Windmills are vital instruments as they are used to convert the kinetic energy offered by the wind into mechanical energy, which can be used to pump water, grind grain, or turned into electrical power using a generator. Windmills today are in the form of wind turbines for electricity generation and are mostly constructed in groups or in a wind farm to increase their strength and to make them more efficient to produce enormous quantities of electricity. Electricity generation using windmills is now a vital source of renewable energy across the world. Energy from wind is renewable, free, and inexhaustible over time and offers clean electricity without pollution. Compared to traditional power plants, windmills do not emit greenhouse gases or air pollutants. Countries across the globe today are engaging in extensive studies regarding the production of energy using windmills. The power that wind provides is beneficial compared to conventional fuels as the wind moves without emitting hazardous waste or harmful materials. The strength of the wind at any given time determines the amount of electricity that a windmill can generate. The construction of windmills in a particular location is based on an extensive examination of wind patterns, direction, and strength at different daily and yearly periods to ensure predictable patterns.
The present paper explores the importance of windmills by analyzing their applications, advantages and the existing challenges that must be overcome. The article also explores the current status and the future of windmills in Puerto Rico.
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The Role of Windmills
Wind turbines can transform the wind kinetic energy into thermal, mechanical, and electrical power (Nelson, 2013). There are two applications of windmills, wind-assist systems and separate systems. In wind-assist systems, the windmill operates together with another energy source to offer on-demand power without the need for storage. Examples include wind-diesel systems. Separate systems provide power using the available wind, and a storage system must be present (Nelson, 2013). There are also hybrid systems that include wind-assist systems and diesel-generated systems that can offer power to isolated locations, ranches, farms, and businesses. These systems consist of wind, photovoltaic, hydro or diesel, battery storage, and inverters (Nelson, 2013). Hybrid systems can be placed in remote places like telecommunication systems and military facilities.
It is uncommon for windmills to be used to offer thermal energy, even though tests have already been carried on how this can be achieved (Nelson, 2013). Windmills today are mostly used to provide mechanical and electrical energy (Nelson, 2013). Regarding mechanical energy, windmills can be used to pump water, particularly for irrigation purposes. Efficient windmill systems for pumping water entail connecting the wind turbine to another source of power (internal combustion engine or electrical motor) mechanically to act as a wind-assist system. Windmills today are regularly created for generating electrical power. Wind-assist systems entail connecting wind turbines directly to the utility line using synchronous generators and induction generators or indirectly using DC generators and variable-frequency alternators through inverters (Nelson, 2013). The storage system for wind-assist systems is the utility line, and the power station’s generating capacity. Battery storage is mostly used for individual systems.
Advantages
Stand-alone systems are vital for the production of renewable energy using the power of the wind. Wind energy is beneficial because it is a cost-effective energy source. The energy with the lowest cost today is the utility-scale wind based on land (Lloyd, 2014). Besides, wind power from wind farms have a fixed price over extended periods (over two decades) and do not need fuel, which lessens the uncertainty in prices that conventional energy sources experience due to fuel costs (Ali, 2016). Wind energy is also a clean source of power as it does not pollute the environment compared to energy sources based on fossil fuel combustions that emit harmful emissions to the air that create various health issues and damage the economy. Wind turbines also do not emit hazardous material or greenhouse gases into the air. Wind power also is an inexhaustible and abundant source of energy that offers long term energy (Lloyd, 2014).
Wind power is sustainable because wind emerges due to the heat produced by the sun in the atmosphere, the Earth’s rotation, and surface irregularities of the earth. The wind blows as long as the sun is available, which means that wind power can be harnessed for an unlimited period (Lloyd, 2014). Besides, the establishment of wind farms improves the economy of the area in which wind turbines are located. Land users can still use the land since turbines only use a small space. Power plants also pay rent to landowners, which offer extra income (Lloyd, 2014). Wind power can also create a renewable energy economy that can, in turn, provide the foundation of novel and highly skilled green jobs.
Challenges
While wind power is less costly, the initial investment requires substantial financial resources than conventional power sources. It is expensive to construct wind turbines and the associated wind facilities (Lloyd, 2014). Nearly 80 per cent of the expenses are for machinery while the remaining balance is for installation and site preparation (Ali, 2016). While offshore wind power plants produce more energy than onshore plants, they require significant initial financial resources (Lloyd, 2014). The main expenses for the wind turbine are related to their construction and maintenance. The cost of wind power, however, is competitive with other power technologies based on a life-cycle assessment due to the absence of fuel costs and reduced operating costs (Ali, 2016).
