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