Wind Power

By: Aditya Singh, Sereene Bebwan, Caswell Wyatt, Gabby Hofmeister, Drew Oppong

Use of Wind Power

Wind turbines harness wind power to be used to make mechanical power or electricity

The mechanical power can be used for specific tasks such as grinding grain or pumping water

Wind turbines turn in the moving air and power an electric generator, these generators can convert this mechanical power into electricity to power homes, businesses, schools, etc.

Advantages/Disadvantages of wind energy

Advantages= Wind energy is friendly to the surrounding environment, as

no fossil fuels are burnt to generate electricity from wind energy.

Wind turbines take up less space than the average power station. Windmills only have to occupy a few square meters for the base, this allows the land around the turbine to be used for many purposes, for example agriculture.

Disadvantages= Protests and/or petitions usually confront any proposed

wind farm development. People feel the countryside should be left in tact for everyone to enjoy it's beauty.

Wind turbine construction can be very expensive and costly to surrounding wildlife during the build process.

Support on Wind Energy

Wind energy is clean and as such supports the societal goal of achieving a sustainable energy supply. Wind energy does not require any fuel and does not pollute the environment. There are no emissions of substances such as the greenhouse gas CO2, fine particles or carbon dioxide.  Nor does it require the transportation of fuels by land or water. Furthermore, it makes us less dependent on the supply of fuel from politically unstable countries. Wind energy is a proven and reliable technique. Although its share is still small, it can significantly contribute to our electricity supply in the future.

Data to support Wind Power

Fastest growing energy source in the world with an annual average growth of 32% between 1998 and 2002

The cost of producing wind power has fallen by 90% since 1980

Wind turbines are the easiest and most attractive ways for farmers to benefit from wind power, these turbines are typically around 2,000 to 5,000 dollars per year

Research now Wind power has been used for irrigation pumping and milling grain for

centuries. In the 20th century small windmills started to be used for electricity production, especially in remote rural areas. The modern wind power industry took off in the late 1970's when companies, mainly in Denmark, started serial production of wind turbines. These early wind turbines were small by today's standards, but there size and power output increased rapidly (see graph).

Wind energy is one of the fastest growing energy sources. Since 2000, around one third of all installed electricity generating capacity in the EU has been wind power. The share of wind power in total electricity production in Europe was 3.7% in 2007, but with huge differences among the Member States: Germany and Spain together account for more than half of the total installed capacity in Europe. In Denmark, wind energy contributes more than 20% of the total electricity production of the country.

The wind power industry has the ambition to continue the fast growth of recent years. The sector's objective is to provide 20% of final EU electricity consumption by 2020. This can only be achieved if wind turbines can move offshore in order to profit from the more favorable wind conditions on the sea. This however requires considerable research efforts targeting in particular costs reduction of wind turbines, improved reliability and grid integration.

The Commission has contributed to the success story of wind power by supporting research in this domain for many years and by facilitating the cooperation between key stakeholders.

http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/eu/research/wind/index_en.htm

One graph showing use

This shows that as time goes by the total amount of installed wind turbines increases

Second graph showing use As the time goes by the total installed

turbines increases

How does wind energy compare to the use of fossil fuels?

Wind produces up to 2.92% of the nations electricity Fossil fuels produce up to 85.66% of the nations electricity Wind does not pollute air or add to the greenhouse effect Wind energy is renewable , but does not blow all the time Fossil fuels are not renewable In fossil fuels, carbon is the main element About 11% of the entire worlds wind generated energy is found

in California Wind energy can be formed into other types of energy:

Mechanical and Electrical Electrical- making electricity Mechanical- making something move

Impact on Public Lands

Habitat fragmentation from roads and the footprint of the turbines

Soil erosion from surface area disturbance

Potential pollution from runoff

Soil Erosion

Pollution from runoff

Windmills

Are like giant pinwheels. Have been used to generate power since ancient

times. Used to generate electricity, sawing wood,

making oil, paper, spices, chalk, and pottery. Sails over Europe and America. Looks like a flower spinning. Can make. Used by RomansYes, this technology is being used in the United

States and Europe. Used to be in the middle ages, and near the coasts

Wind Turbines Used Everywhere

Wind Turbines of all sizes have become familiar sight around the world for a wide variety of reasons including their economic, environmental, and social benefits. The potential for wind energy is immense, and experts suggests wind power can supply up to 20% of the United States and world electricity. Nevertheless, the United States currently produces less than 3% of our electricity from wind.