Another challenge associated with wind power is the concern over noise pollution due to the rotor blades, visual or aesthetic effect, and bird and bat mortalities due to the rotors. Some rotor blades generate unpleasant noise while in other cases the wind turbines affect the nature scenery by possible distracting the view of the surroundings due to their large sizes. Wind turbines are also dangerous to birds and bats due to the possibility of these organisms flying into the rotors (Ali, 2016). Off-shore wind plants also increase the potential for collisions between wind turbines and boats at night (Lloyd, 2014). Technological advancement or proper wind plant locations, however, has resolved most of these issues.
Another main challenge related to wind turbines is the issue of transport and supply. Wind farms are mostly located in remote locations away from urban places where electricity is in high demand. The remoteness of location increases travel and maintenance costs and consumes times (Ali, 2016). Offshore windmills need boats, and it is challenging to manage them (Lloyd, 2014). Another issue is that wind is intermittent and is not available always even when electricity demand is high. While it is possible to store wind power using batteries, it is impossible to store wind. Besides, it is challenging to harness all winds to meet electricity demands at specific periods. The development of wind resource may also compete with other land uses that may be valuable than power generation (Ali, 2016). Wind turbines can, however, be located on farming or grazing land.
The Future of Windmill in Puerto Rico
The price of electricity in Puerto Rico is nearly twice as costly as that on the mainland United States because of the dependence of the island on power from fossil fuels. For example, 55 percent of the island’s electricity came from fossil fuel in 2013 with only 1 percent coming from renewable sources (AEE, n.d.).
Puerto Rico experiences high energy expenses due to its small size and remoteness that increases the attractiveness of renewable energy sources. The island initiated plans for the adoption of renewable energy in 2010. During that year, the island approved a Renewable Portfolio Standard that required renewable energy sources to supply 20 percent of its electricity sales by 2035 (AEE, n.d.). In anticipation of these plans, authorities agreed with several renewable energy companies to develop renewable energy sources. For example, pattern energy signed an agreement to develop a large wind power plant in the island that could provide 7 percent of the 12.5 percent green energy required to address the island’s 2015 interim target. The Finca de Viento Santa Isabel wind farm was the first utility-scale wind power facility. The project improved the economy of the island through land lease payments and job creation during construction (Franco, 2012). The project could produce 95 MW of wind power that could power 30,000 households at its initiation in 2012. Currently, the facility has 44 wind turbines with the capacity to produce 2.3 MW each (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, 2014). Another energy company Blattner Energy established its office in the Island in 2014 to help the island transform from fossil fuels to wind energy.
The island’s potential for wind power is 840 MW with an installed capacity of 120 MW. 10 wind power projects with a total of 382.9 MW had been planned for construction in 2013. The average wind speeds are under 5.9m/s with some area experiencing additional wind speeds. Most wind projects realize rates ranging from 6.0 m/s to 6.5 m/s, which are viable for commercial projects. Offshore areas have high wind speeds ranging from 6.8 m/s to 7.5 m/s (Energy Transition Initiative, 2015). The ability of improved wind turbine innovation to utilize the kinetic energy of high and steady winds can increase the attractiveness of wind power projects in the island compared to the previous period.
Another company, Bacardi installed wind turbines in Catano in 2010. The project generates nearly 1,000,000 kWh of power annually, which represents 3 to 7 percent of the entire energy on the island. The electricity produced can power 100 households per year, even though all the generated power is used onsite. Gestamp Wind also initiated a new wind power facility in Naguabo in 2013. The facility has 13 turbines with a capacity of 1.8 Mw each, which produces 23.4 MW of nominal installed electricity (AEE, n.d.).
Heber Soto also established a hybrid wind power facility in the island following the devastation caused by the 2017 Hurricane Maria. Heber installed a 1600 Watt wind turbine with 11 blades that can function even with low wind speeds that most locations of the island receive. Heber also introduced an array of solar panel, which allows the facility to produce six amps during low wind speed periods. The system included batteries for storing the generated power (Missouri Wind and Solar, 2018). The installation depicts the potential for hybrid wind systems in the island given the low wind speeds that the island receives throughout the year. The numerous blades also demonstrate the needed innovation to increase power generation from low wind speeds.
