wind turbines argumentative essay

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The Arguments For and Against Wind Power

The main arguments in favour of wind power are reduction in balance of trade deficits in countries that import energy and, longer term, mitigating for energy scarcity and the reduction in supplies of affordable fossil fuels.

The main arguments against are higher primary cost plus ancillary costs of mitigating irregular intermittency that are paid by the consumer, landscape and amenity degradation and possibly grid destabilisation.

The same benefits can be delivered by nuclear power that also solves the main problems except the higher primary cost of supply. But nuclear power of course introduces its own list of liabilities.

There are a host of other factors, half truths and bogus arguments that are discussed below. Furthermore, the geo-political-physical circumstances vary greatly from one country to the next and there is not a single correct answer. The arguments for and against are in fact finely balanced but both disappear in any country that opts for nuclear power.

The energy and climate debates seem to have no end. This is symptomatic of complex, multi-facetetd issues that in fact have no unique solutions. Individuals, or vested interests, can cherry pick the arguments they like whilst ignoring those they don’t, often trying to discredit their opponents en route. In this post I attempt to cover the main arguments in favour of and against wind power. This is inevitably written from a UK perspective that may not be representative for all and whilst I am endeavouring to be objective there will no doubt be individuals who disagree strongly with the balance I try to strike. Over the years I have flipped from being pro to anti wind on a number of occasions and readers of Energy Matters will be aware that in recent months I have had both feet firmly in the anti camp. That remains the case mainly because I see nuclear power as the 21st century solution to our energy enigma. I do not view the energy debate through the clouded lens of CO2 abatement but through a lens of providing citizens with affordable, reliable and secure supplies of electricity.

Wind power is used to make electricity directly. This is one of its greatest strengths but also it greatest weakness. It is a strength because it is highly efficient to make and to use electricity directly. Using coal, over 60% of the energy in the coal is lost as waste heat. Making electricity directly circumvents this thermal loss. In fact the main energy losses with wind power comes from the energy used to make the turbines in the first place. Multiple studies have concluded that wind has an energy return on energy invested of around 20. And so the energy efficiency is around 20-1/20 = 95%. The weakness stems from the fact that industrial society has evolved to its current point around the energy stored in fossil fuels. Stores are important because this allows us to use energy on demand. Electricity is always there to boil a kettle, mow a lawn or run a computer. Just three of the things I have done today which is sunny and completely calm in Aberdeen. At present wind electricity needs to be used the instant it is made and there is no match between wind electric availability and our society’s very specific pattern of electricity demand (Figure 1). It is the uncontrollability of this energy flow that is wind’s Achiles heal.

Figure 1 The very specific pattern of electricity demand in the UK. There are three cycles. The daily cycle sees peak demand around 18:00 hrs every day and minimum demand around 06:00 hrs. The weekly cycle sees higher demand Monday to Friday with reduced demand Saturday and Sunday. The annual cycle sees higher demand in winter than in summer. In the example shown Peak winter demand at 18:00 hrs on a day in January is almost three times the minimum demand at 06:00 hrs on a warm Sunday morning in July. The power generation system needs the control mechanisms to be able to ramp up and down production with a high degree of precision to match this very specific demand pattern. The health of our whole economy and population is dependent upon this control.

The arguments in favour of wind

Balance of trade: The main argument in favour of wind power is that indigenous primary energy production, as opposed to energy imports, is favourable for any country’s balance of trade. See for example the combined impact of wind and hydro on the economy of Portugal [1].

Energy security: Another argument often made in favour of wind power is that indigenous primary energy production provides energy security. This is only partially true. Security of supply needs to be broken down into three components 1) dispatchability, 2) geopolitcal risk – supply disruption and 3) scarcity leading to high fossil fuel (FF) prices and physical shortages. Intermittent wind fails on the dispatchable front. How serious this is depends very much upon the geo-physical setting of the nation involved. Furthermore, for so long as a country is dependent upon FF imports at all to provide balancing service and cover for extended lulls then wind does not provide security against FF supply disruption either. It is on the final point of reducing dependency on dwindling supplies of FF that wind may score. In 2012, Europe produced 99 MTOE (million tonnes oil equivalent) of wind electricity [2] compared with gas demand of about 450 MTOE. Gas supplies to Europe were tight that year and wind therefore alleviated gas scarcity and arguably contributed to keeping the lights on and spot gas and electricity prices down. This benefit from wind may increase going forward.

CO2 abatement: The argument most frequently made in favour of wind is that it reduces CO2 emissions. This argument only carries weight in the event that atmospheric CO2 does in fact lead to harmful global warming and despite the thousands of pages published by the IPCC, there are in fact considerable grounds to be optimistic that the worst warnings of the IPCC are unfounded, no global warming for 16 years being the most obvious line of evidence. It may of course be argued that the 99 MTOE of wind produced in Europe in 2012 represents unburned FF. This argument only holds up for so long as it can be proven that no one else burned or will ever burn the FF displaced by wind in Europe. The unilateral action taken by Europe to reduce global CO2 emissions by deploying renewable energy like wind has singularly failed so far [3] and looks likely to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, it is a mistake to assume that 99 MTOE of wind has displaced that much FF since the gas power stations being used to balance the grid in many countries are now running at sub-optimal efficiencies. I remain unpersuaded by the argument that it is worthwhile tolerating the negative aspects of wind power detailed below in pursuit of a goal (reducing CO2 emissions) that seems unachievable and that may end up having no point.

Distributed power: Community or localised ownership of power generation is one final argument often made to support wind power. A village can erect and own a wind turbine more easily than it can a nuclear power station. Community ownership varies greatly from country to country. For example, high community ownership in Denmark and low community ownership in the UK. In the UK, wind ownership is in fact highly discriminatory. Wealthy farmers can put up a turbine and have it subsidised by poor city dwellers who are largely excluded from this opportunity. Everyone has the opportunity to buy shares in listed utilities, and so I’m not sure I buy into community ownership as a significant argument in favour of an industry that seems destined to move offshore and to be owned by major utilities.

The arguments against wind

Intermittency: The main argument against wind power is irregular intermittency. The practicality and cost of dealing with this varies from country to country. Small countries with extensive hydro like Portugal and New Zealand can assimilate wind onto a grid with much greater ease and with low to zero costs than can large countries with little hydro like the UK, Germany and The Netherlands. The measures to counteract intermittency include balancing against conventional FF, normally gas; greater grid connectivity and more storage, preferably all three. It can be done but this means escalating the size of infrastructure and costs.

Consumer paid subsidies: The higher cost of wind power, compared with current alternatives, is also viewed by many as unfair and discriminatory, poor city dwellers being asked to line the pockets of wealthy farmers and wind development companies. This comes down to the policies deployed in Europe that guarantees wind power access to the grid at a higher price that has to be borne by the consumer. While this is a very real complaint today, it is also necessary to look to a future where ongoing scarcity of gas leads to even higher prices in which case wind may begin to look like a good deal, if only it weren’t for the ancillary costs associated with intermittency.

Blot on the landscape: Landscape and environmental degradation is another very real concern for some but not all people. It is easy for evangelistic Green city dwellers to dismiss the environmental impact if they never venture into the country. But for many who live in the European countryside and who enjoy walking in the mountains, wind turbines can be a blot on the landscape and can blight individual lives [4]. Turbines killing large numbers of birds is often cited as another evil of wind power.

Killing the grid: Wind power is killing the grid host in large industrialised economies where legislation is specifically designed to push FF generators out of the market but at the same time wind is dependent upon these same generators to balance the grid [5]. A continuation of the current trend will see the FF generators go out of business leaving the government to assume ownership and consumers to pick up the bill.

Destabilising the grid: Variable wind power may also potentially destabilise a grid. A recent widespread blackout in Northern Scotland is suspected to have been caused by a sudden fluctuation in regional wind strength.

False arguments, half truths, beliefs and market manipulation

Greater connectivity solves intermittency : Proponents of wind like to argue that increasing the connectivity of the European and American grids will smooth out the intermittency problem – the wind will always be blowing somewhere. This is one of these half truths. Greater connectivity will reduce the intermittency effect a little all of the time and a lot on occasions. But it is not a reliable engineering solution. A large investment in grid infrastructure is required to provide a partial solution for some of the time. Real time data from across Europe exists that demonstrates this fact and this argument should be banished from the wind debate [6].

Demand management: The argument is often made that society will have to adapt to working when energy is available, i.e. schools, hospitals and factories may only work when it is windy. This would be a direct route to economic collapse with our current system, and so it is often argued that we need a new system. This is Green pipe dreaming. We may well end up with a new system but it would resemble more Medieval times than the 21st century. But demand management is another one of these half truths. Taking steps to reduce peak demand is a very sound strategy since it would reduce dependency upon peaking power plants. But this is a completely separate argument to managing wind intermittency.

Combining different renewables sources: Combining wind with solar, wave and tide is often put forward as a way to mitigate for intermittency. This is another half truth and partial solution that is very expensive. Europe currently has 100 GW of installed wind capacity and effectively zero wave and tide. Surely if this were to be a solution we should wait for these technologies to arrive lest they never get off the drawing board? To be useful at smoothing the supply different sources need to be negatively correlated. Tides are predictable, regular, and continually shifting, while wave is likely to be correlated with wind. Solar is also regular and predictable and may on occasions be negatively correlated with wind while on other occasions, not. Wind and hydro of course work a treat where hydro can be switched on and off creating a perfect negative correlation with wind. Control is all important.

The price of fossil fuels is set to rise further: Increasing demand and degrading resource quality may well lead to further market led increases in the price of FF and this is a valid argument detailed above in favour of wind power. But excessive environmental legislation on the production and use of FF seems designed to artificially raise their price and in so doing make wind and other renewable sources more cost competitive. Extensive and excessive government meddling in European energy markets does in fact make any rational price comparison or forecast impossible.

