The Wind Energy Industry has grown rapidly since the 1990’s and is considered as one of the fastest growing sectors in the power generation industry. Some of the European countries have even installed wind turbines that have been in operation for almost 20 years now and this entire operation has been extremely successful as well. Using wind turbines to harness wind power to create energy have brought down the production costs and are viable option for the coal fired power stations.

According to a study, the UK has the largest potential wind energy resource in the entire Europe and hence wind is being regarded their most promising future source of renewable energy technologies. As of today the wind turbines in the UK are producing electricity that is being delivered to almost 390,000 households and reaching around 1 million people. A salient point of the use of wind energy is that it has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by almost 1.46 million tones per annum.

The question is how can wind be converted into energy? The answer is: by using a wind turbine. The wind turbine is basically a type of rotating device just like a huge fan that can convert the kinetic energy present in the wind into mechanical energy. When this mechanical energy is used by any type of machinery like a pump then such a machine is known as a windmill. If the same mechanical energy is converted to electricity then the machine that does the conversion is called a wind generator or a wind turbine. It is also known as a wind energy converter (WEC) or a wind power unit (WPU).

Surprisingly the first use of the wind machines was for grinding grains as early as 200 B.C in Persia. It was also introduced in the prosperous and powerful Roman Empire in 250 A.D. The year 1900 saw the maximum number of windmills being used in Denmark. Almost 2500 windmills were installed to provide the much needed mechanical load to pumps and gave a peak power of 30MW.

Why Wind Turbines should be used?
Wind turbines can effectively help in creating mechanical energy, which can be used for multiple purposes including assisting in the generation of power and electricity. Some of the other uses include:

* One of the salient points is that there is only a one time installation cost after which the electricity that is produced using a wind turbine will be free.
* It is a source of clean renewable energy that will not generate any greenhouse gases or emit carbon dioxide or even produce any dangerous wastes.
* Each unit of electricity produced by a wind turbine displaces one from every conventional power station. Wind turbines have been commissioned in the UK and have been extremely successful in prevent the emission of almost one and a three-quarter millions tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
* Wind is a reliable and abundant source. UK being the windiest country in Europe has abundance of wind energy that can be used for making electricity.
* Wind power contributes significantly to the overall energy generation in any country. Denmark is one of the countries that gets almost 20% of its electricity from wind power
* Wind turbines use an extremely robust technology that is designed for operation locally as well as remotely and requires only periodic maintenance.

The World Turns To Renewable Energy

When one thinks of the amount of energy needed to power the modern world, it is easy to get a headache. The sheer volume is so massive as to be difficult to picture. Now that we have awakened to environment, climate and societal problems associated with the continued use of fossil fuels, it is interesting to hear the politicians suddenly thinking green.

Ten years ago, who would have imagined the Terminator, now the Governator of California, driving around in a hybrid hummer? Well, he does. More so, Governor Schwarzenegger happens to arguably be the greenest politician in the Unites States when it comes to actually taking action. California, after all, has just instituted a 3 billion dollar solar energy plan.

Alas, the federal government falls on its face when it comes to energy issues. Beholden to big oil, there current administration simply refuses to acknowledge there is a problem, much less take action. For many in the country, this must give the impression that nothing is being done around the world. In fact, much is being done, but the U.S. simply is not taking part.

For example, give some thought to Victoria, Australia. This province has just committed itself to obtaining 60 percent of all of its energy from renewable sources by 2016. That is a staggering number.

How about Germany? The Germans lead the world in wind and solar technology. By 2020, a full 20 percent of the total German energy supply will come from renewable energy. If you have ever experienced the lights of Berlin at night, you know that is impressive.

How about Norway? The country is 99 percent reliant on renewable energy sources. Norway has no petroleum powered power plants. None! It imports no oil. In fact, it exports nearly all of its oil resources, making it the third biggest exporter in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Russia. 