Considering the energy situation of Puerto Rico and the existing wind projects, the island is ripe for further wind projects to offer extra needed energy. Both existing wind power facilities are sufficient and offer electricity for the island. The effectiveness of the facilities demonstrates the enormous potential of wind speeds on the island. For example, the average yearly wind speeds for the Pattern and Bacardi projects ranges from nearly 6 m/s to 6.5 m/s. The Pattern wind project in Sand Isabel experiences 6.5 m/s wind speeds while the Bacardi project experiences 6 m/s wind speeds (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, 2014). In turn, this shows that most areas within the island have sufficient wind speeds that are ideal for commercial wind power projects, particularly as wind turbine technology continues to improve to increase the efficiency of the turbines. Hybrid wind power systems and improved blade technology such as the usage of numerous blades can increase the efficiency of wind power projects in Puerto Rico. The island also has an undeveloped potential for offshore windmills, which should be developed because of the benefits of offshore wind turbines. These benefits include more power generated compared to onshore turbines, and stronger and steady winds compared to onshore locations. Even though offshore wind turbines are costly to construct and maintain, their advantages are substantial and will outweigh the construction costs once established (Lloyd, 2014). The position of the island also places it in a unique position to gain from offshore wind mills. While Puerto Rico has excellent potential for wind energy, it must first address the issue of severe weather events and their effect on the wind power projects across the country, which is essential particularly following the impact of the Hurricane Maria on the island’s power grid (Dawson, 2018). The island should, thus, implement measures to attract investments in wind mills by guaranteeing investors long term opportunities to buy the electricity wind projects will produce.
Conclusion
Puerto Rico has excellent potential for windmills that can be used to produce electricity. The available wind speeds are sufficient to offer the required kinetic energy to rotate the blades to provide power. The existing wind power projects function correctly and produce an adequate amount of energy that powers homes and other facilities on the island. Improved wind turbine technology can enhance the efficiency of the existing wind turbines to produce sufficient energy even during low wind speed periods. The island has, however, not invested adequate resource in offshore wind mills, which are profitable and offer more power than onshore turbines. Another issue concerns the effects of adverse weather, particularly Hurricanes. The island must handle the issue of the effect these on the turbines to reduce costs and losses by learning from the impact of Hurricane Maria on wind turbines and implement the necessary changes to increase the resilience of the systems, mainly as Hurricanes affect the island periodically. Wind power, being a renewable energy source, increases the cost competitiveness of energy compared to the costly fossil fuel energy sources. Future improvements in wind turbine technology will further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of wind power projects across the island and help Puerto Rico decrease its dependence on costly fossil fuel based power generation that pollutes the environment.
References
AEE. (n.d.). Wind Energy and Electric Vehicle Review. Retrieved April 25, 2019, from https://www.evwind.es/tags/puerto-rico
Ali, M. H. (2016). Wind Energy Systems: Solutions for Power Quality and Stabilization . Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Dawson, A. (2018, April 07). Let Sun & Wind Power Puerto Rico's Future . Retrieved April 25, 2019, from https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/sun-wind-power-puerto-rico-future- article-1.3554322
Energy Transition Initiative. (2015, March). Energy Snapshot: Puerto Rico [PDF]. Energy Transition Initiative. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy15osti/62708.pdf
Franco, M. D. (2012). Pattern Primes Puerto Rico for Utility-Scale Wind. Retrieved April 25, 2019, from https://nawindpower.com/online/issues/NAW1402/FEAT_04_Pattern- Primes-Puerto-Rico-For-Utility-Scale-Wind.html
Lloyd, D. (2014, December 11). Wind Energy: Advantages and Disadvantages. Retrieved April 25, 2019, from http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2014/ph240/lloyd2/
Nelson, V. (2013). Wind Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment, Second Edition . CRC Press.
Missouri Wind and Solar. (2018, November 27). Heber Soto's Wind Turbine in Puerto Rico. Retrieved April 25, 2019, from https://mwands.com/wind-turbine-in-puerto-rico/
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. (2014, October). Low Wind Speed Case Study: Puerto Rico Wind Farm Projects [PDF]. http://www.cleanenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/Puerto- Rico-Elevated-Opportunities-Wind-Technology-for-the-South.pdf
