Wind
is one source of alternative energy that is prevalent
all over the world. So, harnessing this alternative
energy to generate electricity instead of doing so with
the help of fossil fuel as well as nuclear sources makes
positive sense. First of all, it is a form of renewable
energy, meaning that you cannot run out of it. It will
be replenished all the while. Secondly, it is free of
any emissions, including greenhouse gases and it does
not contribute to global warming or climate change.
Barring the installation cost of wind power generators
(which is covered by incentives, tax credits, special
rebates, etc) it has no running cost. Wind is
particularly chosen as an ideal form of alternative
energy as it is most cost effective in producing
electricity which is equally true even for an
individual.
Wind
as an alternative energy
source is now extensively used in generating electricity
with the help of wind turbines that convert the wind’s
kinetic energy into mechanical or electrical energy in a
simple yet practical way. A wind turbine typically
consists of a small motor (in case of small-wind
generators that are used to provide electricity to
private homes) that works as a generator, a blade
assembly for running it when held against a strong
current, a step-up transformer-cum converter to convert
the turbine’s DC output to 120V AC, a battery bank for
storing the generated electricity for use as and when
needed, a charge controller that saves the battery life
an yaw to regulate its direction to the wind current and
a tower to put it up at a reasonable height so that it
can interact with the prevailing wind current. The
charge controller can also divert any surplus
electricity generated to the power grid (If it is
connected) with the idea of selling electricity to the
grid or the utility. This way a consumer’s electricity
bills may be substantially
reduced.
Wind
power as an alternative energy source is also employed
in a much bigger way through more powerful turbines
where the driving shaft is coupled to mega generators
through a set of helical gears. Outputs from several
such full-size wind turbines are joined together and
then fed into national grids for general distribution.
This activity is quite common in contemporary wind parks
or Wind Farms that are located in areas where wind
current is more effective.
Wind
power as an alternative source of energy is utilized by
many European nations as offshore installations
generating current. The benefits gathered from offshore
installations are two-fold. An offshore Dutch Wind Farm
called Princess Amelia Wind Farm had created history on
December 21, 2007 when it sent offshore wind powered
electricity to a land based power grid. The 120 MW
offshore wind farm with a structural budget of Euro 383
million was the first to be financed by a non-recourse
loan. It has 60 Vestas V80 – 2MW
wind turbines, each turbine’s tower resting on monopole
foundations to depths ranging from 18 to 23 meters in
the sea and located at a distance of 23 km off the Dutch
coastline.
Wind
as an alternative energy
is really becoming popular as the governments of various
countries have realized that this is a safe and clean
energy. Further, the fossil fuel reserves have dropped
and very soon we need an alternative, and it seems
likely that wind power is going to be a forerunner. And
because of this, there are many incentives to urge both
individuals and commercial establishments to opt for
wind power.
Investing in wind power makes a lot of sense because there are both financial as well as ecological benefits. While on the one hand you can clean up the air, on the other, you can drastically reduce your power bills. You can get cheap wind power at home by installing a system, but for that, you need to know where to set it up and how to do is, how to wire the system, where to get the parts from and also the safety precautions. Here is a manual that gives you all this information.
