This post is about “Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Energy” – “pros and cons of wind energy”
windmill advantages and disadvantagesAdvantages of Wind Energy
Wind energy has numerous benefits in helping to provide a clean, renewable source of electricity for countries around the world. This section looks at the various advantages of wind energy.
1. Safe and clean energy source. –
The biggest benefit of wind energy is that it generates electricity without releasing any harmful pollutants or greenhouse gases as byproducts. This makes it a safe and clean energy source.
2. Wind energy is cost-competitive with other fuel sources.
The average levelized price of wind power purchase contracts signed in 2013 was approximately 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, a price that is not only cost-competitive with new gas-fired power plants, but also compares favorably with a range of gas power plant fuel cost projections. powered generation by 2040.1 Public and private research and development (R&D) can provide continued technological advances and further reduce the costs of wind energy
3. Eco-friendly
Wind energy is one of the most environmentally friendly energy sources available today. After wind turbines are manufactured and installed, there will be little or no pollution generated by the wind turbines themselves.
Wind turbines do not produce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4), both of which are known to contribute to global warming.
It should be noted that noise and visual pollution are environmental factors, but they do not have a negative effect on the land, groundwater or the quality of the air we breathe.
4. Wind energy can provide income for farmers and ranchers, as well as economic benefits for communities.
Wind projects provide revenue to the communities where they are located through lease payments to landowners, state and local tax revenues, and employment. Even a large-scale wind turbine has a small footprint, allowing farmers and ranchers who lease their land to developers to continue growing crops and grazing livestock. As wind energy systems continue to expand, they provide significant economic benefits. A recent study found that, on average, wind energy installations in the study area that occurred between 2000 and 2008 resulted in an increase in total personal income at the county level of approximately $11,000 per megawatt.
5. Wind energy is free
Unlike some other energy sources, wind energy is completely free. There is no market for the supply and demand of wind energy, it exists to be used by anyone and will never run out. This makes wind energy a viable option for generating cheap electricity.
6. Wind energy is an inexhaustible source of renewable energy.
Wind energy is abundant and readily available, and capturing its energy does not deplete our natural resources. Improved technologies and taller turbines allow for wind deployment in areas with lower wind speeds, such as the southeastern United States. Furthermore, offshore wind energy has enormous energy potential.
7. Wind turbines do not consume water.
Most power plants require water to operate, but producing electricity from wind does not require water. Researchers estimate that wind power generation in 2013 reduced the energy sector's water consumption by 36.5 billion gallons.
8. Wind energy systems have low operating costs.
Wind energy systems have low operating expenses because there are no associated fuel costs. When large amounts of wind power are added to the grid, additional generation may be required to accommodate wind power variability, but leading experts in the field have concluded that increases in system operating costs due to wind variability and uncertainty only accounted for about 10% or less of the wholesale value of wind energy and that there are ways to reduce these costs. The absence of fuel costs also protects consumers from fluctuations in coal and natural gas costs.
9. Wind energy creates jobs.
The development of wind energy creates thousands of long-term, high-paying jobs in areas such as wind turbine component manufacturing, construction and installation, maintenance and operations, legal and marketing services, transportation and logistics services, and more.
10. Huge potential
Wind energy has enormous potential. It is renewable and sustainable and is present in the most diverse locations. Although a significant level of wind energy is required to make installing a wind turbine profitable, the technology is not limited to just a few locations, as is the case with geothermal power plants.
11. Wind energy can be used in several applications.
Wind turbines can be used in a variety of applications. Large-scale wind farms can provide electricity to an entire community, while smaller turbines, often described as being used in “distributed applications,” can be installed on or near a location where the electricity will be used. Community wind projects include turbines for schools, tribes, municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives. Small wind turbines, alone or as part of a hybrid system, can power homes, businesses, farms, ranches and schools. Wind power can be perfect for remote applications such as water pumping, ice production and telecommunications sites, and can replace diesel fuel in remote communities.
Disadvantages of wind energy – Cons of wind energy:
So, we've seen the advantages, now it's time to take a look at the main disadvantages of wind energy.
1. Unpredictable wind doesn't always stay consistent.
Wind is unpredictable and the availability of wind energy is not constant. Wind energy is therefore not suitable as a base load energy source. If we had economical ways to store wind energy, the situation would be different.
We can expect advances in energy storage technologies in the future, but right now, wind turbines must be used in conjunction with other energy sources to consistently meet our energy demand.
2. Wildlife:
Wind turbines can be dangerous to flying animals. Many birds and bats were killed by flying into the rotors. Experts are now conducting research to learn more about the effects wind turbines have on marine habitats.
3. Noise pollution
Noise is a problem for some people who live near wind turbines. The construction of wind turbines in urban environments should be avoided. Noise is not a problem for offshore wind turbines. New designs feature significant improvements compared to older models and generate less noise.
4. Suitable for certain locations
Wind energy can only be used in certain locations where wind speed is high. Given that most of them are installed in remote areas, transmission lines have to be built to bring energy to homes in the city, which requires extra investment to install the infrastructure.
5. Storage Issues:
Following up on the point that turbines are inefficient, they are unable to store the converted energy in large quantities. Since the wind only comes in fits and starts, to be efficient, turbines would need to store these bursts of wind energy to be truly effective, but since they can't, they aren't as efficient as they may seem. to be.
6. Installation costs:
As you can imagine, installing a group of these huge turbines can cost a lot of money. Installing just one of them can cost up to $2 million or more, plus maintenance costs. Another cost in installing a turbine is less a monetary issue, but an environmental one. The production, transport and installation of one of these turbines has a considerable “carbon footprint”, which is important to know, especially considering that the entire idea behind their construction is clean energy.
