Wind energy is the future of energy production since it is so easy to access and is cost-effective!
The future is now! We're not just reliant on nuclear power plants and burning fossil fuels anymore. Now, we can create energy that is reusable and produces no CO2. This energy is the wind and one of the most amazing inventions that can be used to harness it is the wind turbine. It was invented by a man named Charles F. Brush in 1888. Back then his first models could only generate 12 kW, but now just a few wind turbines have the potential to power an entire city. It can also be used to power rural towns where the closest source of power can be hundreds of miles away. Currently, this technology is being developed by a subsidiary of the Department of Energy (DOE) named the Wind Energies Technologies Office or WETO. They are working on making this technology more reliable as well as enhancing the efficiency of the turbines.
When Brush invented the wind turbine, he created an electricity-producing machine that had the capability to improve conditions in the world, through a reduction in climate change and rural areas being able to access electricity. What motivated Brush to create such an amazing invention was his passion for all things electricity. It was created in the United States because the U.S. was one of the leading innovators of electricity at the time. He showed his love of electricity, at a young age, by building a static electricity machine at age twelve. He created the first-ever wind turbine, in 1888, to power his mansion in Cleveland, Ohio where there was no power. This set the United States way ahead of other countries in this new innovation called electricity. In the global community, wind power helps to minimize the effects of climate change. This invention is a zero-carbon energy source. Another reason why it helps to minimize climate change is evident based on data from 2018. During this year, the energy produced by wind decreased carbon pollution by an estimated 200 million tons. This innovation will also change the world by making electricity more accessible to rural areas. You can get electricity anywhere there is wind. In addition, in rural areas, wind turbines don’t take up much space so people who need to use the land for farming or other needs have it accessible. In other time periods, there have been inventions that have not only lasted the test of time but have improved the quality of people's lives. You can compare this invention to the printing press that was invented in the Renaissance. The printing press allowed people to read books and gain knowledge that would not have been available to them before. Similarly, the wind turbine allows the capability for people to live in rural areas and still access electricity where it may not have been available before. Both inventions improved the quality of life for people. In conclusion, the energy produced by wind turbines has great potential for reducing climate change and allowing access to electricity in rural areas.
MLA Citation:
The future is now! We're not just reliant on nuclear power plants and burning fossil fuels anymore. Now, we can create energy that is reusable and produces no CO2. This energy is the wind and one of the most amazing inventions that can be used to harness it is the wind turbine. It was invented by a man named Charles F. Brush in 1888. Back then his first models could only generate 12 kW, but now just a few wind turbines have the potential to power an entire city. It can also be used to power rural towns where the closest source of power can be hundreds of miles away. Currently, this technology is being developed by a subsidiary of the Department of Energy (DOE) named the Wind Energies Technologies Office or WETO. They are working on making this technology more reliable as well as enhancing the efficiency of the turbines.
When Brush invented the wind turbine, he created an electricity-producing machine that had the capability to improve conditions in the world, through a reduction in climate change and rural areas being able to access electricity. What motivated Brush to create such an amazing invention was his passion for all things electricity. It was created in the United States because the U.S. was one of the leading innovators of electricity at the time. He showed his love of electricity, at a young age, by building a static electricity machine at age twelve. He created the first-ever wind turbine, in 1888, to power his mansion in Cleveland, Ohio where there was no power. This set the United States way ahead of other countries in this new innovation called electricity. In the global community, wind power helps to minimize the effects of climate change. This invention is a zero-carbon energy source. Another reason why it helps to minimize climate change is evident based on data from 2018. During this year, the energy produced by wind decreased carbon pollution by an estimated 200 million tons. This innovation will also change the world by making electricity more accessible to rural areas. You can get electricity anywhere there is wind. In addition, in rural areas, wind turbines don’t take up much space so people who need to use the land for farming or other needs have it accessible. In other time periods, there have been inventions that have not only lasted the test of time but have improved the quality of people's lives. You can compare this invention to the printing press that was invented in the Renaissance. The printing press allowed people to read books and gain knowledge that would not have been available to them before. Similarly, the wind turbine allows the capability for people to live in rural areas and still access electricity where it may not have been available before. Both inventions improved the quality of life for people. In conclusion, the energy produced by wind turbines has great potential for reducing climate change and allowing access to electricity in rural areas.
MLA Citation:
- Third Planet Windpower, www.thirdplanetwind.com/energy/history.aspx.
- “Next-Generation Wind Technology.” Energy.gov, www.energy.gov/eere/next-generation-wind-technology.
- “Inventors HOF Inductee Charles Brush Invented Street Lighting.” Inventors HOF Inductee Charles Brush Invented Street Lighting, www.invent.org/inductees/charles-f-brush.
- “Environmental Benefits.” AWEA, www.awea.org/wind-101/benefits-of-wind/environmental-benefits.
- About the Author Jake Richardson Hello. “America's First Wind Turbine Generated Electricity In 1888.” CleanTechnica, 20 June 2014, cleantechnica.com/2014/06/22/americas-first-wind-turbine-generated-electricity-1888/.
- “Which Are the Benefits of Wind Energy?” ACCIONA, www.acciona.com/renewable-energy/wind-power/.
You mentioned in the first paragraph that wind turbines originally could only create 12 kW, but now can power an entire city. I was wondering how much a singular wind turbine could power now. Also, can different types of wind turbines create different kW of electricity to power different things?
ReplyDeleteAn onshore wind turbine, with an average megawatts (MW) of 2.5 to 3, can produce more than 6 million kilowatts (kWh) per year. This is enough to supply 1,500 average households with electricity. There are also smaller wind turbines depending on what you are using the power for.
DeleteAlright, I'm biased here, but what separates wind power from solar? What makes giant turbines better than panels you can put on your house? Where would wind work in ways that would weigh it over solar?
ReplyDeleteEven though wind turbines take more time to put up and are more expensive in the beginning, in the long run, it is way more cost-effective to have a wind turbine. In the same space that the base of a wind turbine can occupy, with a diameter of 200 feet, you can fit about 31,415 square feet of solar panels. These solar panels can produce 20 watts for every square foot. So it can produce 628.3 kilowatts worth of electricity but the average wind turbine with a 200 feet diameter can produce about 2 megawatts worth of power. So one wind turbine can produce 1,371.7 kilowatts (27.4%) more power than solar panels occupying the same space as the base of the wind turbine.
DeleteYou mentioned at the top of the blog that wind energy is cost-effective. Can you elaborate more on how this is so? How does the cost of wind energy compare to other strategies of producing energy?
ReplyDeleteWind energy is cost-effective because it may cost more in the beginning but after a year you can start to see the difference. As I explained in Jacob’s reply, it is 27.4% more effective than solar panels. But essentially it can produce about 4 million kWh in a single year. Monetarily this is equal to $527,600, so in over about 8 years the wind turbine should pay for itself.
Delete