About Wind Energy - Its Pros and Cons

There are many who think that the concept of wind energy is relatively new. However, this is not the case. About five thousand years ago, the Egyptians were already using the sails in their ships to channel the wind and make their sea vessels faster and efficient. Also, somewhere between 500 to 900 A.D. Persia had already designed and developed the grain-grinding and water-pumping systems. The mechanism of these machines was supported by the wind energy.

The world as a whole realized the critical issue of depletion of the resources, when it first faced problems due to the shortage of oil in the previous century. Since then, engineers and researchers are trying to craft solutions to make the best use of the renewable energy resources. Wind, too is being used as a source to produce energy that can be used in place of oil. There are several benefits of using wind energy, which include;

1. Minimal or zero pollution

Wind itself is a natural and healthy power source, which can be converted to energy with the help of the machines called 'turbines'. However, this conversion does not involve burning or combustion of any sort. Thus, wind energy features a green and pollution-free alternative to oil.

2. Cost efficiency

Since the wind itself is a renewable resource, it is not inclined to get exhausted or be used up entirely. This makes wind energy a cheaper option than the other renewable energy sources.

The machine used for the generation of energy is referred to as the 'turbine'. The turbines are of two types; the horizontal-axis turbines and the vertical-axis turbines.The horizontal-axis turbines however, are more commonly used and they can be as tall as a twenty story building. The top three energy generating states in the United States of America are; California, Iowa and Minnesota. The generation of wind energy by California is more than twice the energy generation of any other state.

Despite the many benefits, there are certain disadvantages as well, which are associated with the generation of wind energy.

1. Beauty and noise pollution

The wind turbines need to be installed in the open areas. The regions where the economies benefit from tourism, will be adversely affected with the installation of the wind turbines.Moreover, there are others who have shown concern about the noisy of the turbines as well.

2. Effect on wild birds

According to the studies conducted by the wildlife researchers, using wind to generate energy is likely to harm the wild birds and their visual impact on land and sea.

Here in this article you will learn about wind energy and green energy.

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