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What is Wind Energy? A wind turbine works in the opposite manner of a fan, instead of using electricity to create wind, turbines use wind to generate electricity. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft that is connected to a generator, thus making electricity. Residential scale wind turbines range from a few hundred watts, enough to run a light bulb or two, to 50 kilowatts (kW), enough to power a small neighborhood. The average residential scale turbine is between 1 to 5 kW in size. Utility-scale turbines range in size from 50 kW to more than 1.8 Megawatts (MW). Most large scale wind projects or "wind farms" range from 30 to 300 MW - most wind farms in the United States are projected to take place in either the Great Plaines in the western part of the U.S. or offshore on the continental shelf in the Eastern U.S. Does Wind Energy Work? Wind energy is the fastest growing energy source in the world, with thousands of new Megawatts going up every year in both Europe and in the United States. Just like traditional energy sources, the electricity produced by commercial scale wind energy is added to the power grid and sent through transmission and distribution lines to homes, businesses and schools. In the Southeast commercial wind development is only practical on the ridge tops of mountains and offshore due to wind speeds. Residential scale wind energy can be a great way to generate power at a home or farm, but is very site specific - few people live where there is good wind in the Southeast. How Much Wind Do You Need? Strong, frequent winds are ideal for generating electricity. For a specific location, annual average wind speed is used to calculate the amount of energy in the wind blowing through a wind turbine's rotor per square meter. Wind energy uses a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 being the best location and 1 being the least ideal location. Sites in areas with wind energy of class 3 or higher are candidates for a commercial wind farm development. Class 2 sites or higher offer possibilities for adding small residential scale wind generators. Correct estimation of the energy available in the wind can make or break the economics of a wind farm development. An Anemometer is used to measures the wind speed for both residential and commercial development. Both small residential and large commercial turbines need to be placed on a tower that is at least 30 feet higher than the tallest object in order to get above destructive lower level wind turbulence. What Are the Benefits of Wind Energy? Wind energy is a clean renewable source of energy without the huge environmental and health problems associated with how we generate electricity today. Wind energy has also proven to be a great boon to poor rural areas, bringing good jobs and economic benefits. Modern wind turbines are quiet, efficient and graceful and have become very popular in places where they have been developed. What Incentives Are There for Using Wind Energy? Commercial wind energy has been coming in cheaper than natural gas and is becoming very cost competitive for new generation. The Federal government has a small incentive for commercial wind development called the Production Tax Credit that has been hugely successful in driving wind development. There are presently no federal incentives for the average residential homeowner to buy a wind turbine. Some states and/or utility companies provide financial incentives that make the purchase easier. Visit the Database of State Incentives of Renewable Energy (DSIRE) web site for a list of available incentives in your state. For more information on wind energy in the Southeast, visit the Western North Carolina Renewable Energy Initiative. |
