Wind energy explained

What is wind energy?

Wind power is an ancient concept. Numerous societies have used classic windmills to generate energy for over 5,000 years. From propelling sailing ships or encouraging natural ventilation, to integrating with early irrigation systems, Wind power has a long and successful history.

Wind turbines can now convert naturally occurring wind into other forms of energy, like electricity. Disappearing fossil fuels, like oil, are encouraging new techniques and development of large-scale use of wind power to generate the energy modern societies need to function properly.

As more time and money is spent improving the efficiency and design of "wind farms," this natural and renewable energy source becomes ever more popular.

How wind energy helps our environment

Wind is a constant, renewable, and totally clean source of power. Even more consistent than solar power, wind energy does little harm to our environment or ecosystems. The power source, wind, occurs at some level every day of our planet's existence. Wind turbines are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install. While scientists and engineers continue working to increase energy conversion efficiency, the future of wind energy becomes ever brighter.

The primary environmental concern recently has been voiced by ocean-related environmentalists. For example, a large wind turbine farm has been proposed and preliminarily approved for Buzzards Bay, between mainland Massachusetts and the isthmus of Cape Cod.

Some environmentalists are fighting its construction on the belief that this large concentration of wind turbines may have a harmful effect on the natural ecosystem of the sea life that now populates the bay.

There are sound arguments on both sides of this issue, with no clear winner to date.

Yet, most experts and proponents of wind energy agree that wind power might solve many of the real concerns over the source, cost, and ever-diminishing fossil fuel situation. Some basic reasons wind power is environmentally friendly:

It's clean

Wind energy is clean. No toxic byproducts are produced by this energy source. It is a totally "green" energy producer. The original energy source, wind, is free. With no need to drill, mine, or use potentially harmful elements to locate the energy source, its use is economically efficient.

It's renewable

Wind power is a thoroughly renewable energy source. As far as we know, the wind will exist as long as we do. As the source of fossil fuels decreases, this energy source renews itself every day, regardless of our use of it.

It does no harm

Wind energy produces little, if any collateral damage to the environment. "First, do no harm." The mantra of the medical profession also applies to new energy sources. Ideally, they will help our planet. If new sources do no harm, they are also helping our environment.

Wind power is a feasible renewable energy source

While most experts regard wind power as an exciting and positive future alternative energy source, some still question the feasibility of using the wind to produce power for large populations and industries. Intensive work and study continues to make widespread wind energy available to large areas.

Like other alternative energy sources being perfected, the most challenging problem is to efficiently use these features (wind, solar, nuclear, agricultural, etc.) efficiently to convert their natural positive features to widespread energy production. This issue may be the final hurdle to clear, however.

For example, there is high interest in using the abundant wheat and corn crop produced in the U.S. to process alternative energy. The process works wonderfully and creates quality energy and fuel. However, the crop needs to be harvested, transported to processing facilities, and then mechanically converted into energy.

Most of the intermediaries necessary to get the produce from farm to fuel require tractors and trucks, which use fossil fuels, and electricity, which is also normally powered by fossil fuels.

Therefore, the necessity of using fossil fuels, gas and oil, to complete the process reduces the benefits derived. Research continues, however, to develop more efficient methods to convert this renewable energy source into cost and environmentally effective quantities.

Wind power is more efficient to produce but does require both land (or sea) area and transferability of the raw energy to its conversion point. Most scientists and researchers believe wind power will become a feasible and cost-efficient alternative energy source for large populations.