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What Is the Future of Wind Energy?

Humans have used windmills to capture the force of the wind as mechanical energy for more than 1,300 years . Unlike early windmills, however, modern wind turbines use generators and other components to convert energy from the spinning blades into a smooth flow of AC electricity.

In the video below, Resnick Sustainability Institute researcher John Dabiri discusses the future of wind energy technology.

How much of global electricity demand is met by wind energy?

Wind energy is a small but fast-growing fraction of electricity production. It accounts for 5 percent of global electricity production and 8 percent of the U.S. electricity supply.

Globally, wind energy capacity surpasses 743 gigawatts , which is more than is available from grid-connected solar energy and about half as much as hydropower can provide. Nearly three-quarters of that 651 gigawatts comes from wind farms in five countries: China, the U.S., Germany, India, and Spain. Wind energy capacity in the Americas has tripled over the past decade.

In the U.S., wind is now a dominant renewable energy source , with enough wind turbines to generate more than 100 million watts, or megawatts, of electricity, equivalent to the consumption of about 29 million average homes.

The cost of wind energy has plummeted over the past decade. In the U.S., it is cost-competitive with natural gas and solar power.

Wind energy and solar energy complement each other, because wind is often strongest after the sun has heated the ground for a time. Warm air rises from the most heated areas, leaving a void where other air can rush in, which produces horizontal wind currents . We can draw on solar energy during the earlier parts of the day and turn to wind energy in the evening and night. Wind energy has added value in areas that are too cloudy or dark for strong solar energy production, especially at higher latitudes.

How big are wind turbines and how much electricity can they generate?

Typical utility-scale land-based wind turbines are about 250 feet tall and have an average capacity of 2.55 megawatts, each producing enough electricity for hundreds of homes. While land-based wind farms may be remote, most are easy to access and connect to existing power grids.

Smaller turbines, often used in distributed systems that generate power for local use rather than for sale, average about 100 feet tall and produce between 5 and 100 kilowatts.

One type of offshore wind turbine currently in development stands 853 feet tall, four-fifths the height of the Eiffel Tower, and can produce 13 megawatts of power. Adjusted for variations in wind, that is enough to consistently power thousands of homes. While tall offshore turbines lack some of the advantages of land-based wind farms, use of them is burgeoning because they can capture the energy of powerful, reliable winds high in the air near coastlines, where most of the largest cities in the world are located.

What are some potential future wind technologies other than turbines?

Engineers are in the early stages of creating airborne wind turbines , in which the components are either floated by a gas like helium or use their own aerodynamics to stay high in the air, where wind is stronger. These systems are being considered for offshore use, where it is expensive and difficult to install conventional wind turbines on tall towers.

Trees, which can withstand gale forces and yet move in response to breezes from any direction, also are inspiring new ideas for wind energy technology. Engineers speculate about making artificial wind-harvesting trees . That would require new materials and devices that could convert energy from a tree's complex movements into the steady rotation that traditional generators need. The prize is wind energy harvested closer to the ground with smaller, less obtrusive technologies and in places with complex airflows, such as cities.

What are the challenges of using wind energy?

Extreme winds challenge turbine designers. Engineers have to create systems that will start generating energy at relatively low wind speeds and also can survive extremely strong winds. A strong gale contains 1,000 times more power than a light breeze, and engineers don't yet know how to design electrical generators or turbine blades that can efficiently capture such a broad range of input wind power. To be safe, turbines may be overbuilt to withstand winds they will not experience at many sites, driving up costs and material use. One potential solution is the use of long-term weather forecasting and AI to better predict the wind resources at individual locations and inform designs for turbines that suit those sites.

Climate change will bring more incidents of unusual weather, including potential changes in wind patterns . Wind farms may help mitigate some of the harmful effects of climate change. For example, turbines in cold regions are routinely winterized to keep working in icy weather when other systems may fail, and studies have demonstrated that offshore wind farms may reduce the damage caused by hurricanes . A more challenging situation will arise if wind patterns shift significantly. The financing for wind energy projects depends critically on the ability to predict wind resources at specific sites decades into the future. One potential way to mitigate unexpected, climate-change-related losses or gains of wind is to flexibly add and remove groups of smaller turbines, such as vertical-axis wind turbines , within existing large-scale wind farms.

Wind farms do have environmental impacts . The most well-known is harm to wildlife, including birds and bats . Studies are informing wind farm siting and management practices that minimize harm to wildlife , and Audubon, a bird conservation group, now supports well-planned wind farms. The construction and maintenance of wind farms involves energy-intensive activities such as trucking, road-building, concrete production, and steel construction. Also, while towers can be recycled, turbine blades are not easily recyclable. In hopes of developing low-to-zero-waste wind farms, scientists aim to design new reuse and disposal strategies , and recyclable plastic turbine blades. Studies show that wind energy's carbon footprint is quickly offset by the electricity it generates and is among the lowest of any energy source .

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Windmills

Wind Energy: Advantages and Disadvantages

Dallas lloyd december 11, 2014, submitted as coursework for ph240 , stanford university, fall 2014, wind energy: what is it.

Offshore wind turbines in the Irish Sea (Source: )

To obtain wind power, the kinetic energy of wind is used to create mechanical power. A generator converts this power into electricity so that it may be used for the benefit of mankind. Recently, different types of electricity generation have been a frequent topic of debate amongst experts. Surely, wind energy is one of the frontrunners of the technological breakthroughs that might lead to more efficient energy production. At a glance, the future of wind energy seems promising. This may be the case, but there are also some disadvantages that must be considered.

