Wind energy industry is together with solar energy the fastest developing renewable energy sector with the fairly competitive prices in comparison to currently dominant fossil fuels but this doesn't mean that wind energy can be regarded as the perfect energy source because there are several things wind energy industry will need to improve in years to come in order to become one of the dominant energy source.
To start with, wind energy industry despite being one of the most cost-competitive energy sources is still unable to maintain its current tremendous growth without the adequate incentives and favorable policies, the proof of which is clearly seen from the current situation in United States (wind energy tax credit and the controversies about its prolongation). What this means is that wind turbines will have to significantly drop in prices and will also have to become more effective. Achieving both cost-competitiveness and satisfying efficiency can only be achieved with the help of science. In this sense, the global wind energy industry requires the continuation of technological development as one of the key components that will determine the future of wind power industry.
The benefits of using wind energy
Wind energy is together with solar energy the most popular and most talked about renewable energy source. It is also one of the fastest growing renewable energy industries in the world. There are many benefits of using wind energy and by this I do not mean only environmental benefits.
Using wind energy has many environmental benefits. If world would to make a switch from fossil fuels to wind energy then this would first of all mean fewer greenhouse gas emissions (greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global warming and climate change). Wind energy also doesn't contribute to air and water pollution and has overall very low environmental impact.
Since wind power is a renewable source of energy it cannot be depleted. Wind energy can therefore provide future energy security once fossil fuels become exhausted.
Wind energy has excellent global potential. The global wind energy potential is more than five times more than the world's current energy demand.
More wind energy (instead of sticking with fossil fuels) also means reduced need for foreign fuel import. By developing domestic wind energy sector instead of relying on expensive foreign oil we can give big boost to our economy in form of new jobs, and most of all our money stays inside our borders.
Wind energy can be developed on land as well as offshore, meaning that each country can choose wind energy option that best suits its needs.
Wind power is currently the most cost-competitive renewable energy source. In some areas of the world wind power has already achieved cost-parity with fossil fuels. Wind turbines are also becoming bigger, more efficient and more technologically sophisticated.
The global wind power capacity continues to grow rapidly. There's no doubt whatsoever that wind energy will be a key part of our clean energy future.
Environmental effects of wind energy – Not everything is positive
The positive environmental effects of wind energy were already briefly mentioned above, and now we'll say a bit more about this interesting topic.
Using wind energy is lot more environmentally friendly that continuing our dependence on fossil fuels such as coal and oil. This however doesn't mean that using wind turbines is always positive for environment and through this article I will mention certain environmental issues connected with harnessing wind energy and using wind turbines.
Wind energy opponents usually start pouring critics about wind turbines with noise by saying that large wind turbines create excessive noise pollution levels which hurt nearby environment. This is somewhat true because large wind turbines with gigantic blades can produce excessive noise levels and despite the technological advancement over the recent years the noise levels connected with large wind turbines pretty much remained the same. The noise pollution therefore remains the biggest environmental issue connected with wind turbines.
Large wind turbines can also hurt wildlife because birds can be caught by their blades. Birds are not the only animals that can be jeopardized by large wind turbines. The animals that live underground can also be jeopardized because large wind turbines require very deep foundations meaning that their habitats might be destroyed in the process.
Wind energy opponents also complain about the visual look of turbines by claiming that they interfere with the aesthetics of perfect natural landscape as they do not fit in the visual appearance of certain area thus degrading the natural beauty of given environment. This is a highly controversial question because aesthetics is really a matter of personal opinion, so I'll not debate about this issue any longer as this is really more about individual opinion so it is difficult to draw general conclusion about it.
As can be clearly seen from above paragraphs wind energy isn't 100% environmentally friendly source of energy and using wind turbines can also lead to negative environmental impact but this harmful effect is definitely not the reason to move away from wind power and continue our dependence on fossil fuels. The currently dominant fossil fuels such as coal and oil create much bigger environmental damage in form of climate change and air pollution so the environmental damage coming from wind turbines is really negligible compared to environmental damage coming from fossil fuel fired power plants.
This means that replacing fossil fuels with wind energy is much more positive to our environment in comparison to staying with fossil fuels. Of course, the role of the science is vital as it should find new solutions to make wind turbines more environmentally friendly by reducing their noise output as well as equipping them with suitable equipment (such as radars) in order to prevent large bird killings.
Conclusion and future outlook
According to the latest study by Pike Research global wind energy market looks set for the steady growth in the next few years. Pike Research’s report, Global Wind Energy Outlook predicts that by 2017 wind power installations will represent $153 billion global industry.
The numbers in this study predict that in a period 2011-2017 global investment in new wind power capacity will reach $820 billion, and total wind power capacity will grow from current 235.8 GW to 562.9 GW in 2017.
Wind turbines are not only becoming cheaper but are also growing in size which until now weren't considered to be either practical or economical. Wind power is already the low-cost option in many regions, especially in the ones with scarce fossil fuel resources.
Wind power industry will likely continue its growth in years to come, and if everything goes as expected wind power should satisfy more than 20% of world's electricity by the end of this century. There are still some issues like efficiency and intermittency which wind power industry will have to resolve in years to come but nonetheless wind power industry should already look forward to a very bright future.
