Page 311 - Alternative Energy Systems in Building Design
P. 311
WIND TURBINE ENERGY ECONOMICS 285
■ After initial installation capital, wind turbines require relatively minimal mainte-
nance and produce energy without producing any atmospheric pollution.
■ Even though wind turbines are very tall, they occupy a minimal footprint such that
the occupied land could be used for agricultural and cattle-rearing purposes.
■ Wind farms offer an economic alternative in rural locations, where grid utility service
installations are not readily available.
■ Wind turbines are one of the best means of providing electrical energy in third-
world countries.
■ In most installations, electric power produced by wind turbines is more competitive
than grid-supplied power.
Disadvantages
■ To produce power, wind turbines require minimum wind speeds of 7 mi/h, which
means that power produced by windmills must be supplemented with an alternative
source of electric power.
■ Owing to the possibility of accidental bird collision with wind turbine blades and
the disturbance of marine life in offshore installations, some animal protection
groups and environmentalists object to wind energy production.
■ Owing to the imposing structure heights of windmills, most people in urban areas
object to landscape disfigurement.
■ During the process of manufacturing, some pollution is produced.
■ To harvest dependable amounts of energy from wind, large numbers of turbines
must be installed in sufficient quantities in rural locations. These locations must
have appropriate atmospheric wind current conditions to ensure a higher probability
of power production. Wind turbine output production often must be supplemented
with auxiliary gas turbines or other energy-production means to provide some
degree of power-production stability.