Wind Energy

Wind energy is a form of renewable energy that is becoming more popular everyday. Wind is a byproduct of solar energy; the uneven heating of the air over land and water creates wind as warm air rises and cool air rushes in to take its place. It has been harnessed as energy for thousands of years in the form of windmills, but more recently wind power has been able to be transformed into raw power.


For the first time wind power has been viewed as a possible renewable source of electricity. In recent years modern "wind farms" have been constructed with large numbers of turbines that generate electricity when rotated by the wind. As of 2009, wind power usage was growing in the United States at the rate of 30 percent per year. However, some people oppose the construction of large wind farms because they believe such farms are dangerous to flying birds and mar scenic views.

A proposed offshore wind farm off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has run into opposition for these reasons. As of 2009, the United States led the world in wind power, in terms of megawatts of power produced. Within the United States, Texas is by far the largest producer of wind energy, with 9,410 megawatts of capacity as of 2009.

"Renewable Energy." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 8 Nov. 2010.

Locations

As wind energy begins to take flight, scientists and engineers continue to discover new ideas and possible places that wind turbines can be placed.These possible areas include:

Fields and on turbine farms

At sea or in Oceans

On highways and expressways

And in residential applications

Revenue?

Wind turbines can be an expense investment. When investors look to install hundreds of them they often want to know how long it will take to make there money back. The general rule of thumb is that the larger the rotor sweep (or area blades span) the more energy will be produced. The larger blades can provide more torque to turn a larger generator. Wind energy is currently the best investment for making money back the chart at the left shows investment revenue for many electricity producing methods.