There is no doubt that the negative effects of non-renewable energy have increased the need to adopt policies that encourage wider utilization of renewable sources of energy. This can be in part due to the necessity of minimizing dramatic costs associated with advancement in technology and as well, in part due to the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (Gasch, and Twele 20). Similarly, the increasing global energy demands have also increased the attention given to non-renewable sources of energy. Among other sources, wind energy is among the leading sources of renewable energy. Being a clean natural resource, wind offers tremendous opportunities because it utilizes low wind speeds to generate high-energy volumes. The quantity of energy carried in the wind is a function of mass and speed, and this relationship generates kinetic energy. The environmental objective of reducing the effects of greenhouse gases and the dependence on fossil fuels can be realized through the consumption of wind energy. Statistics from Dougan & Associates shows that wind energy will provide the most economical energy source for supplying power to large infrastructures in future (12).
Wind Energy
For many years, winds have been used to sail ships and windmills helped in pumping water and grinding cereals. In pre-industrial Europe, windmills were used as electric motors, in the contemporary society; wind is solely used for the generation of electricity. Several wind projects and energy systems have been put to harness the capabilities of generating wind energy. Technically, the potential of energy being generated from the wind depends on the pressure zones formed from the atmosphere heating up. For instance, cooling air forms a high-pressure zone while heated air generates a high-pressure zone. Air flows from the high zone to the low zone, thereby leading to winds forming on the earth’s surface (Gasch, and Twele 17).
On the other hand, the rate of heating the land and the sea differs significantly because the land heats up faster than the sea. The heated air on the land rises as the cold air from the sea replaces it. The reverse process occurs during the night and wind will blow from the land to the sea. Wind movement from one place to the other varies in speed and at certain instances; it leads to the formation of cyclones and tornadoes. Other than being an abundant renewable form of energy, wind energy is eco-friendly and it is not difficult to transport or utilize.
Conversion of Wind Energy
Wind turbines are used to convert wind energy into useful energy such as electricity. These are energy machines that are used to convert wind energy into mechanical energy and eventually, into electricity. The velocity of the wind propels turbine vanes and rotates the rotor of the turbine to generate power. Mechanically, the wind turbines operate on three main structural components consisting of the control system, aerodynamics, and the electrical transformation system. Other important items of the turbine include the battery life and inverters among other components of the electrical transformation system.
How it works
Mass wind flows into the turbine entry located between the turbine vanes. As the air moves through the propeller vane, it alters its pressure and speed as it reaches the rotor vanes. The changing velocity at the rotor and the mass flow rate produces the momentum exchange rate. Based on the Bernoulli equation, “the energies produced in the turbines comprises of the static pressure, potential energy, and kinetic energies” (Maisonneuve 2286). The resultant force from the mixture of these energies drives the rotor and generates power from the wind. The diameter and other aerodynamic behaviors of the turbine structure determine the level of power that can be obtained from the wind.
Wind turbines can be configured into two distinct configurations; vertical axis and the horizontal axis turbines. Vertical axis turbines are avian-friendly design, Omni-directional and can collect winds from any direction. They often collect winds near the ground. Other than being easier to maintain, they are somehow expensive to manufacture. On the other hand, horizontal axis turbines are the most common turbines and constitute of the sweeping areas (rotor diameter), the blade, generator, and the gearbox (Maisonneuve 2287). The blades of the horizontal axis diameter have been designed to flex the forces of the wind and create a centrifugal motion. The control mechanism aids in changing the angle of rotation depending on the wind direction. Selecting the ideal turbine depends on the estimated volume of rated output that is expected to be generated from the turbine. However, the most important in the production of energy is the wind speed.
Production of electricity
Many governments have undertaken several wind power projects in order to supplement the increasing costs associated with the generation of power using non-renewable resources. Other reasons for implementing wind projects include the need to meet the needs and requirements of green pricing programs. Such governments include the US government, the Turkish government, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, and other nations within the polar region. Wind farms comprises of areas set aside as sources for the production of electricity and it contains a concentration of hundreds of wind turbines. For instance, the Texas Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center has 421 wind turbines, making it the largest wind farm in the world. The approximate annual number of homes supplied with electricity from this wind farm is 230,000 (Gipe 306).
Equally, private firms have seen the potential associated with wind power and have shown the willingness to invest in wind power projects (Gipe 306). Despite its expensive nature, private investors are adopting innovative ways to produce electricity and obtain profitability.
Arguments for and Against Wind Energy
Proponents of wind energy assert that not only is wind energy a renewable source of energy but it is also one of the cleanest energy form (Hervé 129). To begin with, environmentalists argue that Carbon dioxide emissions and the consumption of non-renewable sources of energy are responsible for the worsening climatic conditions. As a clean source of energy, wind energy is known to reduce carbon dioxide emissions thereby enabling nations to meet their energy sustainability goals. This point fulfills the necessity-ability-acceptability line of argument. Second, governments offer a production tax credit to investors in order to offer them an incentive to invest in the development of wind power. In such situations, investors only pay taxes on the amount of energy they have generated. Third, its natural resource characteristic means that it is a sustainable form of energy hence, governments can create long-term policies. Such policies will cover a wide range of areas relating to the minimization of energy consumption. Lastly, proponents of wind energy consumption argue that massive reductions in costs can be achieved when using technologically advanced wind turbines. Additionally, acute planning from energy departments can play a major role in implementing wind generation projects.
Opponents of wind energy argue that wind energy fails to live up to the arguments made by its proponents. Primarily, such arguments revolve around the environmental impact, insufficiency, high production costs, and nature of claimed benefits (Hervé 133). Speaking of higher costs, the costs of setting up wind turbines comprise of huge capital costs and hence, wind power projects will cost governments’ colossal sums to implement such projects. Wind power consumes large volumes of steel and concrete thereby increasing the costs. Second, the wind intermittency and variability makes wind power a less dependable source of energy because production will vary depending on the availability of wind. Third, Wind Turbines on wind farms are accused of having a negative visual impact on the landscape due to their sizes and designs. In regions where they are installed on buildings, wind turbines have been known to exert an adverse effect on property values. Fourth, wind energy receives tax subsidies and interferes with radar transmissions. Last on the list of disadvantages, wind turbines have been charged with striking bats and birds, producing health-damaging flickering noise (including inaudible low frequency noises) (Hervé 133).
Conclusion
Undeniably, the increased consumption and the insufficiency of the current energy sources have increased the need of exploring new sources of energy. The increasing demand for electricity and the growing energy demands have encouraged the consumption of wind energy. Being clean and renewable, wind energy utilizes the energy machines to propel wind and generate energy. However, wind energy is associated with positive and negative effects. Speaking of the positive effects, wind energy helps in minimizing carbon dioxide emissions, has subsidies, and it is sustainable. On the negative side, wind energy is associated with higher production costs, unreliability, disruption of natural habitats, and health-damaging effects such as noise production.
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