Wind Energy Technician Essay

For many, the mention of wind energy conjures images of giant white turbines, their blades slowly rotating, stretching off into the distance with no end in sight. This is how it has been portrayed in pictures, but this is not how wind energy truly looks. Photographs in books and magazines imply that wind energy would require these never ending fields. On the contrary, smaller fields where a limited amount of turbines create all the power needed and more for a city that is nearby, or smaller individual turbines creating enough energy for a home or neighborhood without being obtrusive, is how wind energy truly looks. Wind energy harnesses the power of the wind and converts it to other forms of energy, one of the main known forms being electricity.

In a growing world, electricity production is becoming a problem due to coal fired electrical plants releasing millions of gallons of greenhouse gases, ecological problems with pollution in water, and health risks concerning workers and people living nearby. But with new technology and advances in renewable energy sources, wind energy is becoming one of the most popular energy sources for many states.

The career I chose to undertake as my profession is that of a mechanical engineer. Why do I want to become a mechanical engineer? Well, for starters, I would be able to design, build and possibly repair many various machines and other technologies that are complex. These technologies can range from being already in use on a global scale to new, futuristic designs that are highly technical. Also, this career includes being a sort of jack-of-all-trades, where I would possess knowledge in mathematics, physics, etc. Finally, this career offers me the chance to expand outside my immediate area since mechanical engineers are well desired around the globe as well.

When companies wanted the turbines to be built, it opens up about 100-150 jobs for people. These include the roads leading to the turbines, turbine foundations, construction of the turbines and then hooking to the electrical collection systems. After this whole process is completed, 8-9 full time employees oversee day-to-day operations and maintenance for the turbines. Kansas is ranked 5th for the number of wind related jobs. Because of the energy the wind turbines create, it saved the capital investment over $5 billion. The farmers make money off these turbines because the companies pay them for placing the towers on their land. Farmers in all are making around $8,000,000 off land lease payments a year. Not only are wind turbines making big bucks and big energy, but they are safe for the environment! Generating wind power creates no emissions and uses virtually no water! About 2 billion gallons of water per year are being saved from the wind farms and turbines in Kansas. The wind power installed in Kansas will avoid over 5.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, which is the equivalent of taking over 990,000 cars off the road. Another positive of the wind turbines effecting the environment is how much it reduces nonrenewable energy. Wind energy does not get rid of natural resources and renews every day as the earth cools and heats. The turbines only

Economically, wind power is cost effective. Costing between ten and eleven cents per kilowatt-hour, it is one of the lowest-priced

In contrast, some believe that renewable energy is a key factor involved in helping the economy to grow. Many jobs are created in the manufacturing and running of renewable energy plants. The renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies created 8.5 million new jobs and $970 billion in revenue in the year 2006 (Langwith, “Renewable Energy is Economically”). The American Solar Energy Society says by 2030 it could generate up to $4.5 trillion in revenue for the U.S and create 40 million new jobs. This would represent one in every four jobs (Langwith, “Renewable Energy is Economically”). This shows how vital it is to get renewable energy companies in the U.S. It is important to build a stable economy again and do it all while helping the environment.

Which segment should Wind Technology pursue? _____________________________ What percent of this segment do they need to capture? _____________

“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

Offshore wind power has become a need of the hour in renewable energy production due to the rising prices of oil and continually increasing demand for a separate energy sector. Offshore wind has the prospective to deliver at least four times the current U.S. demand of energy, as per mentioned by the Global Wind Energy Council. However, there are many challenges and advantages that are significant for us to comprehend.

Since 400-500A.D, people used windmill energy in farms for grain grinding and water pumping. In 1888, the first wind turbine that generated electricity was discovered by Charles F.Brush in Ohio, USA. However, there are limitations on speed.

The topic of this literature review is wind power and hydropower. The purpose is discovering how wind power and hydropower influences the world and our lives.“Environmental science is the study of the interaction of the living and nonliving components of the environment with special emphasis on the impact of humans on these components. (Hartwick, What is Environmental Science?)

Wind Energy is a viable industry that has become a valuable energy source. The energy generated from wind is clean and efficient. The wind energy industry helps to ensure that electric demands are met, wildlife impact is minimal, the environment is not devastated, as well as creates new jobs during the construction of wind farms, daily operations, manufacturing components, and exporting components to foreign countries.

Journal: Walter F. 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

Founded in 1981, Wind Technologies (WT) has been a supplier of many different varieties of weather related radar and instrumentation. In 1986 the company focused its production on wind profiling radar systems that measure wind and atmospheric conditions. Management of Wind Technologies felt as though this consolidation would position the company as an industry leader in the future in a market that would have little competition. This consolidation was mainly due to being purchased by Vaitra, a high technology European firm. Vaitra made it possible for Wind Technologies to focus its operations mainly due to its large financial support. Since commercial sales were less than stellar since the buyout Vaitra’s financial support