Author: Kathy Browne
Article: Renewable wind energy is not exactly a new technology. In fact it’s hundreds of years old. Windmills in Europe and Asia were used centuries ago to grind grain and pump water. Granted the reason it was so popular was because it was so efficient compared to the alternatives available at the time. In other words it was cheaper to use than animals or manual work.
Time passes and new technologies put wind power on the back burner for precisely the same reason that they were popular. Steam engines and internal combustion engines could do the tasks cheaper and more efficiently.
But now time takes another turn with the availability of fuel for those engines, namely fossil fuels, rapidly diminishing. On top of that fossil fuels have created an environmental nightmare with there greenhouse gases and global warming.
Renewable wind energy is once again becoming a viable alternative power source. Wind energy is actually generated by solar energy. The sun heats the atmosphere causing temperature variations that causes the air to shift with hot air rising and cold air rushing in to take its place. This is what causes wind.
Wind energy is in a never ending supply. So long as the sun is in the sky we will have wind. If we can develop the right technologies, we can harness this wind to provide a large part of our total electricity needs which would be a measure step forward in ending our reliance on fossil fuel. So what are the advantages of renewable wind energy? Here’s a short list of why this technology deserves our interest and support: ·
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Wind is truly an unlimited source of energy. In fact it is estimated that if we could harness 1% of the world’s wind power capacity we could satisfy the entire world’s need for electrical power. · Once the cost of developing and implementing the technology is met, the only ongoing expense is maintenance and that’s absolutely negligible compared to maintaining conventional power generating stations. ·
Obviously, if wind power can be used on a large scale we will greatly diminish our use of pollution causing fossil fuels. Expanding the concept of wind farms will create a new industry and new, badly needed jobs. In the United States, renewable wind energy is actually something of a boom business at the moment.
Thanks to Federal production tax credits and loan guarantees, wind farms have spouted up all over the country. North Dakota and California lead the way with the most wind turbines because of their consistent winds. Obviously this is a technology not suited for all locations because there has to be a consistent persistent wind to power the turbines.
However, electricity generated by these turbines can be transmitted over the grid to areas that do not have wind power sources. There is one area in particular that would be perfect for a wind farm. The wind always blows and it typically blows harder and stronger than most places. That area is the world’s oceans and there is a strong interest in trying to devise a technology that would make harnessing that energy practical.
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Closer to home, some states are now offering assistance or tax credits to homeowners and businesses that create there own wind energy electrical system. It’s not as crazy as it may first sound. Remember when the Midwest and West were dotted with thousands of windmills. Those were used mostly to pump water up from the well.
With today’s modern designs those windmills can generate electricity and greatly reduce the household electrical bill. If you live in California, Massachusetts, Ohio, Wisconsin or Pennsylvania, check out what incentives the state offers to help you install a system You’ll be lowering your electric bill and doing your part saving the Earth at the same time.
About the author: For general information about wind energy, check out <a href=”http://www.DIY-home-energy-reviews.com”>Alternative Energy Sources</a>. Further details about building wind turbines: <a href=”http://www.diy-home-energy-reviews.com/wind-energy/alternat ive-wind-energy/”>.