wind power by: danforth holley kendal effinger & daisy bledsoe-herring
TRANSCRIPT
Uses of Wind Power
Primarily electricity Heats, lights, and cools homes Runs cars, appliances, and the technology of
the future Also mechanical energy
Grind grain, pump water
How do windmills work?
Wind spins the rotor blades Which turns a gearbox Attached to an electrical generator Which creates electrical energy Which is then distributed through
power cables
WHAT WOULD WIND REPLACE?
Non Renewable Fossil Fuels Mainly coal Natural Gas
Coal Plants
(“NY Times”)
(Miller Textbook)
Advantages Over Coal
High Efficiency Low
Environmental Impact
Would lower electricity costs
Quick construction
(Miller Textbook)
(“Scruffy Dan Blog”)
More Advantages… Clean
No air pollution No CO2 Emission
reduced by 99% when wind replaces coal
reduced by 98% when wind replaces natural gas
Abundant Reliable Affordable Safe
(“Yes2Wind”)
(“Renewable Energy Sources”)
Wind Power in the USA
Wind farms generate electricity in 28 states.
Most wind production in: Texas, California, Iowa,
Minnesota, and Oklahoma. Areas with most potential:
Midwest US “Saudi Arabia of Wind”
(“Miller Text”)
Dakotas/Texas Most turbines in California
(“AWEA”)
(“Wind Action”)
A Case Study: Stateline Wind Energy Project
Location Vansycle Ridge-
boarder between Washington & Oregon
399 Turbines Wind comes from
Columbia Ridge 16-18 mph average
Capacity: Produces enough
energy for 26,500 Homes (“Wind Energy: The Facts”)
(“BPA.GOV”)
A Case Study: Stateline Wind Energy Project PROS
Helps local/national econ Eliminates need for some
fossil fuel plants Environmental Review
shows that impact is low Low land use Technology to protect
environment/safety
(“Wikipedia”)
(“RNP”)
A Case Study: Stateline Wind Energy Project CONS
Very few cons Inevitably some birds
will be effected Areas were
temporarily disturbed during construction
Some roads must be built to access facilities=habitat destruction
(“Wikipedia”)
(“BPA”)
Becoming Mainstream Increased 50% US overtook Germany in 2008
Variability relies on the wind to blow Not completely reliable
Low startup and maintenance costs Barriers: Current coal-powered plants
Industries based on these
Mainstreaming Wind Power
Infrastructure
Wind Turbines Sites to place
turbines High wind, land
use, value of energy, etc.
Transmission line availability
State of State Address
Reduce reliance on coal-burning power plants by 45% Solar and wind energy
Wind Turbines in the Great Lakes Use money saved from importing
coal to build wind turbines Manufacture parts in Michigan—
creating jobs
Denmark Denmark gets 19% of their electricity
from windmills. Near Copenhagen, Denmark has the
world’s largest off shore wind farm.
Sources
American Wind Energy Association. 05 Feb. 2009 http://www.awea.org .
"Review of the major Wind Power Turbine Manufacturers - Part 2 |." Renewable Energy Sources. 05 Feb. 2009 http://www.renewable-energy-sources.com/2008/04/14/review-of-the-major-wind-power-turbine-manufacturers-part-2/ .
"Wind Energy." Energy Information Administration - EIA - Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government. 05 Feb. 2009 http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/wind.html .
"Www.windaction.org | Horse Hollow Wind Plant." Www.windaction.org | Welcome. 05 Feb. 2009 http://www.windaction.org/pictures/6534
YES 2 Wind. 05 Feb. 2009 <ï¯ http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/wind-power >.
YES2WIND: How to say yes to wind energy in your area. 05 Feb. 2009 http://www.yes2wind.com .