Wind energy is a form of power used to produce electricity. The wind is caused by solar energy due to uneven heating of the earth’s atmosphere and surface in addition to the rotation of the planet. In electricity production using wind energy, windmills are employed as the conversion devices for moving air into usable electric power. Over the years, the wind has shown tremendous potential in becoming one of the significant sources of electricity across the globe. For instance, wind farms have been set up in various regions for the production of electric current using windmills. Also, wind energy is a renewable resource and hence cannot be depleted ( Florentina, 2011). However, there are limitations that slow down the progression of wind energy becoming a significant energy resource including the high initial cost of production. The following discussion gives a background of wind energy, how electric power is produced from wind, its merits, and demerits regarding its use, and the expected future implications. As early as 1700 BC, wind conversion machines were in use mainly to lift irrigation water (Gipe, 2018). For instance, Persia and Afghanistan were among the ancient societies that used windmills predominantly for grinding corn (Gipe, 2018). These old windmills had their turbines oriented in one direction. This means that they could only interact with wind from one direction for the blades to rotate. Also, the Chinese used windmills around 1000 AD. As opposed to the Persian wind turbines, Chinese mills could flap in two directions during a rotation (Gipe, 2018). They could operate independently of the wind direction.
Other regions or countries that used wind energy via windmills are Europe and Holland. Holland needed to increase its agricultural productivity; hence it had to improve the efficiency of existing machines. This was around 1400 AD whereby Holland needed an improved device for lifting water for agricultural purposes (Gipe, 2018). This marked the beginning of post-windmills. After that, the Mediterranean windmill was developed. It consisted of a cylindrical building, a thatch-roofed cap and a multi-bladed rotor (Florentina, 2011). In the fifteenth century, the Dutch made smoke mills. Around the mid-eighteenth century, the American farm mill was developed, which was later followed by modern windmills.
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Windmills with inbuilt turbines are used in the conversion of moving air into electric current. Depending on the speed of the wind, different voltage outputs can be achieved. Wind turbines are usually set strategically in outdoor environments in avoid disruptions and ensure maximum collection of moving air currents. Wind turbines work by changing air’s kinetic energy to the mechanical energy at the rotor which consequently converts it to usable electrical form. The rotor blades aid energy conversions. Turbine blades are made to withstand harsh environmental conditions. Therefore, it is vital to select the material wisely. Glass fiber and reinforced plastic are mainly used ( Nelson & Starcher, 2018 ).
The setting of the blades and the speed of wind and rotor are essential in determining the amount of power produced. For instance, when the rotor is rotating at a slower rate than that of the approaching wind, part of the wind stream passes the blades freely, leading to low energy conversion. Also, if the wind is slowly approaching a fast-rotating rotor, part of the wind stream is deflected over the blades to result in less energy conversion (Nelson & Starcher, 2018). Therefore, apart from the wind speed and direction, the mechanics of a windmill are essential for efficiency in energy conversion.
The wind turbines used today are either horizontal-axis or vertical-axis wind turbines. The horizontal-axis wind turbines commonly have three blades and are operated with the turbine pivoting at the top of the stand and the blades facing the wind. On the other hand, vertical-axis wind turbines can operate in any direction. They do not require any adjustment to point into the wind to operate (Nelson & Starcher, 2018). Modern wind turbines can work in open spaces on land or offshore whereby strong wind currents can be experienced from the ocean.
Advantages of Wind Energy
Wind energy is a renewable natural resource and therefore can offer service without depletion. Also, wind energy is eco-friendly as it produces no pollution, making it a reliable and sustainable energy resource. Once set up, modern windmills require no special attention in their operation. They run freely under the influence of moving air stream. Wind energy is an energy resource growing quite vastly. In the world today, outdoor spaces keep on decreasing due to malpractices such as deforestation. Although deforestation is discouraged, it results in open air spaces which are ideal for setting up of wind farms. In addition, wind energy offers stability and safety to the general user by decreasing the dependence of the masses on fossil energy (Florentina, 2011).
Disadvantages of Wind Energy
The initial cost of setting up a wind farm is high, which acts as a limitation to the growth of wind energy production. Moreover, wind energy is more expensive than fossil-fuel energy. Wind is a dispersed natural resource hence cannot be concentrated at a particular point for maximized output. It blows at a certain speed at will. Also, it is difficult to correctly select a region for setting up a wind farm since wind does not blow evenly or continuously at a given place (Florentina, 2011). On some occasions, wind farms have been believed to cause visual problems to birds and even people nearby, which is a result of the deflection of wind currents. Furthermore, wind energy production can interfere with weather patterns at a given area, as the air currents which were to influence weather somewhere else are stopped in a wind farm. Wind energy cannot be relied upon entirely since it requires an alternative for storage when it is calm.
Future Implications of Wind Energy
Continued use and improvements in the production of wind energy will lead to several implications. First, more than one method will be used to supplement the stand-alone wind turbines used today. Since wind is natural and cannot be controlled, there is a need to couple it with other types of energy such as hydropower to ensure sustainable production. Due to the rapidly-changing global climate, wind patterns are prone to change shortly (Florentina, 2011). This could affect wind farms’ efficiencies which are strategically placed.
However, energy technology around the world is growing at a fast rate. This presents an excellent opportunity for tackling the limitations associated with wind energy production. Also, the other energy production resources available today give a boost to the improvement of wind energy production. Therefore, there is a combination of both benefits and limitations regarding the future of wind energy reliability. It is of utmost importance to give our best in growing wind energy production such as taking care of our environment.
Conclusion
With the present-day worldwide ecological threats, human being have a duty to protect the environment and take the required steps in living an environmentally friendly life. With regard to the usefulness of wind energy, it should be encouraged and supported. In addition, it plays a significant role in the conservation of the environment as it is friendly. Its affordability also makes it easy to maintain. Therefore, wind energy use ought to be enhanced.
References
Florentina, C. (2011). "Social and economic impacts of wind power in correlation with the financial crises”. Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics , 1(2), 62-68
Gipe, P. (2018). Wind energy for the rest of us: A comprehensive guide to wind power and how to use it . Bakersfield
Nelson, V., & Starcher, K. (2018). Wind energy: renewable energy and the environment . Florida
