What is Wind Energy?

Wind energy, like most sources of energy of earth, results from the sun. As the earth orbits the sun daily, it receives light and heat. The majority of the heat from the sun is received at the equator and it gradually reduces towards both poles. Across the earth, these heat differences help to create wind.

Wind energy is captured using towers with wind turbines mounted on the top. A rotor is attached to two or three blades that catch the wind and spin sometimes 100 feet or more above the ground. These turning blades spin a generator to create power. Wind generators can be used in areas where there are sufficient wind resources. Applications range from small home power systems to large wind farms used by utilities to provide power to the electric grid.

Why use Wind Energy?

Cost
Wind energy's most valuable quality is its cost competitiveness. Wind systems can produce electricity at between 3.3 and 5 cents / kWh depending on the availability of local, state, and federal incentives. These prices are comparable with conventional power generation. But unlike fossil fuel power generation, we are not running out of wind!

Job Creation
Harnessing wind power is considerably more labor intensive than fossil fuel based energy generation. Numerous studies have shown that wind power can provide up to 70% more jobs than natural gas. One justification for this is that the bulk of electricity costs in fossil fuel systems are normally used to pay for the acquisition of the fuel itself. By contrast, investments in wind power do not go towards fuel costs (since wind is free), but rather to the labor costs of manufacturing, installing, and maintaining the turbines. Additionally, compared to fossil fuels, these employment gains are more likely to be localized because of the heavy and cumbersome nature of wind turbine components.

How can you use Wind Energy?

Wind power for geographic regions is expressed using wind power classes. Class 1 is the lowest and Class 7 is the highest. Each class signifies a range of mean wind power density or estimated mean wind speed at particular heights above the ground. Areas designated Class 3 or greater are appropriate for most wind energy applications, whereas Class 2 areas are marginal, and Class 1 areas are generally not suitable.

Individual-Owned Wind Power
Individuals that own property with strong wind resources may consider acquiring and installing a small-scale wind turbine for private use. This turbine can reduce grid-power electric bills, provide back-up power during power outages, and may be a primary source of electricity. Smaller wind turbines are more expensive on a per-watt basis than their larger counterparts. These units typically cost $3,000 to $5,000 per kilowatt of capacity. This puts a typical residential-sized unit (10 kW) at $35,000-$40,000.

Utility-Owned Wind Power
In terms of sheer megawatts added, the greatest growth in the wind industry has come from the utility industry. Utility owned wind power typically takes the form of multiple turbines. These "wind farms" can produce hundreds of MWh. Usually these turbines are grouped together in one geographic area that is rich with wind resources. In Michigan, Traverse City Light and Power has been a true leader by installing the first utility-owned wind turbine.

Community Wind Power
Local units of government, school districts, and collectives of concerned citizens have been investing in wind energy. By paying a little more up front, these entities can save significantly on their energy bills down the road and help to keep energy profits local.
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