To start with, wind energy industry despite being one of the most cost-competitive energy sources is still unable to maintain its current tremendous growth without the adequate incentives and favorable policies, the proof of which is clearly seen from the current situation in United States (wind energy tax credit and the controversies about its prolongation). What this means is that wind turbines will have to significantly drop in prices and will also have to become more effective. Achieving both cost-competitiveness and satisfying efficiency can only be achieved with the help of science. In this sense, the global wind energy industry requires the continuation of technological development as one of the key components that will determine the future of wind power industry.
The benefits of using wind energy
Wind energy is together with solar energy the most popular and most talked about renewable energy source. It is also one of the fastest growing renewable energy industries in the world. There are many benefits of using wind energy and by this I do not mean only environmental benefits.
Using wind energy has many environmental benefits. If world would to make a switch from fossil fuels to wind energy then this would first of all mean fewer greenhouse gas emissions (greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global warming and climate change). Wind energy also doesn't contribute to air and water pollution and has overall very low environmental impact.
Since wind power is a renewable source of energy it cannot be depleted. Wind energy can therefore provide future energy security once fossil fuels become exhausted.
Wind energy has excellent global potential. The global wind energy potential is more than five times more than the world's current energy demand.
More wind energy (instead of sticking with fossil fuels) also means reduced need for foreign fuel import. By developing domestic wind energy sector instead of relying on expensive foreign oil we can give big boost to our economy in form of new jobs, and most of all our money stays inside our borders.
Wind energy can be developed on land as well as offshore, meaning that each country can choose wind energy option that best suits its needs.
Wind power is currently the most cost-competitive renewable energy source. In some areas of the world wind power has already achieved cost-parity with fossil fuels. Wind turbines are also becoming bigger, more efficient and more technologically sophisticated.
The global wind power capacity continues to grow rapidly. There's no doubt whatsoever that wind energy will be a key part of our clean energy future.
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| Wake turbulence behind individual wind turbines can be seen in the fog in this aerial photo of the Horns Rev wind farm off the Western coast of Denmark. |
Environmental effects of wind energy – Not everything is positive
The positive environmental effects of wind energy were already briefly mentioned above, and now we'll say a bit more about this interesting topic.
Using wind energy is lot more environmentally friendly that continuing our dependence on fossil fuels such as coal and oil. This however doesn't mean that using wind turbines is always positive for environment and through this article I will mention certain environmental issues connected with harnessing wind energy and using wind turbines.
Wind energy opponents usually start pouring critics about wind turbines with noise by saying that large wind turbines create excessive noise pollution levels which hurt nearby environment. This is somewhat true because large wind turbines with gigantic blades can produce excessive noise levels and despite the technological advancement over the recent years the noise levels connected with large wind turbines pretty much remained the same. The noise pollution therefore remains the biggest environmental issue connected with wind turbines.
Large wind turbines can also hurt wildlife because birds can be caught by their blades. Birds are not the only animals that can be jeopardized by large wind turbines. The animals that live underground can also be jeopardized because large wind turbines require very deep foundations meaning that their habitats might be destroyed in the process.
Wind energy opponents also complain about the visual look of turbines by claiming that they interfere with the aesthetics of perfect natural landscape as they do not fit in the visual appearance of certain area thus degrading the natural beauty of given environment. This is a highly controversial question because aesthetics is really a matter of personal opinion, so I'll not debate about this issue any longer as this is really more about individual opinion so it is difficult to draw general conclusion about it.
As can be clearly seen from above paragraphs wind energy isn't 100% environmentally friendly source of energy and using wind turbines can also lead to negative environmental impact but this harmful effect is definitely not the reason to move away from wind power and continue our dependence on fossil fuels. The currently dominant fossil fuels such as coal and oil create much bigger environmental damage in form of climate change and air pollution so the environmental damage coming from wind turbines is really negligible compared to environmental damage coming from fossil fuel fired power plants.
This means that replacing fossil fuels with wind energy is much more positive to our environment in comparison to staying with fossil fuels. Of course, the role of the science is vital as it should find new solutions to make wind turbines more environmentally friendly by reducing their noise output as well as equipping them with suitable equipment (such as radars) in order to prevent large bird killings.
Conclusion and future outlook
According to the latest study by Pike Research global wind energy market looks set for the steady growth in the next few years. Pike Research’s report, Global Wind Energy Outlook predicts that by 2017 wind power installations will represent $153 billion global industry.
The numbers in this study predict that in a period 2011-2017 global investment in new wind power capacity will reach $820 billion, and total wind power capacity will grow from current 235.8 GW to 562.9 GW in 2017.
Wind turbines are not only becoming cheaper but are also growing in size which until now weren't considered to be either practical or economical. Wind power is already the low-cost option in many regions, especially in the ones with scarce fossil fuel resources.
Wind power industry will likely continue its growth in years to come, and if everything goes as expected wind power should satisfy more than 20% of world's electricity by the end of this century. There are still some issues like efficiency and intermittency which wind power industry will have to resolve in years to come but nonetheless wind power industry should already look forward to a very bright future.
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