Advantages of Wind Power

Wind power has many advantages which include the following:

  • Sustainable and renewable 

Winds are generated by the heating atmosphere by the sun, earth rotation, and earth surface irregularities. For as long as the sun shines, the wind blows and will not run out, unlike other sources of energy.

  • Environment-friendly and clean fuel source 

Compared to a power plant, wind energy is environment-friendly and doesn’t cause air pollution. It doesn’t release atmospheric emission, which leads to greenhouse gases and acid rain. It doesn’t harm water, earth, and air quality that we breathe. 

  • Cost-efficient 

The best about wind power is that it is cost-efficient. It is free and can be used by everyone. It is among the cheapest renewable technologies today. 

  • Domestic and industrial installation 

Wind turbines can be installed on ranches or farms where the best wind sites can be found. Landowners can install less powerful and small wind turbines to offer domestic electricity supply. 

  • Job creation 

Manufacturing wind turbines can help in job creation. It also provides job creation in the maintenance and installation of wind turbines and wind energy consulting. It is estimated that wind can support about 600,000 jobs in maintenance, installation, support services, and manufacturing by 2050.

  • Space-efficient 

Wind energy is also space-efficient. Bigger wind turbines can generate electricity that can power about 600 US homes. It also comes with low operational costs.  

Disadvantages of Wind Power

Now that you have discovered the benefits of wind power, I will give you some of its disadvantages. 

  • Threat to wildlife 

The rotating wind turbine blade can be a threat to wildlife, including bats, birds, and other flying creatures. 

  • Noise 

Another issue with wind power is noise. Individuals who live in the proximity of the wind turbines can suffer from noise problems. 

  • The fluctuation of wind and good wind sites 

Even though wind power is sustainable and doesn’t run out, take note that wind is not always blowing. It is not a constant source of energy. It can cause problems for wind turbine developers that invest time and money on a specific site that is suitable to generate wind power. To have an efficient wind turbine, the area where it is located must have enough supply of wind energy. 

Can Whole Countries Only Be Supplied By Wind Power? 

It is said that about 80.4 % of the world’s installed wind power is housed by 8 countries that generate the most wind energy in the world. These countries include:

  • China 
  • The United States of America
  • Germany
  • India
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
  • Canada
  • France

Although renewable energy can power whole countries, there are still challenges in wind energy.

Factors That Can Hinder Wind Power 

  • Design issues

The wind turbine design is among the challenges in the wind power industry. It must be correctly designed with aerodynamical stability and blade loading.

  • Grid connection issues 

Most wind farms can be found in rural areas that have more land availability and higher wind speed. The generated wind energy is waster due to the limitation of grid infrastructure.

  • Location problems 

Another problem is the location. Wind energy farm construction needs a bigger area than a developer must secure. 

With these problems, wind energy is not pushed in some countries. 

What do you think about this topic about wind energy? Feel free to express your thoughts in the comment section.