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Wind power has always been an interesting area of technology
to look at, if for no other reason than the idea of harvesting "free" energy
from something as simple as wind currents. But the technology itself is also
pretty fascinating. Let's just say we've come a long way from old fashioned
windmills…
From:
to
(Credit: Siemens AG,
Munich/Berlin)
Here's a rotor blade of the world's largest wind turbine (5 MW)
being transported to the construction site through a small town.
Make Way! (Credit:
Siemens AG, Munich/Berlin)
Wind power has been a steadily growing renewable energy
source in the U.S. over the last decade. In this time, improvements in
technology have made wind turbines larger, lighter, and longer to increase
efficiency and capacity. In 2011, wind power comprised 32% of additions to U.S.
electric generating capacity. Unfortunately, much of this growth has stemmed
from federal monies and tax credits such as the Product Tax Credit (PTC) and
Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit. These are likely to expire by the end
of 2012.
Some new projects in the country are still pushing forward,
however. While all current wind energy in the U.S. is land-based (mostly located
in the Midwest and Great Plains), some 20 offshore wind projects representing
2000 MW of capacity are in the works. This includes Cape Wind, a company that since
the early 2000's has aimed to construct 130 wind turbines with a max capacity
of 420 MW on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound. Just last week the company received FAA approval for their
project, which certifies the farm will pose no hazard to aircraft flying in the
region.
 Offshore wind provides a number of advantages over
land-based generation, most notably higher average wind speeds. Noise
pollution, loss in scenery, and injuries to birds are also not problems when
building offshore. Cost is really the biggest problem, which is affected by
construction, operation, and grid connection difficulties due to being located
on the water. Specifically, there is no existing infrastructure for connecting
offshore wind to the grid, so each project must create its own solution. And
assembling these massive machines out on the water, as you can imagine, is not
an easy task.
Still, Cape Wind and other projects like it promise lower
electricity costs for their local customers through the 'price suppression' effect
of renewable sources, which has been documented in Europe.
Despite all the incentives and apparent progress, wind power currently chips in only 3% of the nation's total electricity output, and its true economic
sustainability will be realized a year from now if existing and startup wind
projects are left on their own financially.
Cost-effectiveness has always been the question, specifically if the money used to build wind-farms could not be better used someplace else (such as insulating homes to reduce energy consumption and waste). The prospect of cost-effectively
utilizing personal (residential) wind turbines is not yet an effective alternative either. At $6,000
and 400 kWh a month, it would take the average homeowner 12 years or more
to make back the initial cost in energy savings. Safe to say, wind power still
has a long ways to go.
References
Ars
technica - Wind power
Boston
Globe - FAA rules Cape Wind will not affect air traffic
Technology
Review - A Mighty Wind Turbine
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