The advantages of wind energy are more apparent than the disadvantages. The main advantages include an unlimited, free, renewable resource (the wind itself), economic value, maintenance cost, and placement of wind harvesting facilities. First and foremost, wind is an unlimited, free, renewable resource. Wind is a natural occurrence and harvesting the kinetic energy of wind doesn't affect currents or wind cycles in any way. Next, harvesting wind power is a clean, non-polluting way to generate electricity. Unlike other types of power plants, it emits no air pollutants or greenhouse gases. The wind turbines harmlessly generate electricity from wind passing by. Wind energy is far more ecofriendly than the burning of fossil fuels for electricity. Currently, the United States, along with other countries, remains dependent on fossil fuels imported from unstable and unreliable nations. [1] Strains on supply (of fossil fuels) are likely to increase the prices of fossil fuel resources and leave the US economy exposed to international market volatility. Wind power has the ability to free the US from the figurative economic bondage of fossil fuels. Once turbines and energy centers have been installed, the cost of maintaining turbines and generating wind power is next to nothing. Another advantage of wind power is the ability to place turbines wherever necessary. After performing research and finding areas that have adequate wind, experts may place the turbines in desired areas. These areas are usually unpopulated (offshore wind turbines, for example). [1] In fact, offshore winds tend to blow harder and more uniformly than on land, providing the potential for increased electricity generation and smoother, steadier operation than land-based wind power systems. Fig. 1 shows offshore wind turbines harvesting energy.

Disadvantages

Turbine blade convoy passing through Edenfield, England (Source: )

The two major disadvantages of wind power include initial cost and technology immaturity. Firstly, constructing turbines and wind facilities is extremely expensive. The second disadvantage is technology immaturity. [1] High cost of energy can, in part, be addressed directly with technology innovations that increase reliability and energy output and lower system capital expenses. Offshore wind energy produces more energy than onshore wind energy, but costs much more to establish. The primary costs of wind turbines include construction and maintenance. [1] New technology is needed to lower costs, increase reliability and energy production, solve regional deployment issues, expand the resource area, develop infrastructure and manufacturing facilities, and mitigate known environmental impacts. Therefore, one may argue that implementation of wind energy must be delayed until technological advancements are made. Other disadvantages include:

Aesthetic impact: Many people are concerned with the visual effects that wind turbines have on the beautiful scenery of nature. They believe that giant wind turbines distract viewers from the beautiful surroundings. Fig. 2 shows just how big wind turbines can be.

Wildlife: Wind turbines may be dangerous to flying animals. Many birds and bats have been killed by flying into the rotors. Experts are now conducting research to learn more about the effects that wind turbines have on marine habitats.

Remoteness of location: Although this may be an advantage (placing wind turbines in desolate areas, far away from people), it may also be a disadvantage. The cost of travel and maintenance on the turbines increases and is time consuming. Offshore wind turbines require boats and can be dangerous to manage.

Noise: Some wind turbines tend to generate a lot of noise which can be unpleasant

Safety at Sea: In the darkness/at night it may be difficult for incoming boats to see wind turbines thus leading to collisions.

© Dallas Lloyd. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.

[1] W. Musial and B. Ram, "Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States," U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-500-40745 , September 2010.

  • Wind Energy Advantages and Disadvantages
  • Energy 101: Resources to Help Understand Energy
  • Energy Innovation

Wind energy advantages and disadvantages are important considerations when making decisions about energy with the environment in mind. A cleaner future will involve a mix of energy sources, including those that are renewable like wind power.

Wind is produced as the sun heats the earth unevenly due to the earth’s rotation and geographic features. Warm air rises to create low-pressure areas, while cold air sinks to create high-pressure areas. Air molecules typically move from high pressure areas to low ones, creating the phenomenon we experience as wind.

Harnessing wind as energy is an idea that is thousands of years old. Because it does not involve burning limited fossil fuels and because using wind energy does not decrease the amount of wind, it is considered a renewable energy source. While there are wind power advantages and disadvantages, wind energy has a valuable role to play in a climate-friendly power grid.

Advantages of Wind Energy

Wind energy advantages and disadvantages

In considering wind power pros and cons, the advantages of wind energy are many. These are the reasons for investing in wind power generating capacity.

1. Wind is a type of clean energy

First off, how does wind energy work? It starts with a turbine that the wind turns as it blows. The wind’s kinetic energy turns a generator in the structure that creates electricity. Modern wind turbines are extremely efficient at turning even light breezes into electricity.

One of the advantages of wind energy is that it is clean energy , meaning that it doesn’t emit greenhouse gasses when generating electricity. Your carbon footprint is the total of all gasses, like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, that result from burning fossil fuels. If you can burn less fossil fuel for energy, replacing it with clean, renewable energy like from wind, you reduce your carbon footprint .

2. Wind is a renewable energy source

Another advantage of wind energy is that it is renewable energy. It comes from wind, which is a naturally occurring resource that doesn’t get used up. How is green energy different from renewable energy? In addition to coming from an unlimited resource, it does not produce greenhouse gasses. In these ways, wind energy is similar to solar energy .

3. Wind power has a low operating cost

Because wind power is a renewable energy source , there is no ongoing expense to acquire fuel. Once the wind turbine is installed, the only real cost is maintenance. As the world decarbonizes electricity generation in the future, wind is a clean, renewable, and low-cost option.

4. Wind turbines save space

Another factor in the wind power pros and cons equation is the fact that it is space efficient and fits well with other land uses. Wind turbines can be spread across fields with enough space between them to be productive. Because they are elevated off the ground the space below them is open to other uses, like farming.

