7 Things You Didn’t Know About Wind Energy

What is Wind Energy?

Wind energy is the conversion of wind into a useful form of Reliant energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships. Wind-powered machines are now generally known as “wind Turbines” (“wind generators”). You should have the power to choose which energy plan is most efficient for you and wind energy is an excellent choice. 

More About Wind Energy

Wind energy is the fastest-growing form of alternative energy and has been expanding quickly since 1990. From 2004 to 2014, the worldwide installed capacity of wind turbines grew at rates of 10-60% annually for many years, overall doubling about every three years. At the end of 2014, worldwide total wind capacity was 432.9 gigawatts (GW), representing approximately 3% percent of global electricity demand.

Top 7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Wind Energy

1. Wind Energy Isn’t New

Wind energy has been used since ancient times to propel sailboats and windmills. In the mid and late 1800s, during the Industrial Revolution, big sails of steel were mounted at windmill pumps to lift water for irrigation and drinking so homes and fields would be productive.

2. Wind Energy Is Cheap

The average cost of electricity from a new wind turbine installed in the U.S. these days is around $85 per megawatt-hour (MWh). That’s about 8 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is more than double the cost of electricity from conventional sources like coal or natural gas. But because wind energy doesn’t require any fuel to operate, wind energy has the lowest price of all renewable sources. 

3. Wind Is Abundant

Wind power is one of the fastest-growing energy technologies in history and by far the least expensive type of new electricity to develop at scale. The U.S. has enough harnessable wind on land to provide over four times current demand for electricity. Even a moderate amount of wind energy can reliably supply a large share of U.S. electricity needs in the future, and there is strong potential for much more.

4. Wind Energy Is Clean

Wind energy produces no pollution, significantly reduces carbon emissions, and is environmentally friendly compared to most other forms of power generation available today. New wind turbines are very efficient compared to older designs, and it’s common for modern wind turbines to operate at a capacity factor of 30% or more.

5. Wind Energy Creates Jobs

Wind is a popular source of new jobs for Americans. By the end of 2014, more than 88,900 wind workers were employed in the U.S., and wind was second only to oil as a source of energy employment.

6. Wind Turbines Are Quiet

Wind turbines operate at speeds of up to about 200 mph, so it might seem they would sound like jets or propeller planes when spinning. But even on days with strong winds, you’ll have a hard time hearing them whirring from a distance of even a mile away.

7. Wind Energy Saves Water

Wind energy is a very water-efficient source of power, requiring no directly. Unlike traditional sources of energy such as coal and nuclear, wind farms don’t require large volumes of water for cooling, or steam production can harm aquatic ecosystems. Installing wind turbines over agricultural lands helps to conserve scarce supplies by reducing evaporation.