| Wind power has long been a source of | | | | reliable renewable energy resource throughout |
| renewable energy, as evidenced by the many | | | | the global is probably about five times what |
| windmills of centuries past. The flow of air | | | | it currently produces and forty times what is |
| is used to run wind turbines, some of which | | | | currently demanded of it. Large pieces of |
| can produce up to 5 megawatts of power. The | | | | land that are not now being used for wind |
| most common wind turbines for renewable | | | | turbines could easily do so, especially in |
| energy used commercially produce between 1.5 | | | | high wind areas. The offshore areas, where |
| and 3 megawatts. The renewable energy that a | | | | wind is nearly twice as fast and dependable |
| wind turbine gives off is derived by the cube | | | | as that of inshore land masses could be |
| of the speed of the wind. As the speed of the | | | | increased substantially as renewable wind |
| wind increases the power that the turbine | | | | energy sources. |
| puts out increases almost exponentially. In | | | | |
| places where wind is strong and nearly | | | | The strength of the wind near the surface of |
| continual such as at high altitudes and | | | | the earth varies considerably and scientists |
| offshore are the best places to locate wind | | | | cannot assure that the earth would have |
| farms. | | | | continuous renewable wind energy there unless |
| | | | it was combined with other sources of energy |
| Wind is the fastest growing source of power | | | | or stored in some way. Some suggest that 1000 |
| through any of the renewable energy resources | | | | megawatts of the capacity for conventional |
| and technologies. In the past ten years, the | | | | wind gathering could be counted on to produce |
| maximum capacity of wind power installed the | | | | 333 megawatts of power that is continuous. |
| world over went from a 1992 high of 2500 | | | | This could change as our technology evolves, |
| megawatts to a high of 40,000 in 2003 and | | | | but most experts suggest using wind in the |
| continued to grow each year after that by | | | | context of a renewable energy system that has |
| another 30 percent. This shows no signs of | | | | an expansive capacity for reserving the |
| abating. Due to wind being an intermittent | | | | energy. Examples of these would be hydro |
| energy resource most wind turbines in the | | | | power, desalination plants, reserve loads and |
| European Union only produce an average of one | | | | the mitigation of the economic impact of |
| fourth of the power they are actually capable | | | | variability of resources. |
| of. Under favourable wind conditions, | | | | |
| however, some reach 35 percent or more. In | | | | Not only is wind power a renewable energy, |
| winter the EU realizes a higher load factor. | | | | but like other renewable energies it gives |
| What this means is that wind as a renewable | | | | off no harmful greenhouse gases while being |
| energy in Europe typically has a capacity for | | | | operated no methane, no carbon dioxide. The |
| 5 megawatts maximum per turbine but regularly | | | | one negative of wind power is that bats and |
| produces 1.7 megawatts. | | | | birds get caught up in the turbines and get |
| | | | killed. Wind turbines should, therefore, be |
| The long term potential for wind as a | | | | built where this impact would be least felt. |