Wind Power Facts

 
With energy needs increasing and prices constantly on the rise, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar have gained more attention lately with people looking for solutions to today’s energy costs.

What is Wind Power?

The power of the wind has been used by human civilization for centuries. People throughout history have used wind power to sail ships across vast oceans. The Dutch used windmills to turn huge millstones that were used to grind grains with relative ease. Wind power is everywhere and can be a clean, abundant energy source for now and the future.

Today’s modern wind power does a lot more than just push boats and grind wheat. Modern wind energy refers to electricity that is generated using turbines powered by the wind. This type of electricity can then be stored and used to power your home and other infrastructure.

Wind power is produced using an electric turbine that creates energy by taking the kinetic energy produced by the rotating blades in the fan and converting it to electricity that can be used for power. As long as the wind blows, you will have a steady supply of energy.

Advantages of Wind Power

• Wind power is a clean energy source. Electricity is produced without burning fossil fuels and releasing harmful pollutants into the air.
• The prospect of producing your own energy is quite enticing. People love the possibility of living off the grid and not having to pay another electric bill.
• Wind is almost everywhere. Even a light breeze is enough to produce some electricity, but you need fairly strong winds if you want to produce significant amounts of electricity for things like powering a home. This is why it’s recommended to use wind generators in coastal areas where they will receive a good amount of consistent wind.

Disadvantages of Wind Power

• Wind turbines are expensive. This is one of the biggest reasons why people are not using wind power as a viable energy source.
• Wind turbines are quite noisy. Besides producing electricity, they also produces a lot of noise. This can be quite annoying if you live close to them.
• Wind generators can kill birds. Birds end up flying into the huge fan blades, killing them and sometimes damaging the equipment.
• Wind can sometimes be unreliable. Although there are places that get a lot of wind, you can’t expect the wind to always blow continuously.
• Wind turbines are prone to sustaining damage during storms. And wind generator repairs can be very expensive.

There are many things to consider when looking into wind power as a viable source of energy. Much of it will depend on your energy needs and how much wind is available in your area. Look at the pros and cons and then decide if wind power is right for you.