WIND POWER: Do the pluses outweigh the negative impacts?

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WIND POWER Do the pluses outweigh the negative
impacts?

• Annelise Przywara, Carl Von Glahn,
• Eleanor Laffey Ammar Sabanovic

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What is wind power?

• ---gt Power that captures the natural wind in our
  atmosphere and converts it into mechanical energy
  then electricity.
• Wind power is a form of solar energy- result of
  uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun
• Wind energy has been utilized for many years
  (windmills and sailboats)
• Modern turbines harness winds kinetic energy and
  convert it into electricity
• Most turbines have three blades and sit atop a
  steel tubular tower
• American
  Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
• energy.gov

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Major types

• Utility-scale wind
• Distributed or small wind
• Offshore wind
• American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)

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On shore Off shore Wind Farm Wind
Farm

• mitchelltech.edu leadenergy.org

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How it works

• Wind blows past a turbine and the blades capture
  the energy as it rotates
• A shaft that is connected to a gearbox makes it
  spin faster
• All of this is connected to a generator that
  makes electricity
• Consists of
• steel tubular tower(up to 325 ft)
• gearbox, generator and controls
• The turbines are all made with wind assessment
  equipment to pick up the wind and rotate
  automatically.
• American Wind Energy Association
  (AWEA)

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Inside a Wind Turbine

• thenewecologist.com

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PROS VS. CONS

• Clean Energy Source
• No radioactive waste
• Renewable
• Space efficient
• Prices have decreased over 80 since 1980
• Low operational costs- only cost is construction
  and maintenance

• Intermittent power source
• Threat to wildlife
• Habitat fragmentation
• Aesthetics
• Noise Wind turbine syndrome
• energyinformative.org

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Wind is a Clean Energy Source

• Harnessing wind does not pollute environment AT
  ALL!
• No emissions of carbon into the atmosphere
• No acid rain
• According to the U.S. Department of Energys
  Wind Vision, if we increase our nations wind
  energy capacity by 20 by 2030, it would
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• A cumulative total of 7,600 million tons of
  carbon dioxide would be avoided by 2030, and more
  than 15,000 million tons of carbon dioxide would
  be avoided by 2050

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No radioactive waste

• Why is radioactivity bad?
• Radioactive waste is hazardous to life and the
  environment
• Has to be isolated when disposed
• Comparing wind to other forms
• Nuclear - produces mass amounts of radioactive
  waste
• Coal - produces carbon dioxide
• Gas - releases methane,nitrous oxide, and
  fluorinated gases http//www.epa.gov/climatecha
  nge/ghgemissions/global.html

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Renewable

• Originates from the nuclear fusion processes that
  take place on the sun
• - Form of solar energy since winds are caused by
  the heating of the atmosphere by the sun,
  rotation of earth, the earths surface
  irregularities
• Naturally occurring
• Reliable
• As long as sun shines and the wind blows the
  energy produced can be harnessed
• Not the case for oil natural gas their
  supplies will be depleted
• energy.gov

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Space Efficient

• The largest wind turbines are capable of
  generating enough electricity to meet the energy
  demand of 600 average U.S. homes
• Turbines cant be placed too close to each other
• Land in between can be used for other things
• Ex.) Farming

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Project Guidelines

• Projects must go through permitting process at
  Federal, State and Local levels
• Must Address
• Wild and habitat issues
• Military and nonmilitary infrastructure
• COMMUNITY CONCERNS
• NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) is the opposition of
  a proposal by residents for a new development
  that is near them

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Wind Energy Costs

• Main Costs for Wind Energy
• For a land based wind project, 70 or more of the
  cost is primarily from purchasing the wind
  turbine.
• Installation takes up the rest of the Capital
  Costs.
• Once operating, maintenance is required by wind
  technicians and operators
• Other costs include
• -financing, permitting, cost/availability of
  skilled labor,
• and the economy of the surrounding community.

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Advancements in Technology Lower Costs

• Since 1980, the demand for wind energy has
  greatly increased while the cost has been
  decreasing.
• Taller towers and longer lighter blades have
  increased production and capacity
• Prices have decreased over 80 since 1980

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Intermittent Power Source

• Unpredictable
• Wind doesnt always blow
• Availability is not constant
• Hope for breakthroughs in storage technologies

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Threat to Wildlife

• New study (September 2014)
• Passerine birds most common
• less than 0.01 collide
• 130,000-230,000 out of 5 billion
• All bird species
• 214,000-368,000
• http//awwi.org/new-study/

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Habitat Fragmentation

• Require so much land
• Building roads and transmission lines are
  dangerous
• Other species can move into the area
• Can upset hunters
• retrieved from Journal of Wildlife Management

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Aesthetics

• How wind turbines look is a concern for some
  people
• Too big, too many all in one place
• http//energyinformative.org/wind-energy-pros-and-
  cons/

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Noise Wind Turbine Syndrome

• Wind Turbine Syndrome (WTS) - produces several
  symptoms related to the vestibular systems
  (balance) organs
• disturbed sleep
• headaches, tinnitus (ear ringing)
• sense of quivering or vibration
• nervousness
• rapid heartbeat
• nausea
• difficulty with concentration
• memory loss
• irritability and anger

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Overall...

• The pluses of wind power do outweigh the
  negatives impacts.
• Doesnt pollute environment
• Renewable
• Prices decreasing

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Sources

• http//energyinformative.org/wind-energy-pros-and-
  cons/
• http//energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-w
  ork
• http//www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/glob
  al.html
• http//www.awea.org/Resources/Content.aspx?ItemNum
  ber900
• http//windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/
• http//www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35953.pdf
• http//www.energymatters.com.au/components/wind-en
  ergy/
• http//windwisema.org/about/noise/wind-turbine-syn
  drome-and-vibroacoustic-disease/
• http//www.nrel.gov/docs/fy14osti/61095.pdf