5. Wind power generation promotes domestic economic growth

Harnessing wind power is economically beneficial beyond wind energy being inexpensive to produce. It relies on a local resource and creates local jobs . Investment in wind power is growing. In the last 10 years, wind generation capacity has increased 30 percent. Utility-scale wind plants across 41 states have created more than 100,000 jobs in the U.S.

Disadvantages of Wind Energy

We must consider both wind energy advantages and disadvantages when weighing the benefits of this renewable energy source. Indeed, there are disadvantages to wind power.

1. Wind turbines can be dangerous to some wildlife

Wind turbines can be fatal to wildlife. Birds and bats collide with them and turbines interfere with bat sonar navigation. Certain species with low reproductive rates are more impacted, as are migratory birds, but researchers are investigating innovative ways to reduce the danger to wildlife.

2. Wind turbines can be noisy

Wind turbines create both aerodynamic noise of the blades slicing through the air and mechanical noise of the power generating machinery in them. The noise can affect wildlife but is generally not a factor unless you are standing nearby.

3. Wind power is limited by location

Wind power won’t work everywhere. You need areas where wind blows strong and steady to make the investment worthwhile. Even with ideal locations in coastal areas, hills, and open fields where the wind is especially strong, it doesn’t blow all the time. Energy generation slows or stops when the wind slows or stops, a concept known as “intermittency.”

Learn More about Wind Energy from Constellation

As you make your home more sustainable , consider the residential renewable plans available in many areas, including wind energy plans. You can compare renewable energy rates and choose the option that best fit your needs. With an appreciation of wind energy advantages and disadvantages, you can make choices that benefit the environment.

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Wind energy.

Scientists and engineers are using energy from the wind to generate electricity. Wind energy, or wind power, is created using a wind turbine.

Earth Science, Climatology

As renewable energy technology continues to advance and grow in popularity, wind farms like this one have become an increasingly common sight along hills, fields, or even offshore in the ocean.

Photograph by inga spence / Alamy Stock Photo

As renewable energy technology continues to advance and grow in popularity, wind farms like this one have become an increasingly common sight along hills, fields, or even offshore in the ocean.

Anything that moves has kinetic energy , and scientists and engineers are using the wind’s kinetic energy to generate electricity. Wind energy , or wind power , is created using a wind turbine , a device that channels the power of the wind to generate electricity.

The wind blows the blades of the turbine , which are attached to a rotor. The rotor then spins a generator to create electricity. There are two types of wind turbines : the horizontal - axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical - axis wind turbines (VAWTs). HAWTs are the most common type of wind turbine . They usually have two or three long, thin blades that look like an airplane propeller. The blades are positioned so that they face directly into the wind. VAWTs have shorter, wider curved blades that resemble the beaters used in an electric mixer.

Small, individual wind turbines can produce 100 kilowatts of power, enough to power a home. Small wind turbines are also used for places like water pumping stations. Slightly larger wind turbines sit on towers that are as tall as 80 meters (260 feet) and have rotor blades that extend approximately 40 meters (130 feet) long. These turbines can generate 1.8 megawatts of power. Even larger wind turbines can be found perched on towers that stand 240 meters (787 feet) tall have rotor blades more than 162 meters (531 feet) long. These large turbines can generate anywhere from 4.8 to 9.5 megawatts of power.

Once the electricity is generated, it can be used, connected to the electrical grid, or stored for future use. The United States Department of Energy is working with the National Laboratories to develop and improve technologies, such as batteries and pumped-storage hydropower so that they can be used to store excess wind energy. Companies like General Electric install batteries along with their wind turbines so that as the electricity is generated from wind energy, it can be stored right away.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there are 57,000 wind turbines in the United States, both on land and offshore. Wind turbines can be standalone structures, or they can be clustered together in what is known as a wind farm . While one turbine can generate enough electricity to support the energy needs of a single home, a wind farm can generate far more electricity, enough to power thousands of homes. Wind farms are usually located on top of a mountain or in an otherwise windy place in order to take advantage of natural winds.

The largest offshore wind farm in the world is called the Walney Extension. This wind farm is located in the Irish Sea approximately 19 kilometers (11 miles) west of the northwest coast of England. The Walney Extension covers a massive area of 149 square kilometers (56 square miles), which makes the wind farm bigger than the city of San Francisco, California, or the island of Manhattan in New York. The grid of 87 wind turbines stands 195 meters (640 feet) tall, making these offshore wind turbines some of the largest wind turbines in the world. The Walney Extension has the potential to generate 659 megawatts of power, which is enough to supply 600,000 homes in the United Kingdom with electricity.

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Essay on Wind Energy

Students are often asked to write an essay on Wind Energy in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Wind Energy

Introduction to wind energy.

Wind energy is a form of renewable energy produced by wind turbines. These are large structures that capture the wind’s power and convert it into electricity.

How Wind Energy Works

Advantages of wind energy.

Wind energy is sustainable and doesn’t release harmful emissions. It’s a great way to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, helping to combat climate change.

In conclusion, wind energy is a valuable, renewable source of power with many benefits for our planet.

250 Words Essay on Wind Energy

Wind energy, a renewable source of power, has been harnessed by humans for centuries. Today, it plays a pivotal role in the global energy landscape, offering a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

The Science Behind Wind Energy

Wind energy is derived from the natural movement of air across the Earth’s surface. When heated by the sun, air rises and cooler air rushes in to replace it, creating wind. Wind turbines capture this kinetic energy and convert it into electricity. The larger the turbine and the faster the wind speed, the more electricity is produced.

Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Wind energy is a clean, renewable source of power that produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation. Moreover, wind turbines take up less space than the average power station, making them less detrimental to the environment. The sustainability of wind energy makes it a key player in the fight against climate change.

