay will examine the potential for wind energy production in Belize.
In everyday life, there are things that one needs to survive. And sustainability problems arise every day. One such problem is energy loss. The world is using up a lot of energy and new ideas need to be formed to help the rest of the world and the future of the generations that are to follow, to survive. With that the problem is that people use up energy and they do not use it efficiently. Therefore scientists are needed to find ways to deal with the sustainability problem that is arising. That is where wind turbines are used to generate this energy but the actual wind-turbines are very large, loud and they kill birds, thus new designs need to be found in order to help energy usage and to bring the size and structure of the wind turbines to a smaller scale to prevent injuries to nature and the species around it.
Instilling this new way of energy usage into off-grid communities will inevitably increase the state of living for those in cities and other well-populated areas. The change to renewable energy sources could drastically lower the pollutants currently being dispersed into the atmosphere by coal mines and other harmful power options, increasing the supply of renewable energy would allow us to replace carbon-intensive energy sources and significantly reduce U.S. global warming emissions. a 25 percent by 2025 national renewable electricity standard would lower power plant CO2 emissions 277 million metric tons annually by 2025—the equivalent of the annual output from 70 typical (600 MW) new coal plants (“Benefits of Renewable Energy Use”). Electricity production accounts for more than one-third of U.S. global warming emissions, with the majority generated by coal-fired power plants.
In this regard, city authorities all over the world are increasingly adopting energy efficiency measures in a quest to become sustainable into the future. Consequently, this has led to the emergence of the term ‘green cities’ (Aulisi & Hanson, 2004). New York City, viewed by many as an urban, concrete jungle, was recently named the “greenest city" in the United States. This is mainly because most of its residents live in energy-efficient buildings, and use public transport, bicycl...
Winds are caused by the irregular heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the variations of the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth. This wind flow, or kinetic energy, when "harvested" by modern wind turbines, can be used to generate electricity. There is an abundance of wind to meet our needs, “the potential of [the total] wind power [in the world] is. 20 times more than what the entire human population needs” (Maehlum). Currently, wind power is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies available, costing between four and six cents per kilowatt-hour, depending upon the wind resource.
Offshore wind turbines will provide more jobs, cut pollution, stop warming on our planet, and save us energy costs. These wind turbines can generate enough energy offshore to power about 500,000 homes. However, many people disagree with this idea because they believe it is too expensive. Offshore wind turbines have been a topic of discussion for a while now, and people just simply can’t agree. There are the supporters and there are the problem makers, as well as the advantages and disadvantages to this idea.
In a world where over half of the human population calls a city their home, the need to restructure and revolutionize the way we design our urban environments has never been greater. Currently, the notion that these vast metropolises of metal, concrete, and sludge could one day be fully realized pillars of sustainability is certainly laughable. However, when these same cities are constantly growing and multiplying across the globe, all the while using a greater and greater chunk of our planet’s energy, this impossible task becomes a necessary focus. To strive towards the closed, continuous loop of “true” sustainability could greatly alter the image of the modern city. Any improvement over the current state of urban affairs could carry weight, and even if that goal is not entirely fulfilled, the gained benefits would be immense.
The world that we live into today affords us the expectation that the flip a switch will turn the lights on. As populations increase and developing nations undergo dramatic economic growth, this energy demand will only continue to grow. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that “the world’s energy needs could be 50% higher in 2030 than they are today” (ElBaradei). Given this projected growth, it is necessary for world leaders must take action to secure the energy supply. Meaning that world leaders need to start seriously considering an alternative to non-renewable energy sources. “In 2012, the United States generated about 4,054 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. About 68% of the electricity generated was from fossil fuel (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), with 37% attributed from coal” (U.S. Energy Information Administration). The fossil fuels that are used to supply over half of our country’s energy are in finite supply and are increasing in price to astronomical heights.
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=