Wind is making electricity cheaper: How can one of the more expensive sources of electricity make electricity cheaper? It is the case that when the wind blows in Europe spot electricity prices are depressed. But the wind producers are guaranteed that the glut of power they are temporarily producing is given access to the grid at a guaranteed high price. The consequence of low spot prices means the traditional base load and load following producers make a loss. This is the destruction of the market based system that has served the OECD well for many decades.

Storage is the solution: This is entirely correct. It is just that affordable grid scale storage technologies do not currently exist and so this remains a false promise for the time being. The minute grid-scale, affordable storage becomes available the usefulness of all intermittent renewable technologies is transformed. At present the storage solution does not exist and it may never do so. And so again we are embarking upon a journey without the resources to complete it.

Conclusions

Wind advocates have a habit of proposing as many of the half truths and partial solutions as possible in the hope that they may add up to whole system. This is of course nonsense. We are set on a course of building thousands of turbines, inter connectors and storage facilities whilst still on many occasions being 100% dependent upon the legacy FF producers that are slowly going out of business, which is after all the motive behind the CO2 abatement strategy.

There are examples such as Denmark, Portugal and New Zealand who all have access to significant hydro capacity, where wind may make some sense – reducing FF import bills and creating independence from future scarcity of FF supply. But elsewhere, wind is simply adding complexity and costs to electricity grids, creating more expensive less reliable electricity for consumers whilst degrading the landscape with turbines, power lines and pumped storage dams. We do have a choice – nuclear power.

[1] Portugal – renewables to the rescue? [2] BP: Statistical Review of World Energy 2013 [3] The Failure of Kyoto and the Futility of European Energy Policy [4] Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions [5] Parasitic wind killing its host [6] Correlated wind and incoherent energy policy

For the past several years–until the credit crisis–investors have flocked toward renewable energy. Their hope is that solar radiation can be harnessed directly and through intermediaries such as the wind and biosphere to power the global economy into perpetuity. This hope is understandable since renewable energy has benefits that range from the environment to geopolitics. Nevertheless, care and scientific rigor should be used to quantify the challenge of converting society to renewable energy…..

Good link! I am more optimistic on solar, especially in sunny climates. Pretty opposed to trying to use (destroy) the biosphere to replicate the solar energy stored in FF over 100s of millions of years. I can’t think of any renewable technology that I’d invest in today, apart from hydro (and pumped hydro). But then there is no energy company I’d invest in today since governments have made energy uninvestable – and that is a major problem for everyone.

Have you considered geothermal electric? Binary systems sound good for many locations where flash steam is impossible. What would be the investment negative for such? Like you, I believe that our economy will have to make the decisions on these things, and it will do that by assessing ROIC.

http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_geo_elec_production.html includes a brief discussion on geothermal; do you have any details? Being near(er) Iceland one would think this might work for you. I know the Geysers site (in Cal.) is working, and have heard of some development under way somewhere near Malaysia. One in So. Cal. was producing, and I recently heard negative feedback about it – I will have to look it up. Something about chemicals in the water creating problems IIRC.

It will be a few days before I can get free to really dig into this. Meanwhile, keep the faith and thanks for the feedback.

Craig, geothermal only works / is economic where dry hot rocks are close to surface. Basically volcanic regions. Hence Iceland, New Zealand and Italy have geothermal. Most of the rest of Europe does not. It is unlikely to ever be more than a niche application.

The ultimate limit to geothermal energy is 50m/sq metre (yes, milliwatts) . Totally insufficient http://www.withouthotair.com/c16/page_97.shtml

I meant mW milliWatts

“The main arguments against are … possibly grid destabilisation.”

I hope to have time for a more lengthy reply to the entirety; it is well reasoned I would say, as a local statement. There are considerations to be made as to each anti-wind asserting though, and especially in other locales.

For instance, as to grid distabilisation, the major argument underlying that would be the cost of replacing the present grid with one that allows multiple inputs. Or in fact, replacing the grid in general. Which is a ‘sunk cost’ argument.

Here in the U.S.A., we have the problem of a grid that is breaking down and needs to be replaced. Our question is, what sort of grid do we use? Repair the present grid (and have it break down again since it really needs to be replaced), or rethink the entire power structure?

Recent articles have shown that the costs for PV input from rooftop installations is dropping dramatically. Advances in geothermal power production from “low temperature” sites, increasing development of the wave and tidal power sources would contribute to continuity. If you put your eggs all in the present infrastructure, plus costly nuclear plant construction, you will shut off development of truly sustainable power infrastructure.

As for the argument that it takes a high level of subsidy from government to develop these sources, the answer to that is to end all energy subsidies . . . including of course tax breaks, special tax measures and the like that favor the status quo.

As a skeptic, I also question the assertion that there has been no global warming in the past 16 years. The most recent data I have available indicates that the 10 warmest years in history all occurred during that 16 year period, with 2013 being the fourth warmest on record.

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2013/13

In addition CO2 continues to increase, and to do so at an accelerating rate of increase.

The problem of intermittency, I first refer you to: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2013/13 for a discussion of social costs. To which I would add that there are some solutions easily adopted in regions with large elevations disparities, to-wit: pumping water uphill during periods of high production, and use it as a source for hydro-electric power during periods of low production. Though more expensive, level terrain can build large scale structures using extremely long lasting concrete construction (Roman concrete aquaducts lasted millennia).

I hope to continue a conversation about this; as my favorite philosopher, David Hume, is noted to have said: “Truth springs from argument amongst friends.”

Best always,

Craig, I hope you find time for your more full response. Be advised that I am more favourably disposed to solar, especially in sunny climates. Less so in Aberdeen (57˚N) where we get long, cool cloudy winters that correspond with peak demand.

Our local situation regarding pumped storage is also dealt with in this post:

The Coire Glas pumped storage scheme – a massive but puny beast

The UK neither has the land area, rainfall catchment area or relief to give pumped storage muscle and stamina. I am positively disposed to pumped storage and believe we should have more of it. But in the UK it is not a solution to long lulls in the wind. But I’m keen to hear how this may vary in other countries. One of my main messages is that every country is different, and different solutions need to be sought.

Our “mountains” here tend to reach a plateau level of about 2500 to 3000 ft. When I am climbing up the side I tend to take the view I am going up. But when I reach the plateau and wander about I tend to believe that I have stopped climbing, even though I may be up high.

No one knows the answer or where the truth lies and so please fire away.

Euan: Good post.

What I find most disturbing is that the governments that are currently redesigning their energy systems to save the Earth from global warming, achieve sustainability, ensure energy security and/or reduce energy costs, or whatever the flavor of the month happens to be, have no idea whether their redesigned systems are going to to work because they’ve done no detailed planning. They simply stumble forward in the pious expectation that they will work, even though there are good reasons to believe they won’t, because science takes a back seat to doctrine when it comes to going green.

The shift to renewable energy is in fact the world’s first example of a faith-based engineering project.

because science takes a back seat to doctrine when it comes to going green. The shift to renewable energy is in fact the world’s first example of a faith-based engineering project.

Roger, I think you are on the same page as John Droz.

Euan: John and I were on pretty much the same page when we collaborated on the North Carolina sea level rise legislation a couple of years ago. 🙂

While I’m here let me cite a specific example of the extent to which the green crusaders are divorced from reality. I refer to the DEFRA pathways calculator, which I just used to design a scenario that achieves an 80% reduction in UK carbon emissions by 2050. The scenario assumes ~300GW of wind, solar etc. and zero conventional generation by 2050, and DEFRA presumably considers it valid or the calculator, which as you know is tweaked to reject politically-incorrect options, wouldn’t have let me run it. But from the practical standpoint it’s a joke.

I don’t propose to waste any time trying it, but I suspect it would in fact be impossible to design a scenario using the DEFRA criteria that a) achieves an 80% emissions reduction by 2050, b) is practically feasible, c) ensures security of energy supply, d) meets winter peak demand and e) doesn’t bankrupt the country.

An excellent analysis Euan.

One suggestion:-

“Intermittency: The main argument against wind power is intermittency. ”

Unpredictable intermittency.

Joe, the MET office will claim they can predict the wind so I changed it to “irregular intermittency”. It is an important distinction between wind and solar.

This is indeed an excellent post. It’s obvious you are trying hard to be objective but maybe a little hint of anti renewables prejudice is showing thru here and there.

For instance when you say in relation to availability and price of fossil fuels in general and gas in particular ”This benefit from wind may increase going forward ” I find it hard to believe you should be using the word may instead of the word ”will”.

Surely you do not think there is any significant chance for the price of natural gas to decline significantly over the long term?

I will not ask you to go out on a limb but so far but I would like to know what you think the price of natural gas is going to be in ten years? Twenty years? In constant money of course compared to today.

For that matter you do not give any serious consideration in this post to the high probability that wind and solar generation will get cheaper in constant money for a good many years to come.

Fukushima hit me like a Mike Tyson punch to the solar plexus but I agree with you about the need for nuclear power. As a practical matter of politics however I do not believe we can hope to get enough new nukes permitted to solve the problem.

In my view we are going to need any workable and affordable source of energy to make up for the depletion and consequently rising prices of fossil fuels which means building wind and solar farms too.

Now as to how energy security plays out in terms of imported coal and gas you are certainly right that so long as a country is dependent on imported gas for fuel to balance its grid wind is no answer -within the context of the long term.

But in some cases and perhaps many cases there is substantial storage available for gas .

Depending on the amount of storage available it is possible that imported stored gas could last long enough to keep a grid balanced for weeks or months – which will probably be long enough in some future instances to restore deliveries interrupted by acts of terrorism or conventional war or natural disasters such as earthquakes or severe storms.