Economic Implications

The initial investment for wind energy infrastructure can be high. However, the long-term benefits include low operational costs and a stable power source not subject to fuel market fluctuations. As technology advances, the cost of wind energy continues to decrease, making it an increasingly viable economic choice.

Conclusion: The Future of Wind Energy

Wind energy is poised to play a significant role in the future of global energy production. As we strive for a more sustainable future, harnessing the power of the wind is a practical and necessary step. With advancements in technology and increased investment, the potential of wind energy is limitless.

500 Words Essay on Wind Energy

The science behind wind energy is simple yet powerful. Wind turbines capture the wind’s kinetic energy and convert it into electrical power. The blades of a wind turbine rotate when hit by the wind, which then drives an electric generator to produce electricity. The stronger the wind, the more electricity is generated.

Wind energy offers a multitude of benefits. Firstly, it is a renewable resource, meaning it is inexhaustible and can be replenished naturally. This contrasts with fossil fuels, which are finite and harmful to the environment.

Challenges and Solutions

Despite its advantages, wind energy also faces challenges. Wind is an intermittent source of energy, and wind turbines produce electricity only when the wind blows. This intermittency can be mitigated by pairing wind farms with energy storage systems or other forms of renewable energy like solar power.

The Future of Wind Energy

Furthermore, the integration of wind energy with other renewable energy sources and storage technologies will enhance grid reliability and resilience. This will allow for a higher penetration of wind energy into the energy system, contributing to a sustainable and carbon-neutral future.

In conclusion, wind energy is a crucial component of the global renewable energy portfolio, offering a clean, renewable, and increasingly cost-effective solution to our energy needs. While there are challenges to overcome, the future of wind energy is bright, promising a sustainable and carbon-neutral energy future.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Wind Power: Process, Advantages and Disadvantages Research Paper

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Introduction

How wind power works, advantages of wind energy, disadvantages of wind power, relationship between wind power and the environment, the future of wind power.

Wind power is a form of renewable natural energy which is generated from wind. Wind has emerged as one of the widely used sources of energy in the modern world, owing to its nature as a virtually inexhaustible source of energy. Wind power simply involves the process of converting wind energy into mechanical or electrical energy using wind turbines.

Even though the use of wind power has been there for many centuries, it has never gained much popularity across the world compared with other sources of energy such as hydropower and solar energy, which are widely used to generate electricity. This, however, appears to have changed in the current world where the capacity for wind power generation is observed to have risen to as much as 50 percent in a year.

As it would be observed, there are some obstacles that have restricted increased use of this reliable source of energy in most parts of the world. One common obstacle here is that wind farms are not just located anywhere, but in regions where large masses of moving air are present.

In this regard, some of the most strategic location points of wind farms would be along coastlines or on large tracts of land where there is constant supply of wind. In most cases, it would not be easy for people to devote these strategic areas to wind farms while there are other useful ways of utilizing them.

Wind power involves the use of turbines, the modern equivalent of windmills, to convert wind energy into a more useful form of energy. The wind exerts force on the turbine blades causing it to propel. This pressure puts the turbine’s shaft into motion, thus causing it to spin at a speed of between 10 and 20 revolutions in a minute. The kinetic energy of the moving air is then turned into mechanical power by the rotor shaft.

The amount of energy generated from a wind turbine normally depends on a number of factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, the speed of wind, air density, and the overall area covered by the turbine blades.

For effective performance, wind turbines require a minimum wind speed of about 12-14 km/h and a maximum of 90 km/h. Strong winds of about 50-60 km/h are enough to generate wind power at full capacity. However, wind turbines must be stopped on levels where wind the speed exceeds 90 km/h to avoid damage.

Conversion of Mechanical Power to Electrical Energy

Mechanical energy can further be processed into electrical energy using electric generators that are connected to the turbine’s shaft. According to Joselin and others (2007), wind turbines operate just like windmills in almost all aspects. The process begins with the wind blowing on the blades of the rotor causing it to spin into revolutions.

These revolutions play a significant role in converting the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy. The strength of the revolutions and the direction from which the wind is blowing are then detected by sensors within the turbine’s shaft. The rotor then turns towards the wind direction from where it automatically controls the operations of the turbine.

The rotor is usually connected to a generator by the shaft and a gearbox. The generator would spin every time the rotor propels producing mechanical energy. This energy is then converted into electric energy by the generator using an inbuilt electromagnetic field.

As the process continues, the electrical energy is carried to a substation using cables, where it is combined to generate a high voltage. The final product of wind power is then transmitted through power lines into transformers. Here, the voltage is regulated into usable levels, before it is finally released for human consumption.

The use of wind power as a source of energy is associated with many benefits compared to other sources of energy. Following is a summary of some of the most common advantages of wind energy.

Wind Energy is Free, Pure and Renewable

One main advantage of wind energy over all the other forms of energy is that it is free, clean and renewable. This pure source of energy comes freely and can be acquired efficiently from just anywhere, since wind is widely distributed everywhere. Wind energy can be generated again and again, provided there is plenty and steady supply of moving air or wind.

This has the meaning that, no matter how much wind energy is consumed every time, people will always access the same supply of wind energy in the future. More importantly, unlike conventional power plants that are known to emit a variety of air polluting substances, wind power is a clean, non-polluting source of energy.

Wind plants don’t emit air pollution or green gases, and it is this non-polluting nature that makes them environment-friendly (Jaramillo, Borja & Huacuz, 2004).

Cost of Production

As it would be observed, the production cost of wind energy has dropped steadily in the last one or so decades. The only bigger costs which investors in the energy sector are likely to incur as far as wind power is concerned would be through site preparation, machinery, and installation.

