Clean and renewable energy has become a popular alternative to power plants that rely on finite resources like coal and fossil fuels. This helps reduce the global carbon footprint. One of these clean and renewable sources is wind energy. This article will look into 9 advantages of wind energy.
Thanks to falling operating costs and technological advancements, the wind energy sector, alongside the rest of the renewable energy industry, has seen a significant increase in its contribution to global electricity generation.
In the United States, wind energy is the largest renewable power source, providing 9.5 percent of the country’s electrical needs. This number will increase in the foreseeable future with the help of the scientific community’s research efforts to make wind power plants more efficient and accessible.
Benefits Of Using Wind Energy
The wind industry’s rapid growth in the past decade is thanks to its various advantages. With that in mind, here is a list of the different benefits of switching to wind energy:
Wind Energy Is Efficient
Wind power is known for its exceptional energy efficiency. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average wind turbine in the United States generates over 843,000 kilowatt-hours per month, enough to power 940 homes.
Technological advances have made offshore and onshore wind turbines incredibly efficient and reliable energy harvesters. Although offshore wind turbines generate more power than their onshore counterparts, the wind energy pros provided by either one make them excellent energy providers.
Most wind turbines are 45 percent efficient, extracting almost half the kinetic energy from passing winds. According to the German physicist Albert Betz, the limit for the maximum efficiency of a wind turbine is 59.3 percent. This means modern wind farms are almost as efficient as they can get.
Wind Energy Is Clean And Sustainable
Wind energy has become the best option for environmentally sustainable energy production thanks to modern technology, greater energy efficiency, and the increasing cost of competing sources such as natural gas and oil.
Since wind turbines run on generated electricity from the wind, there is no need for fuel. Once a wind farm runs, the individual turbines must not be connected to a different energy source to continue working.
Unlike power plants that rely on fossil fuels, wind turbines do not emit greenhouse gasses or particulate matter. These pollutants can cause environmental damage and human health problems.
Even without fuel, wind power plants can generate electricity as long as the wind blows, making it a clean and infinitely available form of energy.
Wind Energy Is Cost-Effective
Wind energy technology has dramatically improved in recent years, resulting in wind turbines that produce energy at less cost.
The U.S. Department of Energy reported that the average nameplate capacity of a wind turbine has increased by 180 percent since 1999. Therefore countries can generate more power with fewer turbines. Wind projects are also much cheaper than fossil fuels, especially coal. Lazard, a financial analyst firm, found that unsubsidized wind projects can produce energy at $32 to $62 per megawatt-hour while coal costs between $57 and $148 per megawatt-hour.
Unlike coal and nuclear power plants, wind turbines do not need much maintenance to keep them running. Operation and maintenance of wind power plants would only cost $42,000 – $48,000 annually.
Since wind power depends on a free and infinite energy source, it can be sold at a fixed price for long periods without negatively affecting the income of energy providers.
Wind Plants Can Be Built On Existing Farms
The energy output of wind power plants varies depending on their geographical location and the Earth’s surface irregularities. Places with existing farms and ranches are prime locations for wind projects.
Remote locations make good wind farms because of their naturally high wind speeds. High wind speeds allow wind farms to generate more power because it pushes the turbine blades faster, converting more of the wind’s kinetic energy into electricity.
Wind energy can also give people in rural areas the opportunity to gain access to clean, cheap, and sustainable power. As wind turbines take up very little space, local farmers could use a small fraction of their farmland to establish a wind power plant. Farmers will earn extra income and develop the local energy industry for the community.
Wind turbines can also benefit farms because of their multifunctionality. Aside from providing free power, some turbines can pump water from wells, ponds, and bore wells for drinking and irrigation.
Currently, wind power plants only take up 1.5 percent of the land area in the United States. Given the available plains in the United States and the rest of the world, Government land managers could take advantage of this opportunity to establish more wind farms.
Wind Energy Can Reduce Fossil Fuel Dependence
Fossil fuels — including oil, natural gas, and coal — provide 80 percent of the world’s energy. When burned, these release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
In 2019, fossil fuel combustion accounted for 74 percent of U.S greenhouse gas emissions. An excess build-up of greenhouse gasses can cause dramatic changes to the Earth’s climate.
