Wind Power Blog

It is safe to say that wind energy is essentially free energy. It comes from the heating effect of the earth’s surface by the sun. This heating effect is irregular because of the uneven surface of the earth. It therefore gives rise to airstreams that move between the cooler zones and the hotter zones. This is the wind that blows and that makes the blades on the wind turbines move and thus generate electricity.

Wind energy business model: financing of wind energy

In the nineteen eighties the wind energy generators that were installed typically showed a cost of 30 cents per kilowatt-hour period. This in itself was not a very attractive price compared to the conventional power generators that existed already. However over the last twenty years fossil fuel prices have gone up, and wind generation prices have come down. Today we see a reduction of almost 80 percent in the cost per kilowatt-hour thanks to these factors and the latest high technology wind turbine generators. 5 cents per kilowatt-hour is a common phenomenon now. This is clearly an extremely advantageous rate at which to pay for one’s electricity.

Further advantages favor wind energy compared to fossil fuels. Wind energy is easily harvested on farms and ranches, which have an abundant supply of this free energy source. Wind energy is available to anyone who lives in an area where the wind blows. There are no imports necessary or even possible from foreign countries. This is a great difference compared to fossil fuels where importing large quantities of such fuels is a normal if unfortunate occurrence. Fossil fuels of course also are highly polluting and not a renewable source of energy.

To make sure that the wind energy generation can be done in a profitable and effective manner, it is necessary to select a site with certain minimum criteria. Wind speed, for example, which is directly correlated to the amounts of electricity that can be generated, must be at least 5m per second in this case.

Improving the financials for wind energy even further

A wind energy developer applying utility financing to wind energy power plants can already generate wind power for as low as 5 cents per kilowatt-hour from a standard 50 MW wind power plant. However this price for kilowatt-hour can drop to as little as 3,5 cents, which is a 30 percent reduction. Wind power generation in this sense is even more attractive compared to say gas power plants and it is clear that wind power generation costs will continue to decrease in the coming years.

Save money and save the environment at the same time!

The environmental question of course is a very important one concerning wind energy and any other renewable energy source. Wind energy is clean. This is in comparison to say coal emissions from coal fired energy plants, which release very small dust particles into the atmosphere. These dust particles can have a serious sometimes fatal effect on human beings because of the cardiovascular and respiratory diseases that can be provoked. They may also result in a higher infant mortality rates for the same reason. Coal plants of course are also responsible for the production of greenhouse gases and the phenomenon such as acid rain. Use of coal power plants can be clearly linked to both a worsening visibility in the earth’s atmosphere and global warming.

Wind power now needs to be set-up with the long-term power generation contracts to solidify and consolidates market acceptance of this new and renewable energy source. The advantages that should allow this to happen include the minimum cost of life cycle for wind energy plants, because they have minimum operating expenses and no fuel purchase is necessary. Wind energy can be used and reused, but will never contribute to any of the pollution that is generated by the conventional fossil fuel power plants.



By: Jim Martin

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There are Advantages and Disadvantages for Building Your Own Wind Energy System. Discover What They Are!

Like any other form of energy, wind energy has immediate and obvious advantages but also some drawbacks. Therefore any decision to install wind energy generators must take into account these different factors.

Wind machines and wind turbines can effectively generate energy as electricity for free as long as the wind is available. Because wind is free and renewable, wind turbines generate clean and renewable energy, which already gives it an immense advantage compared to be contaminating fossil fuel plants that have already done so much damage to the earth’s ecology. In addition modern technology means that wind turbines can automatically adjust their blades to maximize the use of wind even if the direction changes.

In different parts of the U.S., large wind energy installations are being created. In Texas for example the Horse Hollow wind energy center is already powering more than 220,000 homes in the neighborhood. This is done through the 421 wind turbines that are in the park. In addition to this, testing of wind turbines and wind machines can be done in places such as the wind park just off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. It is the first of its kind and likely to be a forerunner of many others.

The immense advantage of wind power that many people see is its cheapness once the initial installation has been made and the fact that using it does not depend on any imported fuel. This is a big advantage compared to fossil fuels such as oil, which the U.S. imports heavily from other countries and therefore must pay for with a considerable part of the national budget.

Wind energy therefore is independent of any particular producer and available to anyone in the country who wishes to use it. Because it is not generated by any particular mechanism specific to any particular country, but rather by the overall effect of the sun’s rays falling on our planet and the way that the earth continually turns on its axis, wind energy is therefore a truly democratic means of generating electricity.

The cost of electricity for wind turbines can be as little as 4 to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour. In making this calculation it is necessary to take into account the financing for the initial installation of the project and also the site selection in terms of the amount of wind available and therefore the amount of electricity that can be generated. However together with other renewable energy of such as solar energy wind energy is one of the cheapest forms of renewable energy anywhere on earth.

In farms and ranches where wind is abundantly available, wind turbine towers can be installed to satisfy a continual demand for low cost electricity. Individual power suppliers also come to business arrangements with farmers renting a few square yards of land to be able to erect towers and generate electricity.

It is perhaps the initial cost of wind turbines, which is the main factor in any financial calculation. Although the initial cost has been reduced over the years, it is still a major factor in terms of installing wind turbines compared with conventional generators. For this reason fossil fuel may still attract investment for some cases.

Wind power is also clearly dependent on the availability of the wind itself. Sites need to be chosen where there is as continual a supply of wind as possible. It should also be remembered that natural phenomena such as tsunamis can have dramatic effects on the weather patterns of any area and therefore of the wind supply and velocity.

Because wind parks need a lot of wind and because towns and cities are often constructed in more sheltered areas there is also the problem of making such renewable energy available to city dwellers. Often the installation of electric cables to carry the electricity from the source to the destination is not a profitable activity.

Environmentally, wind turbines to need to make progress in terms of both their appearance, which can be a blot on the landscape and also the noise that they make. Environmentalists are concerned that the harm of the wind turbines may be a distinct disturbing factor on the surrounding ecology.



By: Jim Martin

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