Using our environment in beneficial ways for us and also the environment to run this world is a win/win situation. Wind turbines fall into this category. We harness the wind to create energy in order to run our many power sources. Check out our short list of benefits. Will they make you consider optimizing your energy sources and installing a wind turbine in your back yard?
Wind energy doesn’t pollute the air like power plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas. Wind turbines don’t produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain or greenhouse gasses.
The nation’s wind supply is abundant: over the past 10 years, cumulative wind power capacity in the United States increased an average of 30% per year, outpacing the 28% growth rate in worldwide capacity.
Wind is actually a form of solar energy; winds are caused by the heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the rotation of the earth, and the earth’s surface irregularities. For as long as the sun shines and the wind blows, the energy produced can be harnessed to send power across the grid.
It is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies available today, costing between four and six cents per kilowatt-hour, depending upon the wind resource and project financing of the particular project.
This greatly benefits the economy in rural areas, where most of the best wind sites are found. Farmers and ranchers can continue to work the land because the wind turbines use only a fraction of the land. Wind power plant owners make rent payments to the farmer or rancher for the use of the land providing landowners with additional income.
Reference: https://energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-wind-energy
Photo Credits: www.dbanoise.com