I agree that storage is a really tough nut but you have not mentioned any of several strategies in this post that will enable people on the user’s end of the grid to utilize intermittent supply efficiently.

Not being an engineer I cannot offer truly good numbers but I know that residential thermal storage is practical and not outrageously expensive. A couple of cubic yards of stone with heating elements embedded can be heated up with a smart grid to the extent of available delivery capacity when the wind is blowing and the heat drawn of over a period of hours or days for instance. Of course this solution is not often easily implemented in an existing house but it is easily accommodated in new construction.

It seems reasonably certain that some industries can adapt to using intermittent power to a substantial extent . I do a little small scale irrigation with electricity for instance and pumping irrigation water is not so critical in terms of time that it cannot be scheduled to match wind power assuming there is good wind sometime almost every week.

Batteries are expensive indeed in terms of storing enough energy to run a home or business for any extended period of time but I believe personally that the effective price of the ones used in battery powered cars will cost only half as much five years from now in line with the projections of the industry.

It seems perfectly reasonable to me to think that a battery using the same technology but constructed for stationary use in nice little utility room or shed where it is not subject to vibration or at risk of a crash and fire because of the crash or major swings of temperature can be manufactured even more economically by a considerable margin.

This would still be a pretty expensive storage option but it might be a workable solution to the problem of making hay while the sun is shining – er, storing up some kilowatt hours cheaply when the wind is cooperating.

Now as to how much gas can be saved by utilizing wind power – that is a question I have asked many times without getting a good quantitative answer.My personal guesstimate is that on average a megawatt hour of wind juice saves enough gas to generate about 0.8 megawatt hour. That could be off in either direction by a good bit.Hard numbers are devilishly hard to come by although the bean counters at the generating plants and corporate offices must have them available at the press of a key.

“But in some cases and perhaps many cases there is substantial storage available for gas.

Depending on the amount of storage available it is possible that imported stored gas could last long enough to keep a grid balanced for weeks or months”

Not really.

The Rough field, having a storage capacity of 2.8 billion m^3, is 70% of the UK’s storage volume, which is all of 9 days UK demand. (Approx.)

I have read a lot about the UK potentially running out of gas in uncommonly cold weather.If you are correct- and I see no reason to doubt you – then the country has only about two weeks storage. To me that seems a very small safety margin in case of international incidents or acts of God that might interrupt deliveries.Are there any unused good storage sites large enough to matter?

Of course there is some domestic production that allows that two weeks approximate storage to be stretched. How far?

If there are unused good sites why are they not in use?

“……..but I know that residential thermal storage is practical and not outrageously expensive. A couple of cubic yards of stone with heating elements embedded can be heated up with a smart grid to the extent of available delivery capacity when the wind is blowing and the heat drawn of over a period of hours or days for instance.”

Again, night-storage heaters (for that is what they are), have very many failings.

New homes tend not to have the space available. The heat store is a significant and heavy lump. To try to improve control of the rate of heat dissipation adds more to that bulk.

But their greatest failing is their inefficiency- in-use . The changeability and unpredictability of the (British) weather and a home-owner’s habits, mean that a significant proportion of the stored heat may not be needed the following day, yet its dissipation is difficult & expensive to reduce. Residential peak demands are morning (no problem from a fully charged system), and evening. The latter can be challenging during extremely cold weather. Not insurmountable – just install a yet bigger & bulkier night-store-heater.

Of course the power suppliers love them. Steady, predictable better-than-base load, because peak demand is when few others want their output.

Well I do say this:

While this is a very real complaint today, it is also necessary to look to a future where ongoing scarcity of gas leads to even higher prices in which case wind may begin to look like a good deal, if only it weren’t for the ancillary costs associated with intermittency.

The post is about wind and not solar. From memory the cost of wind went up with the cost of FF since the turbines are to large extent manufactured using FF. And so if you believe the cost of FF is going to rise, then I’m guessing the cost of turbines will rise too. Solar is different.

You don’t want me to go out on a limb but you want me to tell you what the price of inflation adjusted natural gas is going to be in 10 years time 🙁 You seem to think “it” is going to go up. Here are the 2012 averages from BP, $US per million BTU. USA $2.76. EU $11.03. Japan $16.75. If Japan switches back on the nukes, then nat gas prices in Japan and EU will fall sharply in the near term. If China and the UK make significant shale gas discoveries then nat gas prices in the EU and far East will fall sharply. If Europe continues on the current renewables path, displacing more and more gas, then gas prices may fall making renewables increasingly uncompetitive.

An alternative story line. Russia invades Ukraine. Oil and gas prices double over night as Obama imposes sanctions. European tanks run out of fuel half way across Poland.

How much gas saved?

BP report global wind production of 118 MTOE in 2012. Some of that will be displacing coal, but most of it is displacing gas. Compare with total gas consumption of 2987 MTOE – its 4%

I am sorry about that minor failure to communicate.

They say Yankees and Limeys (please accept my apologies if Limey has morphed into an insult.I haven’t seen this word used recently.) are two peoples separated by a common language and in my idiom the question as asked is rhetorical.

I did not actually expect an answer beyond something to the effect that future prices are impossible to predict.

It is true that the manufacture of steel and concrete are mature industries and that the cost of both materials can only be expected to go up with energy costs since both are extremely energy intensive materials. But I can’t really see that turbine towers will need to be replaced on any regular schedule. Most of them in my estimation should last a very long time with possibly a lighter turbine and generator assembly mounted a some decades down the road.The foundations should last just about indefinitely.Ditto transmission infrastructure and roads and so forth associated with land based wind.

Offshore is really questionable isn’t it ?

Steel is more or less completely recyclable if it can be separated from other waste products and the steel in a turbine tower can certainly be recycled.Unfortunately old concrete isn’t good for much except maybe a foundation layer under a paved road.

But the generators and turbines themselves do not contain all that much material and just about all of that can be recycled except maybe insulation and the turbine blades themselves. The actual constant money cost of turbines and generators in my opinion is likely to fall considerably even as the energy and materials content costs go up.

The reason for this is that the manufacture of these machines is NOT a mature industry. There are many patents to expire and many little incremental improvements to the manufacturing process to be made.There will be economies of scale to be realized at many levels from the manufacture of individual components to the final assembly of the units on towers.I am assuming of course that the industry is going to continue to grow.It must unless it is possible to eventually replace depleting coal and gas generation with nuclear generation which is of course technically possible but politically a tremendous question mark.

It is easy to forget when you are a Yankee that a folks blogging from the UK are apt to be thinking in local terms.I can see that installing a thermal storage system could be a real problem in a small house in a country where materials and land are much more expensive than they are here in the US. Most of the houses built here are still ” mcmansions ” and a few more square feet and few more dollars are not deal breakers here.

As a matter of fact there must be tens of millions of existing houses in this country with space to spare to install thermal storage.I live in a relatively depressed area and just counting on my fingers a full third of the houses built around in recent decades here have little used basements with garage doors and concrete floors. A 240 volt 200 amp electrical service is mandated by code. Now our rural grid is certainly not able to support everybody drawing so much power silmantaneously….

Of course you are right about the price of gas falling if there are big discoveries in Asia and the UK and other possible spots. But if these discoveries are actually made and the gas actually recovered in quantities really useful on a national scale it is my impression that it will take at least ten to fifteen years to reach high levels of production from this date. Perhaps I am wrong about that. The Chinese at least are not apt to let political or environmental considerations hold them up and if they find new gas in large amounts they may well go about extracting it on a war like footing.

Within that time frame depletion will have ” had it’s way ” with a lot of legacy gas production elsewhere and the new gas may not be sufficiently plentiful to keep prices steady never mind actually drive prices down.

Anybody talking about such matters as these is apt to be talking right past his audience unless both talker and listener are on the same page in terms of the time frame intended by the talker.

In the short term and medium term meaning a decade or possibly somewhat longer in my own layman’s opinion your arguments are rock solid.

But looking a little farther out- what choice is your country going to have except to depend on either renewables or nukes?

And if you can’t get the nukes permitted…. you will be as we say over here in deep doo doo.

You will be in it up to your knees any way due to the intermittency of wind power but knee deep is better that up to the chin due to a possible lack of fuel due to war or financial crisis or plain old depletion.

By-and-large you have written a thoughtful, well-reasoned analysis.

My main suggested modification is that Science was not mentioned in your critique, and this is at the core of the issue. IMO the fundamental question is: what is the basis for our energy policies?

Right now, energy policies are being written by lobbyists representing those with political or economic agendas. Is it any wonder that the results of following their advice is problematic?

The solution is a simple, but profound change: all technical policies (e.g. energy) should be based on real Science.

The discussion of what that means is the subject of another article, but I can say that such a change would solve 95%± of the issues we are facing with such unscientific alternatives like wind energy.

EnergyPresentation.info is a useful reference — which is at WiseEnergy.org.

John, I agree with you 100% here and I don’t really understand how “we” could have wandered so far from the science and engineering path when it comes to energy policy. The subversion of real Science maybe begins with Al Gore and the IPCC. This is supplemented by, in the UK at least, a dreadful fall in University standards brought about by broadening the intake from 5 to 50% of the population – Tony Blair to blame for that. Blair thought that America was wealthy because of such wide access to education and most politicians do not yet understand that America has wide access to education because it is wealthy.

Our main political parties seem to believe that Green is popular with the electorate. Clive Best PhD who comments here often points out that this will change when blackouts begin. We just had a major blackout in Scotland – it remains a mystery since it would be politically unacceptable to blame this on wind power. We have a European Parliamentary election coming up and a fringe party called UKIP is on the up. They are the only party who have the vestiges of a sensible energy and climate policy and are likely to do very well at these elections.

http://www.ukipmeps.org/uploads/file/energy-policy-2014-f-20-09-2013.pdf

I have some very bright Green friends 😉 many with PhDs and yet we manage to look at the same data and reach different conclusions.

