Wind EnergyAlexis Nelsen, Kaitlin Schell, Hailey Bridges,
Alex Jacobsen, and Charmaine LumPeriod 5
How is Wind Energy Produced?
❖ Wind is produced by the uneven heating of earth by the sun❖ Wind turbines use wind to make electricity
➢ blades on the turbine are spun by the wind➢ Gears in the turbine are connected to the
blades and spin a shaft➢ The shaft is connected to a generator which
makes electricity❖ The turbines work the opposite of a fan. Fansuse electricity to create wind and turbines use wind to create electricity.
Energy from turbines in the U.S.
Waste Products❖ The manufacturing of wind turbines relies on the use of “rare minerals”: neodymium and dysprosium
➢ Damages the environment from mining and creates fumes that are harmful to people’s health
❖ Transporting, installing, maintaining, removing, and disposing wind generation equipment generates
Carbon Dioxide and other various chemicals by the burning of fossil fuels (B.F.F)
❖ Wind turbines are made from concrete, steel, and advanced plastics (Carbon fiber, fiberglass, etc.)
➢ Broken turbines will release toxic byproducts when incinerated
➢ Unwanted motor blade material waste will fill up landfills
❖ Pollution is still present at fossil fuel back-up plants that are ran to
subsidize the variables of wind energy
❖ However, when generating electricity, no pollution is emitted
Location & Usage❖ Texas is the top wind power state in the U.S
➢ Accounts for more than 30% wind energy production
➢ Other states that produce large amounts of wind energy include
California, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Illinois.
➢ Wind turbine efficiency is greatest in the U.S, and also very high in
India, Germany, and France.
❖ Wind farms are often located in agricultural areas, where the land between
the turbines can still be used for farming
How is it Stored? ❖ During times of high wind, wind energy is usually stored using one of two
common methods❖ One way of storing wind energy is to store the energy in a battery
➢ Just like storing electricity in a battery from any other medium, the energy is deposited to be used whenever it is needed
➢ However, over time batteries lose their efficiency ❖ Another method is Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES)
➢ Turbines compress air into containers and it can be stored underground
Advantages ❖ Clean Fuel Source
➢ No air/water pollution because it does not rely on the combustion of fossil fuels➢ Also reduces fossil fuel consumption
❖ Sustainable Energy Source➢ Form of solar energy: renewable
❖ Cost Effective ➢ One of the cheapest renewable energy sources; “four to six cents per kilowatt-hour”➢ Installation price is steadily declining➢ Homegrown energy source; don’t have to rely on foreign fossil fuels
❖ Land is Used Effectively ➢ Wind turbines can be built on farms/ranches ➢ only use a fraction of the land and provide landowners with additional income➢ Jobs created for locals (installation and maintenance of turbines)
Disadvantages ❖ Initial Investment is High❖ Location Isn’t Ideal
➢ The best sites are normally remote (usually coastal areas); far from cities that need the electricity ■ Transmission lines must be built
➢ Countries with no coastal areas or hills cannot make use of turbines
❖ Noise and Aesthetic Issues➢ Relatively noisy and disrupts the natural beauty
of the land
❖ Wind is Unpredictable
❖ Wildlife Impact➢ Some birds have been killed
by flying into the rotors
Interesting Facts➢ One turbine can produce electricity for 500 homes, and generates different outputs
depending on wind speed. ➢ Usually generates 30% of its theoretical maximum output (its “capacity factor”).➢ Provides 4% of U.S. electricity.➢ Denmark uses the highest percent: 40% for
electricity.
➢ Used by 38 U.S. states and 83 countries.
➢ Measured in kilowatt hours per year. ➢ There is enough on-shore wind in America
to power the country ten times over.
Works Cited❖ "Advantages and Challenges of Wind Energy." Advantages and Challenges of Wind Energy. US
Department of Energy, 1 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-wind-energy>.
❖ "Advantages Of Wind Energy." ConserveEnergyFuture. Conserve-Energy-Future, 19 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Advantages_WindEnergy.php>.
❖ “Can You Make a Wind Turbine Without Fossil Fuels?” (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://theenergycollective.com/robertwilson190/344771/can-you-make-wind-turbine-without-fossil-fuels
❖ “How Efficient Are Wind Turbines?” (n.d.) Global Wind Day. Retrieved March 20, 2015 from http://www.globalwindday.org/faqs/how-efficient-are-wind-turbines/