Wind power refers to using the wind’s energy to produce electricity. It is one of the most well-established renewable energy sources today. It is among the first clean energy sources humans have used for electricity generation.
This article covers most aspects of wind power, from the history of wind turbines to the various benefits and drawbacks of wind energy. Continue reading to learn how the modern world exploits the wind, an infinite resource, for electrical power.
History Of Wind Energy
Modern turbines convert mechanical energy into electricity and are amazingly sophisticated devices. Still, earlier turbines or windmills were far less complicated and accomplished more straightforward tasks.
The ninth century saw the introduction of panemone windmills, or windmills with sails rotating in a horizontal plane, which was common in central Persia at the time. They had six to twelve sails wrapped in reeds and were the earliest windmills used to process grain or draw water.
After the invention of the electric generator in the 1830s, engineers began experimenting with harnessing kinetic energy and wind power resources to generate electric power. In 1887, James Blyth, a Scottish engineer and physicist succeeded in building a 10-meter-tall wind turbine that could harness the kinetic energy of the wind and utilize it to power his Marykirk home. The windmill was not capable of producing electricity until the nineteenth century.
With the advancement of energy technologies in the 20th century, wind energy found new uses for electricity far from centralized power sources. Parallel routes and transmission lines created modest wind stations ideal for rural homes and farms.
The development of wind energy technologies stagnated in the mid-20th century. However, skyrocketing natural gas and fuel costs during the 1973 oil crisis revived the international interest in wind power. This renewed interest resulted in the development of utility-scale wind turbines that can connect to power grids to meet the electrical demand of remote locations.
In the 21st century, wind-powered generators come in various sizes. As small as tiny stations for battery charging home to gigawatt-sized offshore wind farms that supply national power grids.
Today, wind energy is one of the most popular renewable energy sources. Its rapid growth is thanks to the many advantages of wind power.
The International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that in 2016 alone, 6 percent of the electricity produced by renewable sources came from wind power.
How Wind Power Works
Wind turbines produce electricity by utilizing the kinetic energy of moving air. This kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy using generators and other wind energy conversion systems. The wind strikes a turbine’s blades first, turning them and rotating a shaft attached to a generator. This rotation converts kinetic energy into rotational energy, providing electrical power via electromagnetism.
The size of the wind turbine, the rotor diameter, and the length of its blades all affect how much electric power it can generate. The output is inversely related to the rotor’s size and the cube of the wind speed. Theoretically, the potential for wind power increases by eight when wind speed doubles.
The electricity generation capacity of wind turbines has grown over time as clean energy technology advanced. In 1985, average turbines had rotor diameters of 15 meters and rated capacities of 0.05 megawatts (MW). Nowadays, turbine capacities for new wind projects range from 2 MW onshore to 15 MW offshore.
In 2014, the average wind turbine had a 2 MW capacity, up from 1.6 MW in 2009. Today, utility-scale wind turbines with an 8 MW capacity are widespread, and their rotor diameters can reach up to 164 meters.
Capacity Factor
To further understand how wind power works, one has to learn about the variables that affect wind power production. One of these variables is the capacity factors of wind plants.
Since wind speed is often unpredictable, the annual energy output of a wind farm can be challenging to forecast. However, by calculating what is known as the capacity factor, operators can still make an educated guess as to the actual output of a wind farm.
Contrary to fueled power plants, the capacity factor depends on several variables, including the site’s local wind unpredictability and the size of the electric generator. A small generator would be more affordable and attain a higher capacity factor. Still, with strong winds, it would generate less electricity. On the other hand, a larger electric generator would be more expensive, produce more energy, and most likely stall out at low wind speeds.
Land-Based & Offshore Wind Power
Today, there are two distinct types of wind energy, each defined by the geographical placement of its wind energy conversion systems. These two are onshore and offshore wind power.
Utility-scale, onshore wind farms often call hills and remote areas home. They connect to the electrical grid, and the electricity they generate can provide power to nearby homes or businesses, depending on the supply and demand for electricity.
Unlike their land-based counterparts, offshore wind turbines are often larger and taller. The enormous components can be delivered on ships rather than roadways, so they do not have the same transportation issues as land-based wind turbine installations.
Strong winds exist in many locations around the world. Still, often remote areas are the best sites for producing wind energy. Given that strong winds are frequently present in large bodies of water, offshore wind power has immense potential for producing electricity.
Benefits Of Wind Energy
Clean & Sustainable Power
Thanks to advancements in technology, increased energy efficiency, and the rising price of alternative energy sources like natural gas and oil, wind energy has emerged as the most viable choice for producing environmentally sustainable energy.
Wind turbines do not release greenhouse gases or pollutants that can harm the environment or human health, unlike power stations that operate on burning fossil fuels.
Zero Fuel Costs
Wind energy is a clean and limitless energy source since wind turbines can produce electricity without fuel.
There is no need for fuel because wind turbines produce all their electricity from the wind. The individual turbines in a wind farm can function without being connected to an additional power source once it has started.
Alleviates Fossil Fuel Dependence
Eighty percent of the planet’s electrical power comes from fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, and oil. These emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, substantially contributing to the worsening climate crisis.
74% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in 2019 are due to the combustion of fossil fuels. As the scientific consensus suggests, the Earth’s climate can shift dramatically due to an excess buildup of greenhouse gases.