Moreover, wind turbines consume a small piece of land which means that the remaining space can be utilized for other useful purposes in life. When combined with other energy alternatives, wind energy can generate adequate energy supply for both domestic and commercial use in the society.

Creation of Jobs

Ranging from the installation of wind turbines to the maintenance of wind farms, wind energy offers many job opportunities for the people. However, a wide range of these opportunities are available for those people who live on hilly areas and around coastal areas where most wind farms are located.

Reduction of Fossil Fuel Consumption

Wind is a reliable source of energy which can serve as an alternative for petroleum and gas products, among other nonrenewable sources of energy thus helping to control air pollution. More importantly, effective and efficient use of wind energy can reduce human dependence on fossil fuels, and this helps to minimize the potential effects of global warming.

Variety of Wind Turbines

Wind turbines are produced in a range of types and sizes. What this means is that, many people and businesses can acquire them easily and use them to generate their own mechanical or electric energy without having to incur a lot of expenses (Chen, Guerrero & Blaabjerg, 2009).

Economical benefits

Wind energy resources are usually put up in remote areas where wind is plenty. In that case, they serve as steady and significant revenue generators to rural land owners and the communities inhabiting those economically disadvantaged regions.

Moreover, land owners can supplement revenues on land use by other streams obtained through land leasing agreements between them and energy companies. Also, wind farms do play a key role in increasing the tax base for the rural communities.

Preservation of Natural Resources

Effective use of wind power by communities helps to preserve natural resources and non-renewable sources of energy. For instance, every time we use wind energy as an alternative source of energy, we end up saving a significant amount of coal, which is nonrenewable.

In this regard, manufacture of many wind farms across the world would play a significant role in eliminating burning of coal to produce energy. This will not only help to preserve resources, but it will also be an effective way of minimizing air pollution caused by many nonrenewable energy resources.

There is a range of disadvantages of wind power and below is a summary of some of the common ones as they are observed from various regions across the world, where the idea of wind power has been implemented.

Wind Unreliability Factor

As it would be observed, the strength of wind is never constant, and therefore cannot be relied upon to generate steady mechanical and electric energy for human and industry consumption. Moreover, the nature of wind will tend to vary with seasons and weather patterns, and this would have the meaning that people will have to go without power sometimes, especially when there are no strong winds to drive the turbines.

Environmental Concerns

The fact that wind power plants have no pollution effects to the air does not mean that they are 100 percent environment friendly. As a matter of fact, there are some concerns over the aesthetic impacts of wind turbines, the noise produced by rotating rotor blades, and birds being killed by the revolving rotors of the turbines.

There have been constant claims from the wildlife department that wind turbines have affected the lifestyles of migratory birds. More importantly, they have also contributed to high bird mortality in some regions. There have also been claims that, apart from slashing birds to death with the rotors, wind turbines can also cause explosion of bats’ lungs, thus leading to instant deaths of these nocturnal birds.

According to Pedersen and Waye (2004), there is also a possibility of high rates of sound and air pollution as wind turbines during the assembling of the turbines. Even though some of these concerns have been resolved using modern technological developments, there are still many environment issues associated with the generation of wind energy in most regions.

Supply and Transport Issues

Wind is known to be intermittent. This means that, moving air would not be available all the time to generate the required levels of electricity for human consumption. This is actually one of the major challenges associated with wind as a source of energy. Moreover, wind energy cannot be stored for future use, and this brings many complications to people who rely on it as their main source of energy.

Another common challenge here is that, not all types of winds can be used to meet the average electricity demands. On a further note, perfect wind sites are usually found in remote regions far from urban centers where the demands for electricity are very high.

Another possible supply issue linked with wind energy is that, development of wind resources is likely to compete with other land uses which may be more valuable compared with the idea of power generation.

Levels of Production/ Energy Density

Generally, wind turbines generate less electric energy compared to hydro power stations and other alternative energy sources that are driven by fossil fuels. In this regard, multiple wind turbines will be required in a single wind farm in order to generate a reasonable amount of energy that would bring a significant impact to the communities.

Petitions and Protests on Wind Farms

Many people in the current world are not used to wind power. This, however, explains the many protests and petitions that are raised to confront any wind farm development plans raised in the modern world, especially in the developing countries, where people are less informed of the diverse benefits associated with this source energy.

This strong opposition by environment conservationists and opponents of the wind power idea has been one of the many social issues that have continued to hinder the development of wind energy in most developing countries.

Preservation of the Natural Form

Large structures such as wind turbines usually don’t give a good picture of a place. As a matter of fact, many people, especially those who have the heart of preserving the environment, would tend to see these unsightly structures as spoilers of the landscape (Asif and Muneer, 2007).

For these reasons, they would tend to remain adamant in ensuring that the natural beauty of the landscape is strictly retained for the benefits of humans and animals.

Cost issues

The initial cost for installation of wind turbines and maintenance of the entire wind farm is usually very high. This has continued to serve as a major obstacle in the development of wind power as a reliable alternative to fossil fuels and other sources of energy.

National Security

Study has revealed wind energy as a threat to national security. It has been observed that wind farm resources penetrate the RADAR coverage, thus confusing the system. This happens as the turbine blades rotate at very high speeds causing holes in the RADAR system. Even though there are ways to mitigate this problem, the damage can turn out being too heavy for the communities by the time it is identified and resolved.

Wind power is less pollutant to the environment compared to other renewable and non-renewable energy sources. The extraction, supply and processing of natural gas, coal and fossil fuels to generate energy is likely to release pollutant substances to the atmosphere, thus bringing serious effects to living things and the environment.

Unlike other sources of energy which are known to emit high levels of pollution to the environment, wind power is a pure energy source that can’t be associated with any form of pollution or nuclear waste, since it does not utilize fossil fuel. This, however, does not imply there are no negative environmental impacts that are associated with the generation of wind power.

Even though wind is itself a pure source of energy, the process of converting the energy it generates to a useful form would require inclusion of energy which is in form of fossil fuel (Sahin, 2004). Moreover, the construction of wind farms requires removal of massive vegetation covers. One turbine, for instance, is said to require a clearance of about 3 to 5 acres of land.

This means that vegetation on a wider area of land will have to be cleared to pave way for large scale wind farms. This massive deforestation is likely to bear serious long-term effects on the environment. A good example here is erosion of the soil, which may necessitate other more serious harms to the environment.

Also, the constructions of wind farms at high altitudes to enable them gather more wind has come down with its own effects. As a result of this, many turbines have constantly failed owing to icing. This has often resulted to the application of de-icing substances on surfaces of the wind turbines as a way of combating the problem.

The de-icing fluid is a compound of ethylene-glycol and propylene-glycol, both of which are toxic chemicals. According to Venkataraman and Elango (1998), the hazardous de-icing fluid is likely to contaminate the environment around the wind turbines, thus creating unfavorable conditions for humans, wildlife, and fish.

The other common damage to the environment which may occur as a result of wind energy generation is the destruction of bat and bird populations as discussed in this paper.

Based on observations from previous wind power reports, wind turbines practically have adverse impacts on wildlife and birds. Based on these observations, the generation of wind power is not 100 percent friendly to the environment, unlike what many people across the world would tend to presume.

Regardless of the numerous disadvantages and environmental impacts associated with wind power, it is still the most preferable alternative of nonrenewable sources of energy in the modern world where plans to adopt renewable sources of energy are rapidly taking shape (Hosansky, 2011). This is evident in countries such as China and the U.S., where the use of wind power is observed to be increasing at an overwhelming rate.

Improvements on technological approaches and better generation ways have led to a steady decline of the overall cost of wind power over the last ten years. This, really, is another reason which is likely to see the use of wind power across the world increase abundantly in the near future.

As it is observed in this report, wind energy, though a controversial matter when it comes to the extent by which it is friendly to the environment, is still one of the fastest-growing renewable sources of energy across the world. Wind power, just like any other source of energy, comprises of both benefits and disadvantages, all of which seem to have a significant impact on this renewable source of energy.

Wind power is not hundred percent friendly to the environment as it is observed in this paper, where a number of arguments have been highlighted to support the claim.

However, as a pure, renewable source of energy having minimal effects on the environment, wind power is the most appropriate source of energy that can be used to replace nonrenewable sources of energy such fossil fuel and coal, which are known to have immense impacts on the environment.

Asif, M., & Muneer, T. (2007). Energy supply, its demand and security issues for developed and emerging economies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 11 (7), 138-141.

Chen, Z., Guerrero, J., & Blaabjerg, F. (2009). A review of the state of the art of power electronics for wind turbines. Power Electronics, 24 (8), 185-187.

Hosansky, D. (2011). Wind Power: Is wind energy good for the environment? Researcher, 21 (13), 281-312.

Jaramillo, O., Borja, M., & Huacuz, J. (2004). Using hydropower to complement wind energy: a hybrid system to provide firm power. Renewable Energy, 29 (11), 188-190.

Joselin H., Iniyan, S., Sreevalsan, E., & Rajapandian, S. (2007). A review of wind energy technologies. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 11 (6), 111- 114.

Pedersen, E., & Waye, K. (2004). Perception and annoyance due to wind turbine noise. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 17 (116), 346-350.

Sahin, A. (2004). Progress and recent trends in wind energy. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 30 (5), 50-54.

Venkataraman, B and Elango, D. (1998). Renewable Energy Sources. Hindustan College of Engineering, 17 (5), 16-19.

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IvyPanda. (2019, June 3). Wind Power: Process, Advantages and Disadvantages. https://ivypanda.com/essays/using-wind-power-to-generate-electricity/

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IvyPanda . 2019. "Wind Power: Process, Advantages and Disadvantages." June 3, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/using-wind-power-to-generate-electricity/.

1. IvyPanda . "Wind Power: Process, Advantages and Disadvantages." June 3, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/using-wind-power-to-generate-electricity/.

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benefits of wind energy essay

Once called windmills , the technology used to harness the power of wind has advanced significantly over the past ten years, with the United States increasing its wind power capacity 30% year over year. Wind turbines , as they are now called, collect and convert the kinetic energy that wind produces into electricity to help power the grid.

Wind energy is actually a byproduct of the sun. The sun’s uneven heating of the atmosphere, the earth’s irregular surfaces (mountains and valleys), and the planet's revolution around the sun all combine to create wind. Since wind is in plentiful supply, it’s a sustainable resource  for as long as the sun’s rays heat the planet.

In addition, because wind power is a growing industry, it’s adding jobs to communities around the country. Currently, there are utility-scale wind plants in 41 states that have created more than 100,000 jobs for Americans.

Learn more about the wind industry here, from how a wind turbine works, to the new and exciting research in the field of wind energy.

  • How wind turbines work
  • How distributed wind works
  • Advantages and challenges of wind
  • Wind energy use throughout history
  • Current research and development
  • Wind energy benefits (slideshow)
  • Wind energy impacts (slideshow)

Illustration of a wind farm.

This aerial view of a wind turbine plant shows how a group of wind turbines can make electricity for the utility grid. The electricity is sent through transmission and distribution lines to homes, businesses, schools, and so on.

View the  wind turbine animation  to see how a wind turbine works.

