Wind Power

There are various sources of power and there are very few that are renewable but then the use of energy has increased manifold and consequently the demand. Therefore we need some such sources of energy that are renewable so that we can cope with the imminent energy crisis that is coming. Wind energy, solar energy and Hydropower are examples of renewable energy, which can be recycled and reused again and again. These power sources do not create pollution neither is there a scope of these energy sources of being exhausted. We would discuss Wind power as a renewable source of energy, its advantages and disadvantages.

Wind Power

Sun’s rays heat the atmosphere of the earth in different degrees. There are parts of the earth that get more heat, consequently the air in those parts also gets warm and rises whereas in the other places which do not get enough heat, the air remains cold and remains close to the surface. But that one section of air, which is heated and rises, creates a void and the cold air blows to fill in the vacuum. This creates the movement of air and that is what we called wind. Now when this wind is used to get power it is called wind power. Wind power was used in the earlier times as well with the means of windmills though to get mechanical job done and not to produce electrical energy.

Method of Wind power Production

The energy of wind is converted to wind power with the help of turbines, which rotate as the wind blows and the rotation of the turbine produce power, which is distributed through the grid that is connected to the turbine. A turbine in average utilizes approximately 59% of the wind that passes through it but the placement of turbine is very important. It has to be kept in mind that there should be scope for transmission lines and the environmental factors since these would have a direct impact on the whole project of power generation. These are the important pointers apart from wind availability and cost of land, which are to be considered.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Power

As stated earlier Wind power generation does not involve pollution and this power source is also renewable, but apart from these there are some more advantages of Wind Power, which are as follows:

• Wind is easily available in all parts of the world and can become a cheap source of power for developing countries that face the crisis of power on large scale.
• It is nature’s endowment therefore is available free of cost.
• Wind Turbines do not consume additional power for power generation.
• The turbines do not take much space and therefore are very convenient to install. They are also available in various models and potentials. As their potentials differ they are useful for all kinds of industries.
• The disadvantages of Wind Power are few in comparison to the advantages. The one disadvantage that makes it a less used and reliable source of energy is its varying strength. It is not same all the time and therefore the amount of power generated can vary.
• The turbines at times produce a lot of noise and there have been objections to the fact that the wind farms are being established in the countryside which is spoiling the scenic beauty.

There are advantages as well as disadvantages but it is better to improve the technology and get away with all the disadvantages because that would be a wise move towards a cleaner atmosphere.