Thought you might be interested to see the SPICE briefing on the future of renewables in Scotland for the meeting of tomorrow’s E, E & T Committee (it’s after the agenda). Do read/scan to the end.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_EconomyEnergyandTourismCommittee/Meeting%20Papers/Papers_20140430.pdf

I am truly shocked – this is supposed to be a briefing by an impartial, objective, informed civil servant and it reads like a crib sheet for SNP spin doctors.

Thanks, I don’t really have time to get into it in detail. This caught my eye:

Estimates suggest that heat accounts for over 50% of current total energy demand in Scotland,

Utter rubbish! And this guy lined up as an expert:

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/socsci/staff/details.php?id=d.toke

Is a Green evangelist.

“Estimates suggest that heat accounts for over 50% of current total energy demand in Scotland,”

Genuine question – what % of energy demand is the space heating (plus presumably domestic hot water) demand?

Joe, can’t quickly find a definitive answer, but maybe my comment was a bit hasty. Transport accounts for about 37% of all energy use. And so most of the rest would have to be used for heating. It depends how you define “heat” . If you include appliances like tumble driers, washing machines, dishwashers etc, plus cooking and kettles then maybe you get there. But a fair chunk goes on cooling, lighting, manufacturing and appliances like TVs, computers etc. The power stations themselves use a lot of energy, as does oil and gas extraction, refining, pumping oil and gas, construction, brewing, distilling, agriculture etc.

Euan. I’ve found this Sankey-diagram Energy Flow Chart (which a few of my remaining grey cells lead me to think you may have previously posted or linked-to)

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224122/energy_flow_chart_2012.PDF

But that just shows demand-sectors, not ultimate uses.

Whether 50% is used for ‘heat’ depends upon how you define the usage. One could argue that all natural gas consumption except where used as chemical feedstock, is for ‘heat’. Burning gas to provide cooling is just one sub-classification conundrum.

Traditionally, energy use was heat / light / power. If transport is 37%; industrial and domestic motive-power plus lighting has to be greater than 13%, so space + water + cooking ‘heat’ must be less than 50%. Surely?

“Almost half (46%) of the final energy consumed in the UK is used to provide heat. The main other uses of energy are split between energy for transport (41%), energy to provide electricity for our lighting and appliances (8%), and a variety of other uses including agriculture and waste. Of this heat, around three quarters is used by households and in commercial and public buildings.The remainder is used for manufacturing materials, chemicals and goods in the industrial sector.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/48574/4805-future-heating-strategic-framework.pdf

Given that Scotland is colder than the rest of the UK I would expect it hits 50%.

OK, I retract my “utter rubbish” statement. But an interesting discussion. I’m surprised that so much of our energy use is directed at heat. Of course it all ends up as heat at the end of the day. Even cooling produces heat – but now I’m beginning to sound like a climate scientist 😉

“Demand management: The argument is often made that society will have to adapt to working when energy is available, i.e. schools, hospitals and factories may only work when it is windy. ”

Really? I don’t know anyone who’s suggesting shutting down schools and hospitals as a demand management strategy. Certain industrial loads yes, but not service loads.

Demand management is about shifting discretionary demand away from peaks and having access to aggregated loads that can be postponed or called upon at short notice to balance the system.

A couple of examples…

In the UK there is something like 60GW of immersion heaters that could be made smart at low cost to soak up off-peak renewable generation (primarily displacing gas demand in the process). This would give a ‘storage’ capacity of about 120GWh (with ‘ around the storage because it’s one way)

And a quite modest penetration of 10% of new car sales being EVs (200,000 per year) would give us something like 1GW of new demand each year which would be primarily recharging overnight but would be parked for much of the rest of the time and could offer balancing services.

“In the UK there is something like 60GW of immersion heaters that could be made smart at low cost to soak up off-peak renewable generation (primarily displacing gas demand in the process). This would give a ‘storage’ capacity of about 120GWh ”

I very much doubt it.

1. There maybe approx 20,000,000 3kW immersions, but those installed in houses with gas central heating that have storage hot water, are for ‘back-up’ only. (i.e. used only when the boiler breaks down). There is rarely an economic case for a user with mains gas to choose to use an immersion.

2. Many of those which are used as the only means of heating water may already be on an off-peak tariff.

3. An immersion heats just it’s storage tank’s capacity. Once that’s been drained, reheating then has to occur on-peak.

4. In view of the above, would you care to re-estimate the ‘storage’ capacity of about 120GWh?

5. With stored hot water, there’s inevitable heat & transmission losses. Modern combi-boilers have nil, or minuscule ‘storage’, because gas/oil can input their entire 10-15-20kW of heat into the water to satisfy instantaneous demand.

**1. There maybe approx 20,000,000 3kW immersions, but those installed in houses with gas central heating that have storage hot water, are for ‘back-up’ only. (i.e. used only when the boiler breaks down). There is rarely an economic case for a user with mains gas to choose to use an immersion.**

Apologies, I just checked the numbers and there are about 23m oil and gas boilers and 60% of those are combis which is more than I thought. So let’s call it 10m 3kW immersion heaters (plus a few more substantial immersion heaters in the commercial / service sector).

But my point that there is a large storage resource out there still stands.

I’m talking about future smart grid technologies here, not the current, dumb, situation. Making an immersion heater smart is quite simple and cheap – a switch linked to a smart meter, GPRS or wifi will do the trick quite nicely.

The householder would make their immersion available for very cheap off peak electricity (cheaper than the off peak rate for Economy 7 which is already pretty close to the price of gas when you take into account boiler inefficiencies). Given that the householder will be providing grid balancing services and avoiding curtailment that electricity can be sold to them quite cheaply, enabled by smart meters which will be able to do half hourly pricing for those who wish to adopt it.

**2. Many of those which are used as the only means of heating water may already be on an off-peak tariff.**

And? It’s still storage capacity and currently it’s dumb, not smart. (for info around 18% of GB households currently have restricted meters and 10% of GB households have electric heating. By 2020 all GB households should have smart meters)

**3. An immersion heats just it’s storage tank’s capacity. Once that’s been drained, reheating then has to occur on-peak.**

People already tend to heat their hot water needed for the next day in the off-peak hours but they almost exclusively use gas at the moment. In gas heated homes, peak time reheating would be delivered by gas, not electricity because gas will be cheaper.

**4. In view of the above, would you care to re-estimate the ‘storage’ capacity of about 120GWh?**

I’ll revise it, but only in reference to the reduced numbers of hot water cylinders. I don’t believe that your points present significant barriers to accessing this resource.

**5. With stored hot water, there’s inevitable heat & transmission losses. Modern combi-boilers have nil, or minuscule ‘storage’, because gas/oil can input their entire 10-15-20kW of heat into the water to satisfy instantaneous demand.**

Standing losses are quite modest in a well insulated hot water cylinder. And homes with combi boilers won’t contribute because they don’t have hot water cylinders.

I had meant to thank you for the link you provided in your yesterday’s 5:38 comment.

It’s an eye-watering eye-opener!

Presumably the then-redundant gas distribution network can be utilised as sleeves for the large power cables needed to supply the increased ‘leccy to every (new) building in the kingdom. [ /sarc ]

Really? I don’t know anyone who’s suggesting shutting down schools and hospitals as a demand management strategy. Certain industrial loads yes, but not service loads.

Part of your reply is about peak load shifting which has nothing to do with managing intermittency of wind. Fplks on blogs have been discussing this for the 8 years I’ve been blogging. I think its a great idea, but nothing / very little progress has been made on the domestic front but I seem to recall some company offering a load management service to industrial users.

The point about managing intermittent load (without 100% FF backup) is that it is chaotic and not managed. You get blackouts that hit everyone.

This from my Coire Glas post (link below)

The idea is to pump water into the reservoir when it is windy. The UK wind carpet recently produced 6GW peak output and so let’s assume that 3 of those 6GW were used to pump water into Coire Glas and other such schemes, and 3GW got fed directly onto the grid. If we are to have a renewables based system that can run independently of fossil fuel back up then it needs the stamina to survive a 7 day lull in the wind. So what we need to know is the amount of storage for 3GW of supply to run continuously for 7 days. This also assumes that we had 7 days producing 6GW of wind beforehand to fill the reservoirs – and we are still light years away from achieving that! 3GW * 24 hours * 7 days = 504 GWh of storage That is 17 times greater than Coire Glas and 3 GW is only about 5% of UK peak demand. Coire Glas, therefore, is simply window dressing in efforts to “Green” UK power supply with pylons, turbines and dams.

So your 120 GWh is a tiny, irrelevant amount. Simply more partial solutions and false promise, money spent and costs up, achieving nothing.

Forgive me for changing the subject but this seems to be a good spot to ask a question after posting a little background. It is my impression that the large majority of houses in the UK are fairly old houses – a lot of them very old and obviously very well built since they are still in use-but poorly insulated or uninsulated since insulation is relatively recent innovation in residences.

How fast does your housing stock turn over?

And how much effort is being expended on renovating the huge number of older houses so as to conserve energy?

It would seem to me that the best option by for in terms of short and medium term management of imported energy problems would be a massive effort to increase energy efficiency.

This is certainly the case here in the US where energy is cheaper than in the UK.

“How fast does your housing stock turn over?”

In ‘the old country’ we have the irony of slapping LISTED BUILDING CONSENT on our oldest residences. This means that if you wish to demolish a listed building, or alter or extend it in a way that affects its character or appearance as a building of special architectural or historic interest, you must first apply for permission from the local planning authority.

