GREEN Energy from Wind
Wind: The Lowest Carbon Footprint of Any Energy Source
Wind turbines directly convert the kinetic energy of the wind into a useful form (electricity) for power production. Large wind turbines; specifically, arrays of large wind turbines - wind farms - along with utility-scale PV, are now the least expensive forms of energy. Among energy sources used to power a municipal grid, wind farms have the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, and the lowest carbon footprint, of any energy source renewable or non-renewable, once the wind farm is fully constructed and operational.
Additionally, small wind turbines are used to power RVs, industrial-grade batteries, large industrial appliances; or provide auxiliary power for small businesses, homes, and farms.
Technological Breakthroughs in Wind
Recently, there have been many breakthroughs in wind turbine technology that continue to increase energy efficiency and lower the costs of this renewable energy source. Advancements in wind turbine blade design are continually being developed to increase flow and decrease drag. Research, development, and deployment, are being done with strong, light, corrosion-resistant composite materials for blades, towers, and foundation structures.
Wind turbines are also increasing in size and capacity. GE recently unveiled a 12 MW offshore wind turbine - the Haliade-X. The Haliade-X is developed for use in new European offshore wind farm projects, as well as for the Ocean Wind Farm off the east coast of the US, and for use in other offshore wind farms.
In addition, the latest trends in global wind technology include smart industrial networks using wind, augmenting wind power with energy storage, as well as moving wind farms offshore.
Improving the technological management of wind farms, industrial smart systems send data to wind farm operators through a wi-fi network; predicting wind strength and optimal position for turbines based on the forecasted wind speed and direction. One especially innovative breakthrough in wind turbines has lasers pinpointing the direction of the wind, so that turbine blades can optimize their productive capacity by automatically adjusting their position.
Also helping to improve the effectiveness of wind farms, energy storage technologies coupled with wind farms store excess electricity when more energy is produced by the wind than what is needed. Storage technologies feed energy back into the grid when the wind slows down or stops blowing.
The nations that have achieved the most success with wind power, as far as wind representing a major source of energy production for the entire country, are mostly European nations. Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Norway, Spain, and Germany, are global leaders in terms of wind farms producing a large share of their countries' energy needs. The success of wind energy in these countries is in no small part due to their national investment in offshore wind farms.
Denmark uses wind energy for over 1/2 of the country's electricity needs, while Sweden is at over 40%, on good days for wind. Scotland was the first country in the world to power 100% of their country's electricity for a day with wind energy alone.
Wind farms have seen success outside of Europe, as well. In the U.S., the installation of new capacity for energy generation has seen wind farm energy finally outpacing that of natural gas. In Europe, new wind has been the leading source of new energy capacity installed for many years, especially because Europe has embraced offshore wind farms.
Over 100 nations around the world are now using wind as an energy source for their countries. However, wind energy still only accounts for a little over 6% of overall global electricity generation - a statistic that will grow quickly as more global wind farm capacity is added.
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Breakthroughs in Wind Energy Technology
London Array - paving the way for efficient offshore wind energy farms
Anholt Offshore Wind Farm — Denmark’s most powerful source of renewable energy
The Block Island Wind Farm - America's 1st operational offshore wind farm