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Wind Energy: a Sustainable and Viable Source for The Future

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

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Benefits of wind energy, challenges of wind energy.

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benefits of wind energy essay

what is wind energy

What is Wind Energy?

Wind power is one of the most valuable and widespread renewable energy sources we have today. It is not only abundant but also extremely efficient and cheap and, most importantly, it generates minimal greenhouse gas emissions. This makes it a valid alternative to fossil fuels and one of the most powerful resources we have to achieve net-zero emissions in the upcoming decades. Read on to learn what is wind energy, how it works, and why we need to invest in it now more than ever.

What is Wind Energy and How Does it Work?

Wind is an extremely important and abundant natural resource on Earth. It occurs as a result of the sun unevenly heating the surface of the planet. As hot air rises, cooler air moves in to fill the void. 

Wind has long served as a power source for humans. Sailors used it to power their ships across the sea while farmers relied on windmills to grind their grains and pump water. Today, we harness this resource using wind turbines, which help us generate electricity. When their blades spin with the force of the wind, they turn a shaft connected to a generator that produces electricity. 

In order to maximise the amount of energy that can be obtained from the blowing air, several turbines which look like huge windmills are usually installed close to each other in so-called ‘wind farms’.

There are two main types of wind power: onshore and offshore. The first one refers to the energy that is generated by wind turbines located on land and driven by the natural movement of air. Offshore wind energy is obtained by taking advantage of the force of the wind that flows on high seas. For this reason, offshore wind turbines are located on bodies of water in remote locations far away from the mainland.  

what is wind energy?

An Offshore Wind Farm

Now that you know the basics of wind energy, here are 7 interesting facts about one of the most widespread renewable energy sources on the planet.

7 Interesting Facts About Wind Energy

1. Wind power is a renewable source of energy , meaning that it will never run out

2. Wind turbine towers are as tall as the Statue of Liberty! They are very complicated machines and can have as many as 8,000 different components.

3. One wind turbine can produce enough electricity to light up almost 600 homes !

4. Contrarily to fossil fuel , generating wind electricity is an environmentally friendly process that does not emit any greenhouse gases

5. Offshore wind could potentially generate 18 times the current global electricity demand

6. China and the US are the world’s biggest producers of wind energy

7. In order to generate enough electricity to power the planet, we would need to build nearly 4 million onshore turbines ! As of today, there are over 341,000 wind turbines on the planet that spread across 83 countries. While governments around the world have ramped up efforts in recent years to scale up wind power as they seek to reach carbon neutrality , we are still far from being able to power the whole world using wind energy.

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benefits of wind energy essay

Martina Igini

benefits of wind energy essay

The politics of offshore wind and what that means for its future

Interim Executive Director of the Connecticut Port Authority, Ulysses Hammond, points to wind turbine towers are lined up at the Connecticut State Pier in New London where the turbines are staged and assembled before being shipped to their offshore location in the sound. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes said during a press conference at the Connecticut State Pier in New London, Wednesday, August 07, 2024, that once it’s completed, the 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind will be a significant source of clean energy. The federal government is giving the region $389 million to improve the electrical grid and part of that money will go toward this wind project.

Today on Where We Live, states across New England are investing in offshore wind turbines – a renewable energy source that is relatively new to the United States.

But while offshore wind has a proven track record in other countries, critics worry their costs outweigh their benefits.

Reporters covering the battle over offshore wind, Luther Turmelle and Jan Ellen Spiegel, join us. And UConn political science professor, Luther Scruggs, helps us understand why offshore wind has become a political issue.

  • Jan Ellen Spiegel , freelance Environment and Energy Reporter 
  • Luther Turmelle , Business Reporter, Hearst Connecticut Media Group
  • Lyle Scruggs , Political Science Professor, University of Connecticut

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benefits of wind energy essay

Harvesting Low-Grade Wind Energy from Highways Using a Triboelectric Nanogenerator

18 Pages Posted: 6 Aug 2024

Ninava Sharma

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Zhaoqi Duan

Huazhong University of Science and Technology

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Department of Bioengineering

In an era of growing global energy demands, the exploration of niche energy harvesting methods is becoming increasingly important, and harnessing wind energy from highways presents a promising approach to sustainable infrastructure development given the high traffic of many roads. In this work, we report a cylindrical spinning TENG (CS-TENG) for low-grade wind energy harvesting from highways. Through empirical analysis and theoretical modeling, we investigate the feasibility of integrating CS-TENG devices along highway barriers to capture the wind energy generated by passing vehicles, which could contribute to powering streetlights and other road infrastructure in an eco-friendlier way. Our findings highlight broader societal and environmental benefits including enhancing road safety, traffic management, and energy sustainability. A single 100 mm tall CS-TENG device was tested with 4 m/s wind speed and produced an open circuit voltage of 8 V and a short circuit current of 900 µA. This electrical output can be increased with an elevation in the device number, the device size, and the wind speed. This study contributes to the growing discourse on sustainable infrastructure solutions, inspiring further research and innovation in renewable energy harvesting for carbon neutrality.

Keywords: triboelectric nanogenerator, low-grade wind energy, wind energy harvesting, sustainable energy, carbon neutrality.

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

No Address Available

Huazhong University of Science and Technology ( email )

1037 Luoyu Rd Wuhan, 430074 China

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Department of Bioengineering ( email )

United States

Jun Chen (Contact Author)

410 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90095-160 United States

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Offshore

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Offshore wind moving into deeper waters with reimagined technology

OSI Renewables Fixed TLP

Editor's note: This feature first appeared within the 2024 Offshore Wind Special Report and published within the July/August issue of Offshore magazine .