Some residences are quite old, and consequently have uninsulated walls, single glazing, and minimal roof insulation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_Castle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunvegan_Castle

“Demand management” is an oxymoron. Like “sustainable energy” and “common sense”. 😉

And those who believe that energy efficiency is the solution should familiarize themselves with the Jevons Paradox:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox

Euan: A couple of comments on your comments re balancing wind fluctuations with hydro.

Established practice in countries where wind fluctuations have a significant impact on grid operations is to smooth them out by cycling thermal generation. Germany is an example. Even Denmark, which gets rid of its wind spikes by exporting them to hydro plants in Norway and Sweden, cranks up its thermal generation when the wind doesn’t blow:

http://oi58.tinypic.com/zy6jvn.jpg

There’s no technical reason I know of why hydro shouldn’t be used to balance wind, but a practical problem is that 1GW of wind capacity will generate power fluctuations of up to 1GW while 1GW of hydro might only have 0.5GW of cycling capacity (and maybe none at all during a drought) because of water storage or environmental restrictions. So to use hydro to balance wind would require maybe twice as much hydro capacity as wind capacity, and even then it wouldn’t be a sure-fire solution.

There’s also the question of whether it makes sense to cycle hydro to smooth out wind surges. Why not just keep the hydro and forget about the wind?

The spikes in Danish wind are in fact exported to Norway and Sweden who shut down Hydro production conserving water. I suspect this will work on a 1GW for 1GW basis. Why do it? The Danes export their surplus power at times of glut at low price and buy it back from Norway at times of scarcity at high price. The Danes have a sense of altruism wanting to enrich their northern cousins even more.

“The Danes export their surplus power at times of glut at low price and buy it back from Norway at times of scarcity at high price.”

Things actually work this way only during wet periods when Norway and Sweden have spare hydropower to export back to Denmark. During dry periods when they don’t the Danes get little or nothing:

http://www.masterresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Part-II-Fig-3.jpg

The result is that Denmark has to ramp up domestic thermal generation to meet demand during windless periods when no power is forthcoming from Norway and Sweden. You can see this clearly in the January 2007 grid output graph for West Denmark that I posted in my earlier comment.

From this we can conclude:

* That ~45 GW of Norwegian and Swedish hydro isn’t enough to balance ~5 GW of Danish wind for 100% of the time. (Yes, I know it’s not dedicated hydro, but even so …)

* That Denmark will continue to need backup dispatchable power to meet demand during windless dry periods regardless of how much wind capacity it installs.

* That Denmark’s goal of running the entire country on renewables by 2050 is pie-in-the-sky.

Hydro during drought conditions generally still produces some power – but perhaps only a small portion of what the generating plant is capable of during wet weather.

It is to the best of my knowledge the case that water in hydro facilities is also usually the potable water supply (perhaps after some treatment of course ) for nearby cities.

So if you can actually shut down generation in such a hydro plant for a few hours or a few days it would serve the purpose of increasing water supplies. Just how much this aspect of wind power would be worth is questionable of a general basis but it could be a lifesaver in a some specific instances in places such as the dry American west.

And it were to be absolutely necessary any water saved could be released any way to help balance loads.

But in the end you are right; a near empty reservoir is not going to be a whole lot of use in load balancing.

Pumped storage works. The water is reused and I guess that the whole cycle electrical efficiency is about 75%. But it needs to be large scale, comparable to the surges, and preferably built reasonably close both to demand and to wind and solar generation to minimise grid transmission losses. Hilly and mountainous areas suitable for pumped storage tend of course to be away from centres of population.

I chortled at:

‘Proponents of wind like to argue that increasing the connectivity of the European and American grids will smooth out the intermittency problem – the wind will always be blowing somewhere.’

Even at 1MV there wouldn’t be much power left after the trip across the Atlantic!

I’m a fan of pumped storage and believe we need much more of it. But the scaling problems are formidable. It is a mistake to deceive yourself and others that this is any kind of solution to bridging lulls in the wind. And it is environmentally destructive. The best sites are along the Great Glen but you quickly run into problems of altering the hydrology of the lochs.

The greater connectivity statement relates to greater connectivity within and not between the US and European grids.

“Even at 1MV there wouldn’t be much power left after the trip across the Atlantic!”

Yes, that is strange concept. Consider, though, that there are those who believe it possible to construct a solar collector in space, and send the product to earth using extremely tight microwave beams. Then, if you can get your head around that concept, consider what happens when something moves the beam off of the collector. Even a small ‘shove’ from a micrometeor would be sufficient to have the beam moving, and cooking everything in its path.

I think that creating a grid that utilizes input from multiple small sources would be a better way to go. Some envision all of those EV’s being plugged in and used as input/output devices, storing excess and releasing it. Somehow I do not believe that is feasible, and yet seemingly intelligent scientists have agreed. Better, to me, is rooftop solar and backyard wind, taking as many homes and businesses off line as possible and reducing overall energy need from the grid. Again, intermittency is the problem.

I recall that one apartment I rented in Germany had only a small space heater, using coal oil. The oil ran out after about 3 hrs, and at night we simply slept on featherbeds, under thick feather tics. Woke up with ice in the sink, and frost around the small hole I breathed through. Getting up to light that sucker was an experience, and yet I do not remember having any ill effects. We are resourceful – we will find a way when (not if) it becomes necessary.

Please note that ““Almost half (46%) of the final energy consumed in the UK is used to provide heat. The main other uses of energy are split between energy for transport (41%), energy to provide electricity for our lighting and appliances (8%), and a variety of other uses including agriculture and waste.” that the 46% of final energy probably includes coal and Gas Heating, not just Electrical Generation. I think you will find a large percentage of Electrical Generation goes to Industry which is totally missing from that statement.

and the German green revolution is effectively dead anyway http://notrickszone.com/2014/04/27/angela-merkels-vice-chancellor-stuns-declares-germanys-energiewende-to-be-on-the-verge-of-failure/

By P Gosselin on 27. April 2014 The green energy orgy in Germany is over. The music has stopped and the wine that once flowed freely has long run out. The green energy whores and pimps can go home.

In a stunning admission by Germany’s Economics Minister and Vice Chancellor to Angela Merkel, Sigmar Gabriel announced in a recent speech that the country’s once highly ballyhooed transformation to renewable energy, the so called Energiewende, a model that has been adopted by a number of countries worldwide, is “on the verge of failure“.

” … Energiewende, a model that has been adopted by a number of countries worldwide, is “on the verge of failure“.”

It seems to me that any change powered by direct subsidy is going to fail in times of “austerity.” Of course, that is simply a matter of economics in a free market society, and it goes to the short to mid term of the underlying predicament.

The real question is not whether the present system will ultimately fail due to inadequate fossil fuels and/or nuclear fuels, but rather what will take its place, and to how large an extent that new paradigm in energy production will suffice to power something recognizable as a modern, industrial society.

Other, longer term questions ‘out there,’ and not yet answered include: the extent to which CO2 emissions will impact the weather; will that impact at some point reach a ‘tipping point’ wherein release of methane gas from the permafrost regions and/or sea beds will add further forcings, exacerbating climate change (and whether to the better or to the worst), and whether or not the ‘new paradigm’ will provide sufficient food for all of the Homo Sapiens, sapiens, then living on the planet.

Of those other questions, the most problematic would appear to me to be the possibility of methane release in the Arctic and from the ocean beds. This is the true wild card, and to me we cannot be certain one way or the other how it will be played. I believe that if the possibility is even quite remote, the danger is so great that we should take every precaution to reduce emissions. I do not see that happening, and wonder at the use of “sapiens” in conjunction with such a species.

I don’t have a problem describing a species that ignores blatantly alarmist propaganda like death-by-methane as “sapiens”. However, I do have a problem applying the adjective to a species that thinks it can power our modern industrial society with intermittent renewables like wind and solar.

I don’t know that it is blatantly alarmist to let us know that there is some danger. The scientific community involved does qualify their output, and the most they claim is that there is some possibility this could occur. Also, that we have never been in this situation before (e.g. whilst we are at solar minimum, and all indicators show that we should be cooling, we are still warming – note that 9 of the 10 warmest years on record are since 2000, and 2012 was 3rd warmest ever). Also, in all past warmings, the CO2 increase has been a following and reinforcing event, not a leading event as it is today.

What concerns me most is that the people who are the most concerned are the scientists who deal with it directly. And that the “skeptics” all seem to be hired by the O&G and Coal companies. Then I ask myself, “Where is the payoff” for each group, and find none for the “alarmists” and direct profit for the “warming skeptics.”

Now, if you choose to select your input to conform with your beliefs, you can find “some” evidence that this may all be a hoax. Again, what is the payoff for those allegedly participating? And, how were so many scientists suborned into the plot?

So… I am left with a truly skeptical position: It is possible there will be no adverse impact. It is also possible that warming might be “good” for the planet. It is equally possible that warming could have serious negative effects, and that at some time we would find that we have reached a true “tipping point” where something like methane release, sudden collapse of ice sheets, shutting down of the thermo-halene currents or the like could happen. No one claims omniscience in any of these, and if there is even a 5% probability we should not wait for that to happen. If we can prevent it, then we won’t see ourselves having a “done deal” and figuring out some way to survive.

And, since “spaiens” means “wise,” which is wiser? To wait until we are over the cliff, or to take action to turn away?

Euan, you mentioned Solar Power in Germany in your comments. There is an interesting article by Reuters that states the following 2 statistics. “The additions in the last three months brought the total of installed capacity to 36.2 GW.” and “Solar power contributed 4.5 percent to overall German power supply last year” What is of interest is that German Consumtion is estimated at 54GW, so 4.5% of 54GW is 2.43GW from an installed capacity of 36.2GW which equals only 6.7% of installed capacity. Can that really be true? Is that because the overall consumption is distorted by the fact that some of the “installers” are taking the energy from solar instead of the Grid? see http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/30/solar-germany-idUSL6N0NM3ZZ20140430

AC, I think to get the load factor / efficiency you need to look at TWh generated relative to installed capacity. In 2012 Germany had 32.6 GW of solar capacity * 24 * 365 = 286 TWh if the system was running 24/7. It in fact generated 28 TWh so the load / efficiency is about 10%.

