How is Wind Power Harvested?

Wind Power and the Future

Harnessing the wind is something that humanity has been doing for a very long time. The earliest example is the sailboat, developed independently all over the world; the sailboat uses the force of the wind to move a boat over the water.

Using wind for more ambitious purposes probably began between 1 and 1000 AD. The ancient Persians and Chinese both have records of using windmills to assist in the process of grinding grain into flour and in pulling water out of a well. As science and engineering advanced, the windmill became more efficient. Windmills (also water wheels) became the first major "engine" for reducing manual labor throughout the world.

From the 1800's to the 1900's, millions of windmills were in use throughout the U.S. on farms and ranches, moving water for agriculture, livestock, or in the home. Early attempts at using windmills to create electricity were quite successful, but the energy provided could not compete with the output of a fossil fuel burning plant and the technology was widely abandoned.

Recently, as global warming has increased and oil supplies have decreased, wind power is being looked at again as a clean alternative energy source.

What causes the wind?

Wind is really just the process of air moving from one place to another. Air moves between different regions when they have different temperatures, or when they are at different altitudes.

How is wind energy harvested?

The goal of a wind farm is to build wind turbines in a place where the wind is strong and constant. Winds are stronger higher up, so wind turbines are built as tall as they can be built, to capture all of the energy of the wind.

The turbines are spun by the wind
The turbines' movement activates a generator
The generator converts energy into electricity
The electricity flows down the shaft of the wind turbine into a transformer
It then flows into the national electric grid

Why would a farmer fill a field with wind turbines?

He can earn extra money and still keep his farm. One of the big drivers of the modern wind farm movement is that a farmer may install the turbines and then, after installation is complete, plant and harvest around the turbines.
Another attraction is that the money earned per acre of wind turbines is huge compared to the yield per acre of corn. A farmer can earn 29X more money per acre harvesting wind energy than by planting corn.

How much wind power is being produced in the world?

Wind power is a growing industry, but it is not remotely at a place where it can take the place of fossil fuel. Spain is approaching the ability to produce 15% of its energy needs with wind, with Germany near 7%, the U.S. and India near 2%, and China nearing 0.8%.

How much is the Wind Industry worth?

The Wind Industry in America was a small and faltering part of the energy business for most of recent history, but in 1997 a major energy company made a big investment in the Wind Industry for the first time. Unfortunately, that company was Enron. Enron made a financial, political, and a public relations investment in wind energy, and when Enron went bankrupt, GE stepped in and continued the process of building the industry. In 2009, GE sold $6 billion dollars worth of wind turbines. In 2008 the industry generated $50.2 billion in sales and also attracted $37 billion in investments.

How much can a farmer earn per acre harvesting wind?

One of the most profitable crops for an average farmer is corn. Corn can be eaten, it can be made into high fructose corn syrup which is used in hundreds of different products, and it can even be made into a bio-fuel called ethanol that can be added to gasoline and sold all over the country. A farmer growing corn for ethanol can earn $350 per quarter acre. That same farmer can earn nearly $10,000 per quarter acre with wind turbines.

What are some of the positives and negatives of wind energy?

Wind energy is growing quickly all over the world, but because it's new it's pros and cons are still much in debate.

Positives:

Wind energy is clean, renewable, and free — unlike coal, petroleum, or nuclear energy.
The price of wind energy is not influenced by market factors like inflation.
As the technology is advancing daily, wind energy is likely to decrease in price in the future.
The land used for wind farming can still be used for farming, ranching, or other uses.
Wind energy is local and could help free the U.S. from dependence on foreign oil.

Negatives:

Wind turbines are very large and can decrease property values in some situations.
The movement of the turbines can contribute to noise pollution levels.
The energy produced by existing wind turbines is much more expensive than that created by modern coal-burning plants.
(Avian deaths as a result of wind turbines have been found to be statistically minor.)

How fast is the Wind Energy Industry growing?

The alternative energy business is a growth industry, and the wind industry is a large part of that. In 2009 1.8% of the energy used across the planet was created by the Wind Energy industry. That may not seem like much, but it's twice as much as in 2008. If that progression continues at all, then in 2010 we might be looking at 3.6%, in 2011 it could be 7.2%, and by 2014 it could be over 50%.

What percentage of power is generated by the wind in the U.S. and other countries?

There are five major players among the nations investing in wind energy. Between 2005 and 2009 Wind Energy has become a larger and larger part of their national energy consumption.

China has gone from 0.1% to 0.8%.
In India, they have gone from 0.6% to 1.8 %.
The U.S. went from 0.5% to 2%.
Germany went from 5% to nearly 7%.
Spain has gone from 8% to 15%.

As these nations, and others, increase their use of wind turbines, the industry will continue making newer and better technology towards the goal of making wind power as cheap as fossil fuel power.