By Garry Stephen, Oil States

Current offshore wind development has primarily been in nearshore water depths, as the dynamic floating wind environment complicates critical platform and turbine stability. Offshore wind platforms that rely on monopiles are now approaching 40-m water depths while jackets are reaching 50 m. A 15+MW turbine can reach 150 m tall and weigh approximately 500 metric tonnes. Beyond that 50-m water depth, fixed structures become uneconomic due to their large jacket sizes.

This has created a conundrum that has hindered the expansion of offshore wind use, as a higher quality wind resource that’s capable of driving these larger turbines is found farther from shore in much deeper water. This has led to additional technical complexity that extends beyond the cost-effective limit for monopiles or conventional jacket structures.

For these deeper waters, the offshore wind market has focused on floating platforms including semisubmersibles and SPARs. However, those floating platforms heave, pitch and roll with the waves, and those factors are inherently problematic. These movements can reduce a turbine’s operational weather window and reliability.

The offshore wind sector not only faces these technical obstacles to pushing farther into the oceans past 50 m but also must address three additional and equally pivotal concerns. First, the manufacturability of deeper-water platforms is a substantial challenge. The offshore wind industry requires manufacturing facilities that would demand billions of dollars in investment to build.

Second, the offshore wind industry lacks critical volume delivery capabilities. This is essential to be able to scale.

Third, local content is a requirement for offshore wind projects for several reasons. Limited manufacturing capabilities can undermine offshore wind developers’ ability to satisfy local content stipulations.

Oil and gas makes offshore wind advancements possible

When it comes to the deepwater environment, the oil and gas industry has hard-won expertise and established infrastructure that resolves many of these formidable challenges. Tension-leg platforms (TLPs) have been used for offshore oil and gas production since the early 1980s and have traditionally been the best method for navigating the greater water depths that this procurement demands. TLP technology has been field-proven in deepwater applications for decades.

As this technology has been successfully used for several years, the oil and gas industry offers a stable existing supply chain with established fabrication capabilities. This eliminates the need to build costly new manufacturing centers.

The oil and gas industry is well positioned when it comes to meeting volume demands. With the ability to easily utilize existing national and international infrastructure, scaling up isn’t as daunting. 

Additionally, the oil and gas industry’s global footprint helps create jobs in multiple locations. This equips the industry to satisfy offshore wind developers’ needs for local content.

Utilizing proven technology

Having technology installed on 95% of the world’s TLP mooring systems, Oil States has leveraged its deepwater TLP learnings in the patent-pending FTLP Floating Wind Platform to bring the advantages of a fixed wind foundation into deeper waters—up to 150-m water depth—while minimizing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) across the offshore wind life cycle.

The stability of the FTLP minimizes tower weight, removes the need for dynamic cabling, and minimizes turbine movement and acceleration, which is a leading cause of turbine fatigue. This helps offshore wind operators reduce total cost of ownership.

While meeting the rigorous technical demands for pushing past 50-m water depths, this technology can be cost-effectively manufactured at scale in local markets. Lowering costs has a positive impact on the speed at which developers can deploy deeper water offshore wind projects and reduces the LCOE for consumers. Every million dollars saved on an individual installation equates to a global price reduction that can be exponentially greater. 

Expanding offshore wind’s potential

From reducing accelerations on the rotational equipment within the turbine nacelle to offering a fixed subsea cable connection, the FTLP overcomes many of the challenges of creating a reliable, cost-effective offshore wind energy system within the structures’ target-water depth of 50 m to 150 m. 

The rich heritage of the oil and gas industry makes this step change in the stability, maintenance requirements, harbor depth and draft, economics and feasibility for floating arrays possible. Importantly, this technology has been proven in offshore oil fields for decades, giving offshore wind developers greater confidence to bid and advance projects within this deeper target-water depth. As the world’s energy needs grow, oil and gas will inform and expand the energy sources needed to meet the demand.

Garry Stephen

Garry Stephen is group vice president, UK and Asia, with Oil States, a role he has held since 2019.

Previously, he served as the company's m anaging director from January 2012 to March 2019. 

Prior to his time with Oil States, he worked with other industry companies such as Cameron, Expro and Aker Solutions. 

He is based in Aberdeen, UK.

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    But while offshore wind has a proven track record in other countries, critics worry their costs outweigh their benefits. Reporters covering the battle over offshore wind, Luther Turmelle and Jan Ellen Spiegel, join us. And UConn political science professor, Luther Scruggs, helps us understand why offshore wind has become a political issue. GUESTS:

  27. Harvesting Low-Grade Wind Energy from Highways Using a ...

    Our findings highlight broader societal and environmental benefits including enhancing road safety, traffic management, and energy sustainability. A single 100 mm tall CS-TENG device was tested with 4 m/s wind speed and produced an open circuit voltage of 8 V and a short circuit current of 900 µA.

  28. Here Are Some Reasons to Be Optimistic About the Wind Industry

    Wind energy is one of the great pillars of hope. Yet economic hurdles like rising costs and supply chain hiccups, as well as delayed approvals, kept the industry mired in crisis in recent years.

  29. The Benefits Of Wind Energy

    The earliest form of the use of wind energy by humans is the use of natural breeze to dry and cool the body with or without the help of sunlight. Wind energy has a history of more than 3000 years old, and people began to use it to generate electrical power about 120 years ago. When people learned how to make boats, wind energy was used to help ...

  30. Offshore wind moving into deeper waters with reimagined technology

    Having technology installed on 95% of the world's TLP mooring systems, Oil States has leveraged its deepwater TLP learnings in the patent-pending FTLP Floating Wind Platform to bring the advantages of a fixed wind foundation into deeper waters—up to 150-m water depth—while minimizing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) across the offshore ...