How about Brazil? The country is known for its “interesting” political situation, yet it has managed to turn itself into a clean energy giant in South America. The reason is the country has converted much of its transportation, public and private, to ethanol. By 2007, it is believed most transportation in Brazil will run on 100 percent ethanol, which is a biofuel made from sugar cane. The price per gallon of ethanol is half that of oil. If the United States was to take the same step, the savings on oil each year would be close to $2 trillion dollars. 

The above represent only a few samples of a world making a concerted clean energy effort. Unfortunately, the United States is both the biggest consumer of fossil fuels and emitter of greenhouse gases. Until we follow these changes, the process will be incomplete.

World renowned TV botanist, Professor David Bellamy, joined former Downing Street press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham and hundreds of activists at the National Wind Farm Group Conference. There were a total of representatives from over 50 environmental groups from across the country attending this event. It aimed to raise awareness about the perceived dangers of wind farms and bring environmental groups closer together in their fight against the government.

The Saddleworth Moors Action Group says the turbines would have a negative impact on a unique landscape. The group also insist their campaign is not prompted by "not in my backyard" sentiments, but through a genuine desire to preserve the character of the local area.

One could argue that the government is not bothered about the environment then they are continually financing the construction of coal fired power stations in the third world and building more airports and more motorways in Britain?

Are wind farms a concerted effort to save the environment or just another commercial money making scheme for the companies involved?
See renewable energy companies in GuideMeGreen’s Green Directory.

Environmentalists and the Wind Power Debate In Maine

If you have filled up at the gas station recently, you know fuel prices are going through the roof. There is only so much fine crude in the world, and it is under pressure. Most people don’t understand that there are different types of oil. The type that is best for transportation and utility generation is very limited. Throw in the impact of pollution, issues of global warming, and you have a sudden motivation to seek alternatives.

Wind power is a tremendous renewable energy source. Every country has wind, so supply is not a problem. The conversion of wind energy to electricity produces no pollution, another positive in our environmentally stressed world. For environmentalist, however, there is a quandary.

The State of Maine was made for wind power. Whether on mountain tops, valleys or offshore bays and islands, excellent conditions exist for producing electricity through wind. The powers that be in Maine have recognized as much and begun the process of taking advantage of the situation. No less than five wind power farms are planned. When completed, they will produce over 40 percent of the electrical needs of the state. Put another way, we are talking about a major use of non-fossil fuel resources.

Alas, this unabated commitment to wind power is causing environmentalist a problem. Wind farms, by their nature, tend to take up significant space. Further, they need to be in open areas where the wind is not impeded by buildings and such. The available areas in Maine, of course, tend to be habitats for rare or threatened species.

Ah, now you see the quandary. Environmentalists are pro clean energy, but what about the species and habitats? If wind power farms are not allowed in Maine, the perfect place, how can anyone argue they are a viable energy platform? At this point, there is no definitive answer being given by environmental groups. The ultimate outcome will speak volumes about the future of wind power.

In most respects, the entire problem can be intimidating and to a certain degree dejecting. Luckily, there are solutions to the world's power issues if they are simply applied and developed to their fullest and most efficient possibility. Solar power is beginning to make excellent headway in technology and execution as are other alternative energy solutions. One of these alternatives is wind turbine energy, a source of uninterrupted clean energy that is actually making great strides in reducing coal power energy point source where it is being utilized.
What is a wind turbine?

A wind turbine used for producing electrical energy is not all that difficult a thing to comprehend. It is almost exactly like the water wheels that centuries of people have used to make their flour. The only difference is that instead of using water to turn the water wheel wind is used. The wind makes the blades of the wheel turn which; with the help of some gears, magnets and resistance creates electricity which turns a motor to send the electricity along power lines. Unfortunately, at the moment the energy generated from the turbine cannot be stored in batteries so there is a need for back-up systems but, for the most part, it is a fairly efficient system.
Location, location, location