Climate change has drastic consequences and adverse effects. These include hotter temperatures, severe storms, drought, increased occurrences of acid rains, and rising sea levels.
Currently, wind power and other renewable energy sources only supply about 11 percent of the world’s energy. These clean energy sources can help limit the effects of climate change by replacing the contribution of fossil fuels to global energy production.
According to the American Clean Power Association, previously known as the American Wind Energy Association, wind power plants can help avoid 327 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
As long as the sun shines on the planet, there will be an endless wind supply. Developing and investing in wind power technology could help reduce the global economy’s dependence on oils and natural gasses.
The Wind Industry Creates Jobs
In 2021, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reported that 3.3 million new wind power jobs could be generated globally over the next five years, thanks to significant expansions in the renewable energy industry. The figure includes direct jobs in the wind industry. It covers the entire sector, from project planning and development to the operation and maintenance of turbines and transmission lines.
The International Renewable Energy Agency stated that the wind industry has already generated nearly 1.2 million jobs. As shown in a global survey conducted by the GWEC Market Intelligence, there were around 550,000 wind energy workers in China, 260,00 in Brazil, 115,000 in the United States, and 63,000 in India in 2020.
| Country | Estimated Wind Industry Jobs |
|---|---|
| China | 550,000 |
| Brazil | 260,000 |
| United States | 115,000 |
| India | 63,000 |
The newly generated jobs would play a large part in installing an additional 470 gigawatts of new onshore and offshore wind capacity worldwide.
As the wind sector grows, the demand for workers who can develop, operate, construct, and maintain wind projects will inevitably grow too. The wind industry will allow millions of people worldwide to work in the renewable energy industry.
Wind Energy Uses Minimal Water
In the European Union, power production activities use the most water, making up 44 percent of the Union’s total water consumption. Gas and nuclear power plants around the globe consume billions of liters of water for cooling purposes.
On the other hand, wind power plants require virtually no water to generate electricity. Replacing thermal and nuclear power stations with wind energy is crucial in preserving the depleting global water supply.
WindEurope reported that wind energy avoided using 387 million cubic meters of water in 2012, equivalent to the annual water consumption of 7 million households in the European Union. They also projected that wind energy could save 1.22 billion cubic meters of water by 2030.
Wind Energy Is A Long-Term Solution To The Energy Crisis
Today, various international initiatives aim to tackle the energy crisis. These programs include increased restrictions on carbon emissions, promoting greener infrastructure and industrial projects, and a shift towards renewable and clean energy.
While there are no quick fixes for the problem of energy scarcity, long-term solutions can help avert the oncoming crisis. We can view wind power generation as one of these long-term solutions because of its incredible efficiency and rapidly falling operating costs.
Wind energy, along with other renewable energy sources, has the potential to replace gas, oil, and coal as the primary provider of power worldwide in the coming decades.
The Wind Industry Enables Economic Growth
Wind energy projects can provide various economic benefits to neighboring communities:
- New employment opportunities
- Additional income for farmers in land lease payments
- An increased local tax base
A Purdue University study showed that an increase in wind energy production in the United States could result in a $24 billion economic impact. The same research suggests that the industries that would receive the most financial benefit would be manufacturing, construction, finance, transportation, and public administration.
In locations where tourism plays a vital role in the local economy, a wind farm may enhance the area’s aesthetics. Wind projects can also attract more tourists interested in seeing wind farms.
Conclusion
It is no secret that there is an urgent need for new forms of clean and renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels that supply most of the world’s electricity are environmentally damaging and quickly running out.
The advantages listed above make wind power an excellent candidate to replace oil and natural gasses as the global primary energy source. With enough time and resources, wind energy can fulfill most of the planet’s energy needs.
On the other hand, the disadvantages of wind energy are negligible compared to the drawbacks of conventional power plants. For example, two significant disadvantages of wind farms are their threat to local wildlife and the visual pollution it produces.
If you are considering switching to wind energy, assess all the key points addressed in this article. Be sure to judge the pros and cons of wind power. It is always better to research thoroughly before making a final decision with your goals.