Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Energy

Talk of developing alternative energy sources such as wind energy, is very popular these days.  But what are the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy?

Wind generated energy for home is nothing new. Wind energy is one of the oldest forms of natural energy in the world. It has been used for centuries, often to churn grain and other agricultural products. In earlier times, it was often a popular alternative to water mills in dry places such as the southern United States and Mexico.

The Advantages of Wind Energy

• Wind energy is clean - one of the cleanest of alternative fuels. It doesn't pollute the environment with toxic materials as coal does. It doesn't create storage waste problems, such as nuclear energy. And it doesn't produce greenhouse gases thus contributing to global warming as diesel fuels do.
• Wind energy is cheap. Once you invest in the system and have it up and running, aside from normal maintenance, it's almost free to use.
• It's renewable - and self-sustaining. In fact, this is one of it's main advantages. The world will never run out of wind power.
• It's relatively efficient. Wind turbines can generate enormous amounts of electricity that can serve thousands of people connected to an electrical grid.
• If you have the land, it frees you from rate increases of your local utility. In some cases, you can also sell the excess energy capacity produced by your system and make money on the exchange.

The Disadvantages of Wind Energy

• Wind energy is not reliable. Even though we'll never run out of wind power, we also can't 100% predict exactly where and when it will show up or at what levels of strength.
• Currently, wind power needs a lot of land to be effective. This is land that could be used more profitably for other purposes.
• The construction of wind turbines upsets the natural habitats of native animals in the area. This, in some cases, may put survival of these animals in jeopardy.
• Some implementations of wind farms have been instrumental in inadvertently causing the deaths of birds. Hopefully, the next generation of wind farms will have resolved the problem.
• Turbine blades tend to be quite loud and can make a lot of noise - disturbing all inhabitants living nearby. Loud noise also upsets the natural ecosystem for animals living in the area.
• From a purely aesthetic standpoint, wind turbines can be unsightly
• Wind turbines have a propensity for being struck by lightening. Depending on where you  live in the world, this could involve the paying of ongoing maintenance fees.

Will wind energy ever replace coal or oil? It's most unlikely. However, wind energy can easily complement coal and oil as well as other alternative sources of fuel such as nuclear, solar, and hydroelectric power to generate enough electricity to fulfill our needs.

Wind Energy Companies
Over the centuries, man has harnessed the energy of wind to help him with all types of tasks and chores. What wind energy companies exist today and how are they helping us to take advantage of it's power?

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Financing renewable energy in India, like in most other places, is a constant juggling act choosing between cost and payback.