A source of renewable, clean, and efficient energy sources has been a sought after commodity for many years as scientists continue studies in search of the perfect source. One of the best and most popular forms of renewable energy is wind energy. Wind energy is a renewable energy that uses large wind turbines to harness the energy generated from the wind and converts it to electricity. Wind itself is a byproduct of differences in temperature thus can be correlated to effects from the sun. The uneven heating of the atmosphere, mountains, valleys, and planets that revolve around the sun are key to wind generating.
Although it sounds perfect for our needs, like all renewable sources, it has its benefits and drawbacks. Different types of renewable energy are best suited for various environments around the world and must function optimally. Thus like all other renewable sources, wind power must be put in place that fits its needs. Wind turbines should be set up in areas with plenty of temperature differentiability allowing for optimal usage of the turbines providing energy on a large scale.
Wind energy is beneficial in harnessing wind to generate energy and is an efficient solution to many areas in the world that don’t get much sunlight nor have space for large dams or power plants. One of the most significant benefits of wind turbines is that they are completely self sufficient in the energy department. They themselves run on the wind energy they produce. Once the turbine is constructed and installed, it doesn’t need to be connected to power nor be fueled by an outside source. This also assists in reducing the overall cost of large-scale farms in comparison to other forms, such as solar, which require some extra energy input. Another significant benefit of wind turbines is that they are one of the cleanest forms of energy out there. Due to wind energy not relying on fossil fuels, wind energy doesn’t contribute to climate change by emitting greenhouse gases while producing energy. The only time that wind energy indirectly releases greenhouse gases is during the manufacturing and transport of the wind turbines, as well as during the installation process. U.S. wind power lights homes and businesses with an infinitely available energy. On top of all this, wind energy is really helpful to many as it can be easily set up without disrupting farm lands compared to other sources which take up a lot of space.
Although wind energy is amazing on the environmental side, it does have some significant factors that many overlook. The most significant being that they are extremely expensive. These massive structures are hundreds of feet tall and require a significant investment. The placement of wind turbines in rural areas requires further investment in underground lines to send power to more populated areas like towns and cities where it’s needed. The majority of the cost is the initial installation and building stage, but after that, wind energy produces an endless supply of energy as long as there is wind. This brings me to the next drawback being, they can be very unpredictable. Although many areas tend to have a lot of wind, it is not always consistent. Wind energy suffers from what is called intermittency, which is a disruption caused by the inconsistency of the wind itself. Since wind can blow at various speeds, it’s hard to predict the amount of energy it can collect at a given time. This means suppliers and cities need to have an energy reserve or alternative sources of power in case the winds die down for longer lengths of time.
Moving away from the turbines themselves, the impact on the area around them is also a significant drawback. Wind turbines are known to be a threat to the wildlife around them. Mostly flying birds and bats migrating or in their habitat could be injured or killed if they run into the blades when the turbine is spinning. Wildlife on the ground are also affected in that turbines tend to make a lot of noise pollution from the whirring of their blades. Wind turbines are usually kept in rural areas where people mostly live to prevent such noise being an issue yet it is still an issue for other animals that may have a habitat around the turbines. However, many new technological advancements have been shown to reduce the noise and have a much quieter presence.
As of now wind turbines are considered the best renewable energy source when they deliver, but due their unpredictability, can not be used as the sole power of the planet. Scientists continue to research future technologies as well as upgrades for the turbines themselves to reduce the problems that have arisen. For now, renewable energy is still a topic that is researched continuously looking for improvements and is always evolving with new ideas and technology.
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By: Zubin Sidhu
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References:
Energy, Just. “Wind Energy: Pros and Cons.” Just Energy, 3 Dec. 2021, justenergy.com/blog/wind-energy-pros-and-cons.
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