Advantages And Disadvantages Of Wind Energy In South Africa

Wind energy is clean and renewable. The wind is never going to stop blowing; therefore, there will always be enough to keep the turbines going. While some areas may have more wind than others, there is always wind. Wind turbines do not produce any pollution or waste, making them one of the cleanest energy sources on the planet. However, environmentalists are concerned that with the increase of wind turbines, bird populations with decrease because they are getting hit by the wind turbines and dying. Because of the huge poles in the ground, turbines can cause erosion and disrupt wildlife habitats. Wind turbines are also huge; at 30 meters (100 feet) above the ground, with large spinning blades, they can be a bit of an eyesore. They are also loud and have a deep buffeting sound. But the idea is that the large wind farms will be located in the middle of nowhere so they don’t cause an issue in suburban areas. Small wind turbines may be located in backyards to feed houses directly, but these would be so small that they wouldn’t bother any

If wind turbines are supposed to be good for the environment, what is to be said about their lethal effects on birds? How about the noise produced from the large turbines, whom many consider to be horrible eyesores that tarnish the countryside? Investing in these large, hideous structures is initially expensive, and while it may be true that there is an unlimited supply of wind, how is the resulting energy to be distributed? Undoubtedly, just as the advantages of wind power need to be taken into account, the disadvantages also need to be

As the global supply of fossil fuels becomes steadily lower, need is growing for new energy sources that are beneficial to the environment and cost-effective. Wind power is one solution to this need. Wind turbines require significant investment, but are cost-efficient in the long term. If construction of turbines is sufficiently increased, the wind may be able to in the future provide a very major portion of global energy.

One of the fastest growing energy sources in the world, wind power is a globally advantageous renewable resource.

The wind occurs naturally in nature and it can be harmful or helpful. We use it as another source of clean energy, and like solar energy it will never run out. Windmill farms have been produced to help harness the ability of producing electricity through the use of turbines. The cost is low and no gases are released into the atmosphere to destroy the earth’s protective barrier known as the ozone.

Have you ever driven down highway 30 in west central Iowa at night, looked out the window and seen hundreds of red flashing lights? How about driving through north Lincoln and seeing two enormous white turbines spinning in the wind? If you did not know previously, the red flashing lights at night and white turbines are windmills used for generating power. These windmills can produce 2.5 to 3 megawatts of electricity daily. Wind power can be easily used to generate electric for both personal and public use. Looking at the benefits of wind power over fossil fuels, uses of wind power for personal and public use, and the effects of global warming on wind power, you can decide if using wind energy is a good option or not.

The cause for this great rate of growth in wind power is contributed to tax incentives and state laws mandating renewable energy research. The nation 's total Wind power production is relatively low but some states like Iowa are investing in it heavily. Wind power produces 4.7 percent of the United States electrical energy and makes up over thirty percent of Iowa 's energy (American Wind Energy Association). Wind energy is gaining a lot of traction in northern states but almost does not exist in the southern states. When it comes to reliability wind energy is inferior to Hydropower. In order for a wind turbine to work wind speeds need to be around 8-55 mph and they are only efficient at wind speeds above 30 mph, anything below that minimal (National Wind Watch). This makes wind turbines less reliable because the wind can vary wildly throughout a day. Wind power also comes with some environmental impacts too. Wind Turbines kill tens of thousands of birds a year do to Turbines essentially being giant metal fans (Hosansky). Bats are especially affected because they rely on echolocation to see and giant moving blades confuse them into running into the blades.

People all around the world believe that wind power would be more efficient than burning fossil fuels, however; it causes more problems than what most people know. As H. Sterling Burnett begins in his article Wind Power Puffery, he states, "But is tis assertion correct? No, the truth is wind power's environmental benefits are usually overstated, while its significant environmental harms are often ignored" (Burnett 247). Having wind power may have little benefits, however; people fail to realize that they are not as great as the seem. Often throughout the article Burnett would talk about the wind turbines and how they were a problem for not only migrating birds and bats but the amount of land they consume as well. At night the bats fail to see

On the other hand, both renewable energies compete for land uses. The wind turbines produce noise and kill birds and bats. Some problems exist with alternative energy, that’s why it is urgent to research and develop this technology today.

Today, we have what is known as wind turbines. These large structures are used as a renewable and free energy source. The way a wind turbine works is very simple. As the wind blows, it moves the blades, which then turns a generator and makes electricity. These wind turbines are only a small source of energy because they work about 65 to 90 percent of the time. When many wind turbines are placed together in one area, it is known as a wind farm. The majority of wind farms are found in Texas and California. Wind farms are hoped to be spread all across the country to become a more prominent source of energy that is not only renewable, but also free.

Wind energy has been used as early as 5000 B.C. to propel boats along the Nile River. By the year 200 B.C. China had designed a simple windmill to pump water. (CITE)

“A wind turbine is a machine for converting the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy”. (1) The inventor of the first electric wind turbine was Clevelander Charles Brush, who ran his entire Euclid Avenue mansion off of one for 20 years, which later made the cover of Scientific American in 1888. (2) Although the use of alternate energy didn't rise a great deal afterward, this event did open the eyes for many environmentalists. Wind power is only one of our several “energy source[s] whose ‘fuel’ is free and will never be exhausted” (3) with the pros and cons not completely weighed out as to whether it will be truly beneficial or not. The two main issues regarding wind turbines are the environmental effects that they have and the

We are facing an energy crisis on Earth. Burning fossil fuels are harming the atmosphere; this global warming and affects produces chemicals that hurt our body. People are starting to think about using alternative energy. Wind power would be our first choice, because it’s clean, inexhaustible and renewable. Today, wind power is mainly used in Europe. We believed wind power would be the main source of alternative energy for world use.

Deal, 2010, ‘Wind Power: An Emerging Energy Resource’, Technology and Engineering Teacher, pp. 9-15, viewed on September 12, 2011, retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/853062621/fulltextPDF/13255EC175479D10C7A/1?accountid=42518

Wind energy is essentially the conversion of the kinetic energy from air molecules in motion to mechanical energy which is generally then converted into electrical energy. People have used wind power since 700 AD in