I will look at Germany next in my countries series.

Here is another interesting comparison, based on the German Fraunhofer solar research institute results.

http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2014/05/high-renewables-ambition,-but-fossil-fuels-still-dominate-uk-and-germany-electricity-systems-compared/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+carbonbrief+%28The+Carbon+Brief%29

Due to the preference given to renewables the conventional production is being really squeezed and you can se why the producers are mothballing production facilities.

Because wind is intermittent you need something to fill in the gaps. I read at http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Power-Reactors/Advanced-Nuclear-Power-Reactors/ that 3rd generation reactors were “dispatchable” – they could ramp up their power at 2.5% per minute to 60% of maximum output and then at 5% per minute to 100% power. Would this be fast enough to compensate for the vagaries of wind power? PS The question is not why we need wind power at all.

Nuclear + wind is a very poor solution. You can maybe ramp a nuke up and down – but why? What are you saving? The fuel just keeps on burning. Once you opt for the nuclear route, why do anything else? You do need to provide a system that follows load. So some solar may help provide day time peaks and pumped storage can help absorb night time surplus and feed it into the day time peak.

Pingback: Recent Energy And Environmental News – May 5th 2014 | PA Pundits - International

I commend to everyone a book by Dieter Helm, an Oxford academic who has various connection to government and the EU commission entitled ” the Carbon Crunch”. It should be required reading for any politician involved in energy

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What Is the Future of Wind Energy?

This article was reviewed by a member of Caltech's Faculty .

Humans have used windmills to capture the force of the wind as mechanical energy for more than 1,300 years . Unlike early windmills, however, modern wind turbines use generators and other components to convert energy from the spinning blades into a smooth flow of AC electricity.

In the video below, Resnick Sustainability Institute researcher John Dabiri discusses the future of wind energy technology.

How much of global electricity demand is met by wind energy?

Wind energy is a small but fast-growing fraction of electricity production. It accounts for 5 percent of global electricity production and 8 percent of the U.S. electricity supply.

Globally, wind energy capacity surpasses 743 gigawatts , which is more than is available from grid-connected solar energy and about half as much as hydropower can provide. Nearly three-quarters of that 651 gigawatts comes from wind farms in five countries: China, the U.S., Germany, India, and Spain. Wind energy capacity in the Americas has tripled over the past decade.

In the U.S., wind is now a dominant renewable energy source , with enough wind turbines to generate more than 100 million watts, or megawatts, of electricity, equivalent to the consumption of about 29 million average homes.

The cost of wind energy has plummeted over the past decade. In the U.S., it is cost-competitive with natural gas and solar power.

Wind energy and solar energy complement each other, because wind is often strongest after the sun has heated the ground for a time. Warm air rises from the most heated areas, leaving a void where other air can rush in, which produces horizontal wind currents . We can draw on solar energy during the earlier parts of the day and turn to wind energy in the evening and night. Wind energy has added value in areas that are too cloudy or dark for strong solar energy production, especially at higher latitudes.

How big are wind turbines and how much electricity can they generate?

Typical utility-scale land-based wind turbines are about 250 feet tall and have an average capacity of 2.55 megawatts, each producing enough electricity for hundreds of homes. While land-based wind farms may be remote, most are easy to access and connect to existing power grids.

Smaller turbines, often used in distributed systems that generate power for local use rather than for sale, average about 100 feet tall and produce between 5 and 100 kilowatts.

One type of offshore wind turbine currently in development stands 853 feet tall, four-fifths the height of the Eiffel Tower, and can produce 13 megawatts of power. Adjusted for variations in wind, that is enough to consistently power thousands of homes. While tall offshore turbines lack some of the advantages of land-based wind farms, use of them is burgeoning because they can capture the energy of powerful, reliable winds high in the air near coastlines, where most of the largest cities in the world are located.

What are some potential future wind technologies other than turbines?

Engineers are in the early stages of creating airborne wind turbines , in which the components are either floated by a gas like helium or use their own aerodynamics to stay high in the air, where wind is stronger. These systems are being considered for offshore use, where it is expensive and difficult to install conventional wind turbines on tall towers.

Trees, which can withstand gale forces and yet move in response to breezes from any direction, also are inspiring new ideas for wind energy technology. Engineers speculate about making artificial wind-harvesting trees . That would require new materials and devices that could convert energy from a tree's complex movements into the steady rotation that traditional generators need. The prize is wind energy harvested closer to the ground with smaller, less obtrusive technologies and in places with complex airflows, such as cities.

What are the challenges of using wind energy?

Extreme winds challenge turbine designers. Engineers have to create systems that will start generating energy at relatively low wind speeds and also can survive extremely strong winds. A strong gale contains 1,000 times more power than a light breeze, and engineers don't yet know how to design electrical generators or turbine blades that can efficiently capture such a broad range of input wind power. To be safe, turbines may be overbuilt to withstand winds they will not experience at many sites, driving up costs and material use. One potential solution is the use of long-term weather forecasting and AI to better predict the wind resources at individual locations and inform designs for turbines that suit those sites.

Climate change will bring more incidents of unusual weather, including potential changes in wind patterns . Wind farms may help mitigate some of the harmful effects of climate change. For example, turbines in cold regions are routinely winterized to keep working in icy weather when other systems may fail, and studies have demonstrated that offshore wind farms may reduce the damage caused by hurricanes . A more challenging situation will arise if wind patterns shift significantly. The financing for wind energy projects depends critically on the ability to predict wind resources at specific sites decades into the future. One potential way to mitigate unexpected, climate-change-related losses or gains of wind is to flexibly add and remove groups of smaller turbines, such as vertical-axis wind turbines , within existing large-scale wind farms.

Wind farms do have environmental impacts . The most well-known is harm to wildlife, including birds and bats . Studies are informing wind farm siting and management practices that minimize harm to wildlife , and Audubon, a bird conservation group, now supports well-planned wind farms. The construction and maintenance of wind farms involves energy-intensive activities such as trucking, road-building, concrete production, and steel construction. Also, while towers can be recycled, turbine blades are not easily recyclable. In hopes of developing low-to-zero-waste wind farms, scientists aim to design new reuse and disposal strategies , and recyclable plastic turbine blades. Studies show that wind energy's carbon footprint is quickly offset by the electricity it generates and is among the lowest of any energy source .

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96 Wind Energy Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best wind energy topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 most interesting wind energy topics to write about, 👍 good research topics about wind energy, ❓ wind energy research questions.