This last point about not being able to store the generated energy in batteries for later use puts quite a bit of emphasis on where the wind turbines are placed. Since the energy that is generated needs to be sent along the power lines and used right away, the turbines need to be located in a place where the wind is always blowing. One might think, well that shouldn’t be that difficult. Well… yes and no. The turbine needs to be located where there is a constant and steady wind most of the time, but it also needs to be located in a place where quite a few turbines can be located.
The current issue is that one turbine generates quite a bit of energy, but not enough energy to make it economically feasible. Several hundred turbines need to be in place to make this happen. There are many places around the world where this is possible, but the overall concept is regional in nature. In other words, the power made in Vegas, stays in Vegas. The power generated in West Texas, stays in west Texas. This is not generally a bad thing since larger cities in Texas are deriving a nice chunk of their power from the wind turbines which lessens the need to use coal power needed for other places like Los Angeles.
Not in my back yard

The particular problem of people not wanting to look up at or listen to wind turbines all day every day has become a bit of an issue. At the larger more rural sites in West Texas there is a bit of an undercurrent about the wind turbines, the sound they make (constantly) and their future when they are outdated and need to be removed, but since the entire concept is so new the legislature is in a bit of a learning curve. Where the issue is likely to be resolved is in more urban areas where the use of wind turbines is just beginning to creep in. As vocal suburbanites hear about proposed “turbine farms” they all-of-a-sudden decide they are fine with wind power but don’t want to look at 100 turbines within their sight on a mountain top, coastal sound or back yard.
Reading in the dark

People may become vocal about not wanting to see or hear wind turbines on a daily basis but they may need to better understand that alternative power sources are coming. They had better think about the need and how they are going to deal with the issue on a personal basis. Power up with solar, wind, water of nuclear because choosing a source sooner rather the later may be the best way to keep; not in my backyard, not in my back yard.

That why I’ve been reviewing different programs like energy2green’s to help spread the word on free energy. I was impressed with the kit and what it teaches. Everything you need to know to reduce your utility bills to $10 a month or even eliminate them completely. It was also extremely easy to understand and follow the step by step guild, even if you’re not that good with tools.So let’s stick it to the man and have them pay us for our electricity. Check it out for yourself!  energy2green.com

I was a bit skeptical when I bought the Earth4Energy guild due to my lack of carpentry skills but what could I loose. I’m in my fist week into my solar panel project and I’m amazed at how much I’ve learned. I’ll be following up this post with some pictures in a few days.  Not only am I on budget but I have already started planning bigger and better projects. Just yesterday I started marking out the new location for the Wind Generator that I plan to have done in the next month.   It’s amazing what we can build if we put our minds to it. This is a must read for any environmental activist.  Earth4Energy.com

The Union of Concerned Scientists has created a clean energy blueprint. One component of this blueprint is efficiency standards on furnaces and automobiles. The CAFE standards for automobiles stipulate that a company's cars must average a certain fuel mileage. The diagram below illustrates the effects of the new standards proposed in the blueprint. Look at the savings in millions of barrels per day and compare those values to our daily consumption of petroleum (175 million barrels for North America).

By looking at the diagram below and comparing current usage to savings under the clean energy blueprint there would be substantial savings of oil. With the current consumption of oil at 175 million barrels a day the clean energy blueprint would save an estimated 230 million barrels of oil in the year 2008.

The clean energy blueprint also finds that the US can meet at least 20 percent of its electricity needs by renewable energy sources-wind, biomass, geothermal, and solar-by 2020. This would reportedly save the US consumers $440 billion by the year 2020. By the clean energy blueprint this would also reduce the need for 975 new power plants and reduce the need for natural gas by 31% and coal by 60%.

The clean energy blueprint is a large undertaking and would require multiple industries to participate. This could be difficult due to the changes could eliminate the need for their industry.

References

ucsusa.org. Retrieved November 9, 2008, from www.ucsusa.org Web site: http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/solutions/big_picture_solutions/clean-energy-blueprint-a.html

Retrieved November 9, 2008, from ian.umces.edu Web site: http://ian.umces.edu/