Wind energy has become the main source of energy generation to change the energy model, cleaner and more sustainable. Improved technology enables some wind farms to produce electricity at as low a price as coal or nuclear power plants. There is no doubt that the energy we face has its advantages and disadvantages, but the former wins by an overwhelming win. And there are numerous advantages of wind energy.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you what are the main advantages of wind energy it has importance for the energy development of the planet.
What is
The first thing of all is to know what this type of energy is. Wind energy is the energy obtained from the wind. It is a kind of kinetic energy produced by the action of air flow. We can convert this energy into electrical energy through a generator. It is a clean, renewable and pollution-free energy that can help replace the energy generated by fossil fuels.
The largest producer of wind energy in the world is the United States, followed by Germany, China, India and Spain. In Latin America, the largest producer is Brazil. In Spain, wind power provides electricity to the equivalent of 12 million homes, which represents 18% of the country's demand. This means that most of the green energy provided by the country's electricity companies comes from wind farms.
Operation
Wind energy is obtained by converting the movement of the blades of a wind turbine into electrical energy. A wind turbine is a generator driven by a wind turbine, and its predecessor was a windmill. The wind turbine consists of a tower; the positioning system is located at the end of the tower, at its upper end. A cabinet is used to connect to the electrical network at the bottom of the tower; a hanging basket is a frame that houses the mechanical parts of the mill and serves as the base for the blades; the shaft and rotor are driven in front of the blades; there are brakes, multipliers, generators and electrical adjustment systems in the nacelle.
The blades are connected to the rotor, which in turn is connected to the shaft (located at the magnetic pole), which sends rotational energy to the generator. The generator uses magnets to generate voltage, thus generating electrical energy.
The wind farm transmits the electricity generated by its substation center to the distribution substation through cables, and the generated energy is supplied to the distribution substation and then passed on to the end user.
Advantages of wind energy
There are so many advantages of wind energy that we will have to divide them in order to go into more detail.
It is an inexhaustible energy and takes up little space
It is a renewable energy source. Wind is a rich and inexhaustible source, which means that you can always rely on the original energy source, which means that There is no expiration date. Also, it can be used in many places around the world.
To generate and store the same amount of electricity, wind farms require less land than photovoltaics. It is also reversible, which means that the area occupied by the park can be easily restored to renew the previously existing territory.
It does not pollute and has a low cost
Wind energy is one of the cleanest energy sources after solar energy. The reason for this is that it is not a combustion process during its generation process. Therefore, it does not produce toxic gases or solid waste. The energy capacity of a wind turbine is similar to the energy capacity of 1.000 kilograms of oil.
Furthermore, the turbine itself has a very long life cycle before being removed for disposal. Wind turbine and turbine maintenance costs are relatively low. In areas with high winds, the cost per kilowatt of production is very low. In some cases, production costs are the same as coal or even nuclear power.
More advantages and disadvantages of wind energy
This type of energy is compatible with other economic activities. These a great point in favor. For example, agricultural and livestock activities coexist in harmony with the activities of wind farms. This means that it will not have a negative impact on the local economy, and allows the facility to create new sources of wealth without interrupting the development of its traditional activities.
On the other hand, as you might expect, not all are advantages of wind power, but there are also some disadvantages. Let's analyze each of them:
The wind is not constant and energy is not stored
Wind power is relatively unpredictable, so production forecasts are not always met, especially in small temporary equipment. To minimize risk, the investment in these facilities is always long-term, so the calculation of its return is safer. This deficiency can be better understood with one piece of information: wind turbines they can only function normally under gusts of 10 to 40 km / h. At lower speeds, the energy is not profitable, while at higher speeds, it represents a physical risk to the structure.
It is energy that cannot be stored, but must be consumed immediately when it is produced. This means that it cannot provide a complete alternative to using other types of energy.
Impact of landscape and biodiversity
Large-scale wind farms have a strong landscape impact and can be seen from a great distance. The average height of the tower / turbine ranges from 50 to 80 meters, and the rotating blades are raised an additional 40 meters. The aesthetic impact on the landscape sometimes causes discomfort to local residents.
Wind farms can have a negative impact on bird life, especially raptors that are active at night. The effect on birds is due to the fact that rotating blades can move at speeds of up to 70 km / h. The birds cannot visually recognize the paddles at this speed and collide with them fatally.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the advantages of wind energy and some of its drawbacks.