The effects and consequences of climate change can be severely catastrophic. These include heat waves, violent storms, drought, acid rain, and rising sea levels.
Currently, just 11% of the world’s energy comes from renewable sources like wind. By taking the place of fossil fuels in the generation of power on a global scale, these clean energy sources can help alleviate the effects of climate change.
According to the American Clean Power Association, wind farms may help prevent 327 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
There will always be a constant supply of wind energy as long as the wind blows. Investing in and developing wind energy technology could minimize the reliance of the global market on fossil fuels.
Generates Jobs
The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) estimated in 2021 that due to considerable growth in the renewable energy sector, the wind industry might create 3.3 million new wind power jobs globally over the next five years. The number comprises direct employment in the wind industry. It encompasses all sector aspects, from project development and planning to turbine and transmission line operation and maintenance.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the wind sector has already created close to 1.2 million jobs. In 2020, there were approximately 550,000 wind energy workers in China, 260,00 in Brazil, 115,000 in the United States, 63,000 in India, and 30,000 in the UK according to a global survey done by the GWEC Market Intelligence.
Estimated Numbers of Jobs in 2020
| Country | Estimated Jobs in 2020 |
|---|---|
| China | 550,000 |
| Brazil | 260,000 |
| United States | 115,000 |
| India | 63,000 |
| United Kingdom | 30,000 |
The newly created jobs would contribute significantly to installing 470 gigawatts of new onshore and offshore wind power globally.
The demand for individuals who can plan, run, build, and maintain wind projects will undoubtedly increase as the wind industry expands, providing opportunities for employment to millions of people worldwide.
Stimulates & Revitalizes Rural Economies
Wind energy projects can assist nearby communities economically in several ways, including by creating new job opportunities, increasing the local tax base, and providing additional money for farmers through land lease payments.
According to a Purdue University study, an increase in wind energy output in the US could have a $24 billion economic benefit. According to the same analysis, the manufacturing, construction, financial, transportation, and public administration sectors would financially benefit the most.
A wind farm might improve the neighborhood’s aesthetics in areas where tourism is essential to the local economy. Additionally, wind developments may attract visitors eager to visit and see wind turbines.
Challenges Of Wind Energy
While wind energy has many benefits, there are also many disadvantages.
High Initial Development & Maintenance Costs
The initial investment necessary to start a wind project remains relatively high, even though wind energy costs are declining as it gains popularity. Like solar energy, wind power plants need substantial start-up capital to become commercially viable.
Energy providers typically construct large wind farms with the assistance of government loans, financial incentives, and subsidies. Federal initiatives in the United States use subsidies and incentives to promote the development and use of wind energy throughout the nation.
The cost of installing numerous wind turbines can also add up; the typical wind turbine has an average price of $1,200,000 per megawatt of electricity-generating capacity.
Wind turbines require considerable maintenance to uphold ideal working conditions, another fundamental drawback of wind energy. The essential maintenance of wind turbines depends on their environment and the damage they have received.
In general, wind turbine technicians must examine these twice or three times a year. As the turbine matures, this regularity may increase.
While the mechanical components of wind turbines are less likely to sustain damage, parts like the sensors, electronics, hydraulics, and electrics require frequent maintenance and repair.
Because of their geographical location makes offshore wind power turbines and equipment extremely challenging to maintain. Offshore turbines encounter the same issues as land-based turbines, such as corrosion, erosion, and biofouling.
US energy providers spend between $42,000 and $48,000 per year on operation and maintenance expenditures. According to a German study on wind turbine maintenance, each kilowatt-hour costs between 1-2 Euro cents.
Less Reliable Than Conventional Power Plants
The electricity that is reliable and available at all times is essential to modern society. Burning coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, and hydroelectric dams account for nearly all global electricity production. These power plants can provide continuous power to highly-populated cities and rural areas.
However, wind power is not yet able to offer this reliability. Like all energy sources, wind power plants require a backup source of energy generation when the wind does not blow.
Today, wind farms cannot wholly replace nuclear or fossil fuel power plants due to their unpredictable nature. When they are not producing energy, wind farms require conventional sources of electricity to boost their output.
Visual And Noise Pollution
The majority of wind farms are located in sparsely populated rural areas. Noise and aesthetics can be an issue for those who live close to one another; some think wind farms are too noisy and unsightly. However, energy suppliers can address this problem by installing wind turbines in remote areas where they would impact few people and where landowners consent to them.
Wind turbines emit broadband noise as the turbine blades run against air turbulence. The “whooshing” sound of wind turbines when they are working is known as broadband noise.
Some wind turbines, especially the older models, make tonal humming noises. These noises result from the turbine’s mechanical parts and abnormal wind currents.
However, advances in wind energy technology are easing worries over noise pollution. We believe most wind turbines’ minor noise emissions have no adverse health effects.
Conclusion
Thanks to technological developments, the energy efficiency of wind turbines, and the rising cost of non-renewable energy sources like coal and fossil fuels, wind energy remains one of the best options for producing sustainable energy.
There will always be an endless supply of wind as long as the sun illuminates the planet. In light of this, the wind energy industry might reduce the world economy’s dependence on oil and natural gas, thereby addressing the issue of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions.