Pros and Cons of Wind Power

Wind power can be used to generate electricity and is considered a renewable and environmentally friendly resource. Unlike conventional fossil fuel power plants, wind farms emit virtually no greenhouse gases as part of the energy conversion process, and when they are decommissioned they can be removed completely from the site, foundations and all, leaving no dangerous pollutants behind. The costs of setting up wind farms can be significant, but high yield sites such as offshore wind farms have such low production costs that they can earn back the expense of installation and operation within as little as 3 months.

Although wind energy is intermittent, wind power can be stored and wind turbines produce a continuous and constant supply of electricity, which is not vulnerable to the sudden unpredictable outages that can affect conventional and nuclear power plants.

One of the main drawbacks of wind farms is their size. A certain number of turbines are required to make commercial farms viable, and with the largest turbines standing up to 125m with a blade span of 45m, this can make quite an impact on the surrounding landscape. Many people oppose land wind farms because they are considered to spoil the landscape, and although modern designs are quieter, there is still a certain amount of noise pollution generated when the farms are running at high capacity.

Although wind farms create virtually no pollutants as part of the energy conversion process, there is a significant ecological impact in the construction of the farms. Turbines must be secured with very strong foundations, which require tons of steel and concrete to be fixed into the ground. The installation of turbines requires the clearing of large areas of woodland and green spaces, and as well as the turbine structure itself, transformers and power lines must be constructed throughout the area to carry the power back to the grid. The impact on wildlife is also an issue, and statistics show that turbines can kill a significant number of birds and bats, especially if they are placed near migratory paths.

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