Wind Power: Process, Advantages and Disadvantages Wind power involves the use of turbines, the modern equivalent of windmills, to convert wind energy into a more useful form of energy.
Wind Energy as Forms of Sustainable Energy Sources T he only costs to be met in producing wind energy is the cost of equipment for harnessing wind, wind turbines for converting the energy and photovoltaic panels for storing energy. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
Wind Power as an Alternative Energy Source Wind energy is a renewable source of energy that is an alternative to fossil fuel use, which is necessary for the conservation of the environment.
Technology and Wind Energy Efforts by the elite members of the society enlightened the global countries about the benefits of renewable energy sources in conserving the environment prompting the need to consider wind energy.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Energy Another advantage is the fact that most of the turbines that are used in the generation of wind power are located in ranches, and on farms.
Investing in an Offshore Wind Power Plant in Greece The purpose of the research is to minimize the risk by collecting information and examining the attractiveness of this investment opportunity.
Possibility of Investing in an Offshore Wind Power Plant in Greece Greece is one of the countries in the world that enjoys a substantial amount of wind resources, especially in the Aegean Sea Islands and on the mountain ridges on the mainland.
Electrical Engineering Building Uses Wind Energy The purpose of this fact-finding mission was to determine an appropriate type and rating of the wind turbine based on three factors: the average wind data at UNSW; the peak power demand for the EE […]
Solar and Wind Energy in the Empty Quarter Desert However, the main bulk of the report focuses on the proposal to build a stand alone renewable energy source, a combination of a solar power wind turbine system that will provide a stable energy source […]
Wind Energy for the Citizens of Shikalabuna, Sri Lanka The citizens of Shikalabuna are shot of the possibility to implement the required wind turbines and get a chance to pay less using the natural source available.
Wind Power in West Texas and Its Effects The main cause of introducing and developing wind power in West Texas is the need to generate more electricity with fewer costs and environmental friendliness.
“Wind Power Fills Our Sails” Poster Visual Argument As a result, the audience is expected to think about the effectiveness of using wind power to develop the future with a lot of green energy and jobs.
Saudi Arabian Wind Power Plants: Status and Future In the globalized society, the issue of climate change prompts stakeholders to take part in the establishment and implementation of strategies that enhance the sustainability of the environment.
Wind Energy Feasibility in Russia In Russia, feasibility studies have been conducted to establish the viability of wind turbine projects. In conjunction with the problem statement above, the following aims have been formulated: To use the available and relevant data […]
Wind Power Exploitation to Generate Electricity The most basic way that a wind turbine works is by using the kinetic energy of the wind and turning it into electricity that can be used by humans.
Is wind power “green”? The aim of this paper is to determine whether wind turbine is a feasible power source option in terms of “green”, economic friendliness, and its aptitude to produce considerable quantity of power.”Green” power, as any […]
Is wind power considered green? This paper aims to analyze whether wind energy is green and the impacts of contemporary issues of environment to the sustainable world.
Abu Dhabi Wind Energy The report covers energy crisis in Abu Dhabi, wind energy as a potential source of renewable energy for Abu Dhabi, and recommendations.
Wind Energy for Environmental Sustainability Production of this energy is important to the survival and enhancement of lives of people in a society. It refers to the role of that business or a corporate towards the society.
Wind Energy, Its Advantages and Disadvantages Reliable sources of energy need to be renewable; they include wind energy, solar energy and hydro-energy; wind energy is a dependable source of energy although it remains the least used among the available renewable sources […]
Wind Energy: The Use of Wind Turbines One of the most promising is wind energy, specifically the use of wind turbines to produce clean and renewable energy. The only problem is that it is more expensive to build large wind turbines.
Water Pollution and Wind Energy Chemical pollution of water is one of the leading causes of death of aquatic life. It is thus evident that chemical pollution of water not only has negative effects on health, but it also substantially […]
Wind Energy Saves The World
Impact Of Science And Technology On Society Wind Energy
Improvement of Wind Energy Production through HVDC Systems
Investigation of Wind Energy Potential Evaluation in Kerman, Iran
The Use of Wind Energy, Wind Turbines and Wind Spins in Making Electricity
The Wind Energy Improves The Energy Security
The Market Developments of Wind Energy – Accessibility, Availability and Acceptability
The German Wind Energy Lobby: How to Successfully Promote Costly Technological Change
The European and Romanian Wind Energy Investments Dynamics Analysis
Optimal Control of a Dispatchable Energy Source for Wind Energy Management
Renewable Forms of Energy: Wind Energy
The Effect Of Wind Energy On Fossil Fuels
The Galician Wind Energy Policy. An Analysis Of Its Development
The Potential Benefits of Using Wind Energy
Renewable Energy As Solar And Wind Energy
The On Wind Energy And Its Effect On Our Society
Pros And Cons Of Wind Energy
How Sustainable Is A Wind Energy System Environmental Sciences
The Repercussions of Using Wind Energy
Navigating Contested Winds: Development Visions and Anti-Politics of Wind Energy in Northern Kenya
The Job-Creating Potential of Wind Energy and How Global Warming Affects
Small Wind Energy Alternative Energy Solutions
Should the Use of Wind Energy Be Encouraged
Renewable Energy Project Wind Energy
Human Development and the Importance of Wind Energy Conversion
Joint Planning of Energy Storage and Transmission for Wind Energy Generation
Wind Energy And Hydroelectric Energy Environmental Sciences
Wind Energy Contribution to a Low-Carbon Grid
The Pros And Cons Of Wind Energy
The Resilience of Clusters in the Context of Increasing Globalization: The Basque Wind Energy Value Chain
The Effects Of Wind Energy On Fossil Fuels
The Wind Energy Industry in North America
Optimization Model for Economic Evaluation of Wind Farms – How to Optimize a Wind Energy Project Economically and Technically
The Past, Present, And Future Of Wind Energy
The Wind Energy Is The Fastest Growing Power Source
Synchronous Generator Based Wind Energy Conversion System Engineering
Learning to Grow A Comparative Analysis of the Wind Energy Sector in Denmark and India
Wind Energy Is A Viable Option For Urban Areas
Solar and Wind Energy to Ashton Island
Wind Energy The Positive Effects On The United States
Wind Energy Facilities and Residential Properties: The Effect of Proximity and View on Sales Prices
Wind Energy As A Replacement For Fossil Fuels
Switching to Wind Energy Supports the Common Good for Mankind
The Wind Energy Industry: R&D Funding and International Technological Diffusion
What Are Some Innovations in Wind Energy?
What Are the Down Sides to Wind Energy?
How Far Can Wind Energy Be Piped?
What Is the Future Use of Wind Energy?
Which Is More Scalable, Nuclear Energy or Wind Energy?
Is Wind Energy Expensive?
What Future Does Wind Energy Have in India?
Why Do People Say Wind Energy Doesn’t Work?
Where Is Wind Energy Used the Most?
Could Wind Energy Provide All the World’s Energy Needs?
Which Country Is the Leader in Wind Energy?
Is All of the Earth’s Wind Energy Generated by Solar Radiation?
Why Is Wind Energy the Energy of the Future?
Can I Use Wind Energy in Car?
What Is the Contribution of Wind Energy in Combatting Climate Change?
Is Wind Energy Competitive Without Subsidies?
the Hottest Wind Energy Startups in the US?
How Can One Start a Solar or Wind Energy Startup?
What Are the Some Good Books on Wind Energy Engineering?
Why India Has Developed More Wind Energy Than Solar Energy?
Is Wind Energy Practical? Should the US Spend More Money on Wind Energy?
How Is Wind Energy Exported?
Is Wind Energy What It Was Forecasted to Be?
Can Wind Energy Be Efficient in Nigeria?
Can Wind Energy Replace Fossil Fuels?
Are Solar and Wind Energy Replacing Nuclear Energy?
Could Wind Energy Become the Main Energy Source for the Planet?
Which Are the Best Universities or Institutes for Wind Energy Research?
How Could Wind Energy Power the Earth?
Why Is Japan So Reluctant to Invest in Wind Energy?
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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Wind Energy — Essay On Wind Energy

Essay on Wind Energy

Categories: Climate Change Renewable Energy Wind Energy

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Words: 1582 |

Published: Mar 19, 2024

Words: 1582 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

I. introduction, a. definition and importance of wind energy, b. thesis statement, ii. history and development of wind energy, a. origins of wind energy usage, b. technological advancements in wind turbines, c. global adoption and growth of wind energy, iii. environmental benefits of wind energy, a. reduced greenhouse gas emissions, b. conservation of natural resources, c. impact on biodiversity, iv. economic benefits of wind energy, a. job creation in the wind energy sector, b. cost-effectiveness compared to fossil fuels, c. economic growth in regions with wind farms, v. challenges and limitations of wind energy, a. intermittency and variability of wind, b. land use and visual impact, c. impact on wildlife, vi. future prospects of wind energy, a. research and development in wind energy technology, b. integration of wind energy with other renewable sources, c. policy and government support for wind energy, vii. case studies of successful wind energy projects, a. offshore wind farms in europe, b. wind energy in developing countries, c. community-owned wind energy projects, viii. conclusion.

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Renewable Energy Persuasive Essay

Robert Caba

Dr. Freymiller

12 April 2016

Out with the Old, In with the Re(new)able

The United States has been operating as a country using limited fossil fuels, but what happens when it all runs out? Would it not be more beneficial to never find out? Renewable energy, energy that is not depleted after its use, is limitless and more sustainable than any other source in energy history. To initiate the clean energy movement is expensive, but there are countless benefits ranging from individual to global impacts in going completely renewable. The first recorded use of renewable energy was harnessing wind power to drive ships over water about 7000 years ago (Darling). However, renewable energy has been around as long as Earth has existed: wind, sun, geothermal, biomass and many more. Clean energy sources can be harnessed to produce electricity, process heat, fuel and other chemicals with significantly less impact on the environment. In 2014, renewable energy sources accounted for fourteen percent of America’s total electricity use (“Renewable Energy Sources”), a four percent incline from the prior year. Completely diverting from fossil fuels to renewable energy clearly is not a new concept for a select few of innovative countries. A few countries, for example, are Costa Rica, Norway and Iceland, all of whom have ran on renewable energy for the entire 2015 calendar year, diving deep into their own land’s resources and utilizing volcanic presence to produce energy (Rosecrance & Thompson 7). Following in the footsteps of Costa Rica and a few other third world countries, major economic powerhouses and biggest users of fossil fuels like the United States should convert to clean energy as a way to benefit the economy, environment and overall health of the country.

As a consumer, one is worried about how abandoning a safe form of energy and transitioning to something new can help or hurt their wallet. Not only can renewable energy help save money, it can also help make money. A 150 billion dollar investment into this new industry would result in 1.7 million job opportunities, reducing the unemployment rate in America by an entire percentage (Pollin & Heintz). The reason for the potential high employment rate is because the industry is labor intensive in the means of installation and maintenance, requiring a lot of manpower for ultimate success. However, the more we wait the more future benefits we are currently losing. In an American Solar Energy Association (ASES) report in 2009, they stated “the 2008 predictions for renewable energy industry in 2030 are significantly lower than the 2007 predictions (National Research Council 169).” Unlike fossil fuels, which are subject to volatile pricing fluctuating over time depending on the market, renewable energy is relatively “free” after installation, using natural resources. The process of transportation and maintenance is minimized allowing prices to stay constant throughout the years. The only way price can head is down; for instance, clean energy is more affordable than 25 years ago. In particular, wind energy, the fastest growing source of power, prices have declined from forty cents per kilowatt per hour to less than five cents per kilowatt per hour (“The Energy Story”), a remarkable change and a huge upside in favor of the conversion. As time continues, technology should continue its progression resulting in cheaper mediums to acquire the energy. Despite of this, the conversion should take place now so results are maximized for the future. All in all, clean energy can both save Americans money while help them make money, the perfect win-win for producers and consumers alike.

Abstaining from burning countless, yet limited fossil fuels every day and polluting the environment is the single biggest benefactor for moving towards a cleaner approach. Not only would greenhouse gas emissions, as well as other pollutants that cause smog and acid rain, reach minimal levels, but also the country is consequently assisting in the reduction of the global warming speed and effects. Unlike fossil fuels, which are unable to be replenished easily, renewable energy is limitless, feeding from natural resources. With the global and national population expected to continue rising, the demand for energy will follow. There is a multitude of different approaches to acquire renewable energy including the most used types: solar and wind power. Specifically, solar energy is the epitome of sustainability and efficiency, calculated through production and prices. Despite the massive amounts of energy used yearly nationwide, “the sunlight falling on the United States in one day contains more than twice the energy we consume in an entire year ( The Energy Story ).” As for wind power, “California [alone] has enough wind gusts to produce 11 percent of the world’s wind electricity ( The Energy Story).” Wind turbines take up a lot of space but still allow the area around it, usually farms, to be used regularly. In the United Kingdom, for comparison, the government set a target for renewable energy to make up 15 percent of their total energy expense by 2020. This motive results in a 34 percent cut in the country’s carbon emission in the same time span (National Research Council 180). Needless to say, renewable energy will make landmark strides in the progression towards a cleaner, better environment. The most important thing on this Earth is this Earth, and it’s society’s job to maintain it.

