What
is wind power? How is it generated?
Wind
seems to be the most disregarded of all the potential
resources of power even in this 21st century
era. Wind is a form of solar energy. Differential
heating of the irregular earth’s surfaces and earth’s
rotation and the uneven distribution of heat in the
atmospheric layers cause wind flow. And the flow
patterns of wind are again regulated by the water bodies
and the vegetative covering of the earth. This wind flow
produces a kinetic energy which is actually captured and
harvested by using modern techniques as wind energy.
Apart from this biggest benefit, disadvantages of
wind power, although a few ones, are being addressed
by the modern and advanced technologies. The modern
devices involved in harnessing wind energy are wind
energy turbines and wind mills.
What
are the benefits and disadvantages of wind
power?
To
realize the potential of wind power regeneration and
application, we first need to understand wind as a
resource. Pondering the subject will give us a clear
idea about the whole phenomenon. Different surfaces of
the earth like the water bodies, land, mountains etc.
have different propensities of absorbing sunlight. And
there exists a constant temperature difference between
the poles and the equator. All of these factors result
in the upwardly movement of the hot air and eventually
the movement of the cooler air to fill up the vacuum
created. Therefore, wind can easily be called the
earth’s circulatory system distributing the energy from
the cooler regions to the comparatively hotter realms.
This energy can be machinated and harnessed by modern
methods and transformed into mechanical energy or
electricity as required. However, the principal
application of this wind power is generating electricity
that provides nearly 1% of the world wide requirement of
electric power.
To
realize the fact that exactly how does wind power work
for us we need to single out each and every benefit
disadvantages of this advanced application of modern
science.
The first and foremost and perhaps the biggest
advantage of wind energy is that it is a pollution free
resource that is free, unlimited and renewable ‘n’
number of times. The electric power that is produced is
also clean and non-polluting. Compared to the
traditional modern power plants windmills never produce
any greenhouse gas or air pollutants. Apart from saving
power, windmills or wind energy turbines are also easy
on the wallet as compared to the fossil fuel plants
since the former have a minimum life-cycle cost like no
fuel purchasing and minimum operating expenses. However,
the disadvantages of the wind power generators like
noise pollution (generated by the rotor blades), visual
impact and avian mortality (bats and birds being killed
while flying into the rotors) are being taken care of by
wisely locating the wind energy plants and other
technological developments. The biggest disadvantage
seems to be the intermittent supply of the wind
resource. Intermittent because all winds cannot be
harvested to generate electricity as and when required.
Also often the right wind plant sites are much away from
the area that requires the electricity like the cities.
Therefore, considering he benefit, disadvantages of wind
power plants seem to be quite negligible and manageable.
In spite of the minor disadvantages discussed wind
energy is the buzz word in this modern era and is
gaining much popularity amongst the environment
conscious citizens.
How
are the benefits and disadvantages related to the
environment and the economics?
When
it comes to the environment wind power seems to be the
most compatible one. Surprisingly enough along with the
benefit, disadvantages of wind power are also directly
related to the environment. Talking about the
environmental compatibility of the wind energy, we can
justly claim that the electric energy that is generated
is absolutely clean and non-polluting considering that
the source being wind itself is clean. The disadvantages
discussed above are being treated with advanced
technology. The economic facts about wind power clearly
convey a very clear idea that wind as a resource is the
cheapest one. In spite of the entire cognizance, wind
energy is still the least pondered resource till date.
This wonder source of renewable energy is yet to be
critically and efficiently researched worldwide. Wind
power has the potential of generating an incredible
amount of energy that can easily rule out all those
environmental concerns created by the conventional power
plants by their toxic emissions. So let us hope for a
more conscious world ahead that considers wind as a rich
renewable resource.
