Wind Power

Allison Wolf, Chrissy Kelemen, Michelle Sanabria, Doug Stansley

How does it generate power? • The potential for wind energy is high!

• Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, wind mills for mechanical power, wind pumps for pumping water or drainage, or sails to propel ships.

History behind wind power• Humans have been using wind power

for at least 5,500 years • Evolved from early Chinese and Persian

civilizations• Has propelled ships and has driven

windmills to grind grain and pump water• In the past thousands of windmills were

used to pump water for ranches and more recently it has been used to generate electricity

• Windpumps contributed to the expansion of rail transport systems throughout the world

Where is it used?

• Regions with the greatest potential for wind energy are the pacific north west coastal area, coastal region of north east US and a belt from north texas through the rocky mountain areas, in NC and northern Coachella Valley in Southern CA

• A site with a sustained wind velocity of about 5 m/sex or greater is a good prospect for wind energy development

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/United_States_Wind_Resources_and_Transmission_Lines_map.jpg

Benefits

• Low environmental impact• Continued use is certain• Reduces dependence on fossil fuels• Created thousands of jobs in recent years• It is versatile (using wind turbines to make

electricity, wind mills for mechanical power, wind pumps for pumping water or drainage, or sails to propel ships).

• Consumes no fuel and emits no air pollution.

Negative Consequences

• Windmills kill birds• Large windmill farms use large areas of land for

roads, pads for the windmills and other equipment• Windmills are highly variable in time and intensity• May degrade an area's aesthetic quality

Efficiency

• Wind turbines usually operate 75-90% of the time – but not at full capacity

• A well designed, modern turbine might achieve an efficiency of 35%

Ideal location in the United States• A site with sustained wind velocity of about

5m/sec or greater.• This can be found in the Pacific Northwest coastal

area, the coastal region of the northeastern U.S., a belt extending from northern Texas through the Rocky Mountain states and the Dakotas

Is it available here?

• Yes, although it is not utilized in our specific community, it is available in some places in NJ.

• One example: Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm is the first wind farm to be built in New Jersey, and the first coastal wind farm in the United States-located in Atlantic County, NJ

Costs:• It costs $97 an hour• $2328 daily• $847392 a year. • At home it costs the same

as a normal electric bill: $323.

• It costs $2 million a turbine and NJ has about 10 which means we spent $20,000,000 on them.

How is this source provided to costumers?

• The energy is converted to electricity and put into the electric grid with the energy from all other sources. From the grid it goes to houses and factories as needed.

How does it enter the house, schools?

• It enters houses and schools directly like normal coal based electricity.

• The power generated from the turbines is converted to electricity through an electric grid.

• 1% of NJ’s electricity comes from wind energy.

Wind Power and Transportation

• The use of Wind Power could potentially lower gas prices slightly.

• There are also wind powered cars, but these models are not going to be ready for use in the near future.

Wind Power and Pollution

• It has been debated whether wind power causes pollution. Some studies say that wind power causes pollution , while others claim that it doesn’t.

• Compared to other power sources, environmental effects are minor because it consumes no fuel and emits no air pollution.

• The initial carbon dioxide emission from energy used in the installation is "paid back" within about 2.5 years of operation for offshore turbines.

• Wind Towers do cause some noise pollution, Each tower can generate the same level of noise as a family car travelling at 70 mph.

• They may pose a danger to birds though because about 10,000 - 40,000 birds die each year from collisions with wind turbines

Will it be easy to assimilate into our lives?

• Wind power can be assimilated into every day life.

• The energy can be used by power plants and electric companies, it is even possible to make your own.

• You do not have to rely solely on wind power for electricity, fossil fuels will still be able to bring power to your home.

Wind Power Incentives

• Many American states also provide incentives, such as exemption from property tax, mandated purchases, and additional markets for "green credits“.