As well as helping the environment and wallets, renewable energy can help with everyone’s health. By cutting the emission of greenhouse gasses and fossil fuels, air pollution decreases. Air pollution, primarily those contributed through coal burning power plants emitting fine-particulate pollutants, is most associated with causing health problems, chiefly lung cancer. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) predicts that conversion, or even standards, will prevent at least 100,000 heart attacks and asthma attacks per year. Additionally, EPA also estimates a projected 1,100 billion dollar income in health benefits due to avoiding illnesses and deaths (U.S. EPA). As a form of partnership, the health industry could invest a portion of this money into the clean air movement due to its beneficial health impacts and help make installation cheaper. A majority of these pollutants are associated with dangerous levels of climate change, this century’s biggest threat to human health. Climate change, a change in global climate patterns, “will increasingly jeopardize the fundamental requirements for health, including clean urban air, safe and sufficient drinking-water, a secure and nutritious food supply, and adequate shelter (World Health Organization).” Climate change is the main contributor and accelerator towards global warming. Global warming increases the risk of two deadly diseases: Plague and Ebola, to name a few. For Plague, changes in temperature and rainfall will affect rodent populations as well as the infected fleas they carry. Additionally, Ebola outbreaks tend to follow serious downpours or droughts, a likely result of climate change (Biello). The movement would not only lower the pollution rate and risk of infection, but also save countless lives across the globe during the process.

America, along with most other countries, needs to initiate their plans towards a more sustainable, cleaner form of energy. Renewable energy helps increase the production of the economy through the addition of million of jobs. Simultaneously, energy prices would be lower, also helping the consumer save money. However, it is vital to start now. The longer the wait, the less benefits are reaped. Likewise, the clean air movement will mark the beginning of recovery for the environment. Greenhouse gases and other emission will reach all time lows, possibly zero. This deduction is important to slow the rate of climate change and global warming. Stopping climate change and gas emissions in its tracks would also lead to more health benefits. There are dozens of deadly diseases and carriers that spawn from the irregular climate patterns. Also, climate change could affect physiological needs by lessening safe drinking water, food supply and shelter. The United States has a reputation of being an innovator, a leader for many countries. Why has it been so lackadaisical with something so important to everything in today’s society? It has a history of being scared of change; people are too comfortable with life as it is, but it could be better. With the United States recently moving in the right direction, it will be better.

Works Cited

Biello, David. “Diseases Due to Climate Change.” Scientific American . N.p., 8 Oct. 2008. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.

Darling, David. “Wind Energy.” Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy . N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

National Research Council, and Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Power of Renewables: Opportunities and Challenges for China and the United States . Washington, D.C.: National Academies, 2010. Print.

Pollin, Robert, and James Heintz. “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy.” Center for American Progress . N.p., 18 June 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.

“Renewable Energy Sources – Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy – Energy Information Administration.” EIA . US Energy Information Administration, 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

Rosecrance, Richard, and Peter Thompson. “Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment.” Annual Review of Political Science 6.1 (2003): 7. UNEP . United Nations Environment Programme, 13 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

“The Energy Story – Chapter 17: Renewable Energy vs. Fossil Fuels.” The Energy Story . California Energy Commission, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

U.S. EPA. “Cleaning Up Toxic Air Pollution.” Benefits and Costs of Cleaning up Toxic Air Pollution (n.d.): n. pag. EPA . Environment Protection Agency. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

World Health Organization. Renewable Energy (n.d.): 7. WHO . World Health Organization, 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

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Your argument should be the focus of your essay. Use the sources to develop your argument and explain the reasoning for it. Avoid merely summarizing the sources. Indicate clearly which sources you are drawing from, ... Wind turbines came to the small West Texas town of McCamey with the millennium. Construction began in 2000,
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The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity. Essay # 2. History of Wind Turbines: Wind machines were used in Persia as early as 200 B.C. The wind-wheel of Heron of Alexandria marks one of the first known instances of wind powering a machine in history.
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Energy security: Another argument often made in favour of wind power is that indigenous primary energy production provides energy security. This is only partially true. Security of supply needs to be broken down into three components 1) dispatchability, 2) geopolitcal risk - supply disruption and 3) scarcity leading to high fossil fuel (FF ...
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Wind energy is a small but fast-growing fraction of electricity production. It accounts for 5 percent of global electricity production and 8 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Globally, wind energy capacity surpasses 743 gigawatts, which is more than is available from grid-connected solar energy and about half as much as hydropower can ...
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Advantages. Wind power is renewable, plentiful and much less affects the planet than power generated by fossil fuels. It is currently the UK's leading renewable energy source overtaking hydropower and currently accounts for around 2% of the UK's electricity supply.
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Wind Energy as Forms of Sustainable Energy Sources. T he only costs to be met in producing wind energy is the cost of equipment for harnessing wind, wind turbines for converting the energy and photovoltaic panels for storing energy. We will write. a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts.
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Wind energy, simply put, is the process of harnessing the power of the wind to generate electricity. It is a renewable and clean source of energy that holds immense importance in our efforts to combat climate change and transition to a more sustainable future. With the looming threat of global warming and the depletion of finite fossil fuels ...
Renewable Energy Persuasive Essay
The first recorded use of renewable energy was harnessing wind power to drive ships over water about 7000 years ago (Darling). However, renewable energy has been around as long as Earth has existed: wind, sun, geothermal, biomass and many more. Clean energy sources can be harnessed to produce electricity, process heat, fuel and other chemicals ...
Argumentative Essay On Wind Energy
Argumentative Essay On Wind Energy. Decent Essays. 788 Words. 4 Pages. Open Document. 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.
Argumentative Essay On Wind Energy
First, wind energy should be used in America, because other energy such as coal, gas, and oil can run out. It also is not the cleanest way to make energy. Wind energy on the other hand is a reusable clean resource that will last forever. Wind energy is one of the least expensive sources of energy. It is also safer for the.
Argumentative Essay On Wind Energy
In fact, the amount of wind power reserves is incredibly huge. The global wind energy is about 2.74×109 MW, which can make use of wind energy for 2×107 MW. It's hard to image that wind energy is 10 times larger than the total development and utilization of water energy on earth (Wind Power Generation 2013).…
Wind Energy Argumentative Essay
Wind Energy Argumentative Essay. The ever growing need for electricity, a problem no one is short in awareness for. There has always a constant battle to find the newest, most efficient source of energy. The United States has been ignoring the need for a better source of electricity for way too long, and it has been taking it toll on not only ...
PDF One-sided argument
To develop the students' ability to generate main ideas with support and write a one-sided argument (persuasive) essay. Lead in. • Students brainstorm types of renewable energy. • Focus students'attention to wind energy & ask students to discuss if wind energy could replace conventional electricity power stations.
How To Write An Argumentative Essay On Wind Energy
Wind energy is an unlimited resource that will never run out. There will always be wind unless the world has some sort of downfall and the sun does not shine anymore. Wind is created by uneven heating of the earth's surface. "Over the past 10 years' wind capacity increased an average of 31% per year, reaching a cumulative capacity over ...
Argumentative Essay: An Energy Source Of Wind Energy
Wind: An Energy Source Alternative. Wind power is a renewable source of energy. Wind turbines convert the wind's kinetic energy into mechanical or electrical energy that can be used for power. Wind energy is viewed as a clean alternative to fossil fuels and can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Wind energy can provide a lot of benefits to ...
Wind Argumentative Essay Examples That Really Inspire
Looking for Argumentative Essays on Wind and ideas? Get them here for free! We have collected dozens of previously unpublished examples in one place. ... The energy industry has now turned to renewable sources of power such as water, wind, biogas, etc. Wind power currently serves as the cheapest avenue for large-scale renewable energy. The ...
Argumentative Essay On Wind Energy
Argumentative Essay On Wind Energy. Reiterating what we discussed earlier, that Wind energy in U.S. has the potential to generate about 1.5 times the current U.S. demand, even the 20% penetration of wind by 2030 as projected by the U.S. government, can have a significant impact on the carbon emissions and reduction in the demand of fossil fuels ...
Wind Turbines Essay
Wind Turbines Essay. "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.
Wind Power Argumentative Essay
Wind Power Argumentative Essay. Many scientists today predict that global warming will eventually end the human race. The main cause of global warming is the CO2 emissions given off from non-renewable energy (fossil fuel, coal, etc). Non-renewable energy runs anything from cars to generators. Even though this problem may not affect this ...
Argumentative Essay On Wind Energy
Argumentative Essay On Wind Energy. The Wind Energy of Old Is No Longer the Wind Energy of Today. As the world populace continues to increase and non-renewable resources dwindle, society has begun to examine and reexamine alternative forms of energy. One type of energy that has come to the forefront, to meet society's needs, is wind power.
Persuasive Essay On Wind Power
Argumentative Essay On Wind Energy. 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 ...
Ella is writing an argumentative essay about relying on wind turbines
Ella is writing an argumentative essay about relying on wind turbines for energy. She includes this sentence: Furthermore, the rotor from the wind turbine is connected to a generator and creates electricity when moving. Which element of an effective body paragraph is in bold? Elaborative detail Signal word or phrase Topic sentence