One of the most important questions we face as a civilization is – how to make the best use of renewable energy? There are plenty of different sources of renewable energy that are at our disposal, but, unfortunately, it seems that we are not using them properly.
One of those sources is, of course, wind energy. A lot of companies and corporations are trying their best to utilize the power of wind and convert it into electricity and it seems that wind energy has become a go-to choice for many companies and households.
However, even though it’s a renewable source of energy, the wind has its pros and cons. Here’s what they are.
What Is Wind Energy?
Before we get into the pros and cons of wind energy, we should first establish what wind energy is. Wind energy is a renewable energy that harnesses power generated by wind through the use of wind turbines that convert it into electricity.
This is the simplest explanation. Even though this is one of the best and cleanest ways to produce electricity, this method has its cons. Here are the wind energy pros and cons.
The Advantages of Wind Energy
Every source of renewable energy has a plethora of advantages. Let’s see what wind energy has to offer.
1. Free Fuel
The ultimate goal of every renewable energy source is to produce free fuel. However, most of those sources require some sort of investment even once they are manufactured and installed. Wind energy, on the other hand, does not. The only investment required is the production of wind turbines. Once the turbines are made and installed, there’s no need for more investments. The turbines are using the wind to produce electricity and this is how they make free fuel.
Sure, the turbines have to be maintained every once in a while, especially if there’s some sort of malfunction, but this is rarely the case. Turbines work on a simple principle and they rarely break down. When it comes to pros and cons of wind energy, the fact that it’s so cheap makes it rather appealing. This is why a lot of rich and poor countries are utilizing this source of energy.
2. Wind Energy Is Clean
Considering the fact that turbines don’t require fossil fuels to run, they don’t leave gases behind them when they work. In other words, their carbon footprint is non-existent. Sure, fossil fuels and electricity are required for the making of the turbines and their transportation, but once the turbines are made and installed, they don’t produce greenhouse gases. This is one of the main reasons why wind energy is considered to be one of the cleanest sources of energy today.
Preserving the environment is the most important task we face as a civilization today and that’s why utilizing renewable sources of energy, like wind energy, is paramount.
3. Plenty of Options
Due to the many advances in technology, there are now plenty of options regarding wind turbines. Back in the day, there were only large ones that were used in large fields of corporations. However, today, manufacturers are able to create smaller and quieter wind turbines people can use in their backyards.
This changed the game drastically. Now, even the regular people are able to participate in the wind energy agenda and help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and consumption of fossil fuels. This is, for sure, one of the most important advantages of wind power.
Making sure that this energy source is available to the “little man” will change the world for the better.
4. Wind Turbines Don’t Disrupt the Farmland Operations
Why is this important? Well, the answer is pretty simple. In order to utilize the power of wind energy, the government has to find a big piece of land where they will put the turbines. The only option is to put the turbines on the farms.
Other sources of renewable energy, like solar panels, for example, take up too much space on the farms. They disrupt the farmland operations. Fortunately, this is not the case with wind turbines.
Once they are installed, they don’t take much space on the ground. This allows the farmers to do their work without any disruptions. Plenty of farmers welcome this kind of arrangement.
They rent their land to the government and, in return, they either get money or the permission to utilize the electricity made by the wind turbines. This, of course, depends on the agreement, but this is the way things will be done in the future regarding wind energy.
5. Reduces the Use of Fossil Fuels
As we already stated, wind energy is one of the cleanest sources of energy simply because it doesn’t require the use of fossil fuels. However, “cleanness” is not the only advantage of wind turbines. As you probably know, fossil fuels are not renewable. This means they will run out sooner or later.
This is why it’s paramount that we, as a civilization, find a way to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. One of the best ways to do this is by utilizing wind energy. No question, this source of energy will be important in days to come. We just have to be smart and recognize the advantages it offers.
Disadvantages of Wind Energy
Even though it may seem unlikely, wind energy has its disadvantages. This is especially true when it comes to poor countries that don’t have enough resources to invest in this energy source.
1. It Poses a Danger to Some Animals
Like we said, one of the main advantages of wind energy is the fact that it preserves the environment. It doesn’t require fossil fuels and it’s clean. However, wind turbines may pose a threat to some animals. Logically, birds and bats are the species that are in the most obvious danger by the turbines.
If the turbines are not set properly, the fans might stand in the migration way of some birds. If this happens, thousands of birds might be killed. Plenty of farmers point out this as their main concern when it comes to the installation of wind turbines.
However, birds and other flying animals are not the only ones that might suffer from wind turbines. The wildlife on the ground may also find it difficult to settle due to the noise turbines make while working.
This is exactly why proper planning is paramount when installing turbines. There are plenty of endangered species and it’s important to take care of them. Wind energy is clean, but the people should try their best not to harm the animals.
2. The Noise Might Disrupt the People Who Live Nearby
It’s safe to say that animals are not the only ones who might suffer from noise pollution. If the turbines are installed near a small town, the farmers and people in town may be disrupted by the noise. Sure, the technology has advanced, but, unfortunately, most governments can’t afford top-of-the-line wind turbines.
This means they will have to use the older models that are a bit noisier. People tend to underestimate the effects noise pollution might have on their daily lives. It could disrupt their hearing or their mental health.
Therefore, it’s important that the government and the corporation that is installing the turbines try their best to reduce the noise.
3. Upfront Costs
Wind energy is one of those renewable energy sources that don’t require fossil fuels. This makes it clean. However, one of the best things about wind turbines is that they don’t require too much maintenance.
This reduces the costs drastically and that’s why governments are interested in this energy source. On paper, this is a no-brainer. However, in order to install wind turbines, the government has to invest a lot of money. This is why one of the main disadvantages of wind energy is the upfront costs.
A lot of countries simply don’t have the funds to invest in this source of energy. This is why having a good financial plan and investment strategy is important when it comes to switching to wind energy.
4. Wind Energy Is Unpredictable
The noise pollution and upfront costs are two issues the government and manufacturers have to consider before installing the turbines, but there’s one more thing that’s, perhaps, more important. Wind energy can be rather unpredictable. Why is that? Well, the answer is quite simple.
Considering the fact that wind turbines don’t require fuel to work, they rely solely on the wind. As you probably know, wind can be unpredictable. During a single day, there can be windy periods and periods when there’s no wind. This means that the daily output of electricity is rather unpredictable.
Manufacturers and electricity companies can’t afford to guess how much electricity the turbines will produce. It’s too much of a gamble for them. This is why this unpredictability is considered to be one of the main disadvantages of wind energy.
Conclusion
For a long time now people have been trying to utilize the power of renewable energy. Solar energy is a go-to option for most manufacturers, but it’s safe to say that wind energy is in a close second. There are a lot of factors people need to consider when it comes to wind energy.
Most of those things are good and encouraging, but there are some disadvantages that might be surprising. For example, wind energy is considered to be the cleanest source of energy today, but the turbines may pose a threat to birds and wildlife on the ground if not installed properly. Also, the turbines don’t rely on fossil fuels, but they can be pretty loud. This can disrupt animal life and the life of people living nearby.
The newer turbines are quiet and manufacturers can now produce smaller turbines that are less likely to threaten the animals. However, this costs a lot of money. Unfortunately, plenty of countries don’t have the funds to invest in those state-of-the-art turbines.
Now, even though the upfront costs of manufacturing and installing the wind turbines are usually an issue that stands in the way of this endeavor, it’s important that we, as a civilization, try to make it happen. Wind energy is one of the cleanest ways to harvest electricity and it’s definitely worth the money.