How much does Wind Energy Cost

There are many catastrophic events that have occurred in these recent years. Humans have been helpless against the wrath of nature and the destruction that has been caused is irreparable. To preserve our planet from environmental hazards man has been thinking of eco-friendly ways to create energy. One such popular way of creating energy is by wind. Man uses wind power to convert it into energy with the help of wind turbines and windmills. People living in the states of Montana, Texas, Kansas or South Dakota have the option of saving a lot of money on electricity. Why? Because all these states have the distinction of being the windiest states in the US. If you take the help of wind power, you would be saving a lot of money and high electric costs would no longer be your concern.

Before opting for wind energy, there are some facts which you have to understand to determine the exact expenses incurred in generating wind power. In today's times wind turbines can generate electricity from wind at the rate of 5 cents/kWh. However, in 1980s the cost of wind energy was 30 cents/kWh. This drastic fall in wind energy prices has happened in these last years due to the extensive use of fossil fuels.

Actual Wind Energy Cost

The three important factors which influence the price of wind energy are Capital Costs, Running Costs and the Total Expenditure for the entire project. Capital costs includes the cost of building the entire project and then connecting it to the grid. Larger the project, cheaper the electricity. The cost also depends on the site at which the project has to be built and also on the local wind speed of the area. Expenses incurred would be less if the plant is constructed on a higher elevated area. The running cost is usually zero as windmills or turbines don't need any fuel for their functioning.

The cost of wind energy also depends on the size of the windmill or wind turbines you want to install. If you are looking for a windmill for your residence, then a windmill which measures up to a meter would be enough for you. The cost of the windmill would be around $6000 and the cost increases with the size. Commercial windmills are systems which are larger in size and their cost can be anywhere between $1.5 to $3.4 million. Most homeowners don't have to worry about the installation as most windmills come with the DIY (Do It Yourself) kit. This DIY kit is an instructional guide which explains how easy building your own windmill is.

Pros and Cons of Wind Energy

Now that you know enough about cost of wind turbines and windmill, let's have a look at some advantages and disadvantages of wind energy which will help you determine whether wind power is worth your money.

Pros

• The biggest pro of wind energy is that it generates electric power without the emission of harmful gases and pollutants. It helps keep the environment clean.
• It doesn't require the use of fossil fuels for its maintenance.
• Wind energy installation projects have a low impact on the environment.
• Wind farms can also be established in oceans.
• Windmills also act as money savers for people who install them.

Cons

• Though it's a great energy saver, adopting wind energy is not enough to solve energy crisis.
• Wind turbines needs to be installed at places where wind blows with high speed.
• Wind turbines can easily be damaged in harsh weather conditions.
• It can injure or even kill birds flying near the blades.
• It's said that windmills interfere with the television reception.

I hope this article on the cost of wind energy was helpful. Choosing wind as a medium of generating thermal and electric energy is a great way but future steps should be taken only after weighing all the pros and cons.