Wind Energy by A.K

Introduction

809148 — 2015-05-15 21:14:02 UTC

We're running really low on resources on planet Earth. We're using non-renewable resources (like coal and fossil fuels) so much that we can't maintain the rate of non-renewable resources being used. I think wind energy is the best and most reliable renewable resource we can turn to if we ever run out of resources.

Lot of production

809148 — 2015-05-15 21:20:25 UTC

A wind turbine can produce a lot of electricity. A single 1 MW turbine in an offshore wind farm, where the wind blows harder and more consistently, can power more than 400 households. In 2013, about, 7.9% (28.4 TWh) of electricity generated in the UK came from wind turbines. That much power is enough to power 6.8 million homes. As of 1999, global wind energy capacity topped 10,000 megawatts, which is approximately 16 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. That's enough to serve over 5 cities the size of Miami, according to the American Wind Energy Association. In the year 2009, U.S. generated 1 percent of total nationwide electricity production at the time. The energy generated was approximately 52 billion KW hours in 2008. Wind energy produces more than 20% of the total electricity production in countries such as Denmark and Portugal. This means that wind turbines can make a lot of energy. This proves that wind energy produces more electricity than solar power.

Cheap

809148 — 2015-05-15 21:49:11 UTC

Wind powered electricity is very cheap. Its current rate is 11.5 cents per kWh in Ontario.The price of wind energy for new contracts signed in 2013 is at all-time low at 2.5 cents per kWh. The cost of wind has dropped by 15% with each doubling of installed capacity worldwide, and capacity has doubled three times during the 1990's and 2000's. Installing a wind turbine may cost a lot but once you install it you don't have to worry about anything. Installation costs $1.3 million to $2.2 million per MW. Most of the commercial-scale turbines installed today are 2 MW in size and cost roughly $3-$4 million installed. Once you have installed a wind turbine you don't have to worry about anything except for days with no wind and days with a lot of wind because no wind will lead to no energy production and a lot of wind may lead to damage to the wind turbines. This shows that wind energy is cheaper compared to solar energy.

Pollution free

809148 — 2015-05-16 13:04:05 UTC

Wind energy is totally pollution free. One unique thing about wind energy is that it does not use any water. By 2030, wind energy would have saved 30 trillion bottles of water in the U.S. According to NREL, 1 MW of wind energy can offset approximately 2,600 tons of Carbon dioxide (CO2). Wind is a clean source of renewable energy that produces no air or water pollution. This proves that wind power is better than other non-renewable resources like coal, or even better than nuclear, which is a renewable source of energy

Conclusion

809148 — 2015-05-17 21:03:01 UTC

After reviewing all these facts, focusing on more production, cheap, and pollution free with regards to wind power, it's clear that wind energy is the best renewable source of energy for us to turn to. When compared with the alternates, such as solar and nuclear it's superior in a vast variety of ways.