Disadvantages & Advantages of Using Wind Energy

As the price of oil has steadily climbed over the years, there has been an increasing search for inexpensive, natural forms of renewable energy. One of the proposed options has been wind energy, which can be harnessed using wind turbines and is easily harvested from windy coastal regions. The theory of wind energy harvesting is relatively simple and has great possibilities for collecting energy; however there are still some disadvantages to using wind energy.

Advantage - Free Wind

• Wind energy has been touted by some energy analysts as an effective, natural source of energy that is free and renewable. Large, elevated wind turbines capture the wind and process it into electricity or energy. In coastal regions or mountains, it is possible to generate a large amount of energy that can be used to power residential houses or public services. The manufacturers of wind turbines have created different sizes depending on the population size or needs of the community installing the technology.

Advantage - No Pollution

• Renewable wind energy is especially attractive as an energy alternative because the method of harnessing the energy is pollution free. Other forms of energy generation, such as nuclear plants or coal plants, release harmful byproducts in the form of carbon emissions or spent radioactive materials. Wind energy is completely renewable and cannot be depleted, which is not true of other energy sources like oil or uranium.

Disadvantage - Unreliable

• Wind energy is fairly unreliable and inconsistent. Although wind power is always available, wind is rarely predictable in terms of both strength and consistency. The location of the turbines must receive constant wind; otherwise, the costs associated with installing the turbine will far outweigh the energy gained from it. This means that not all communities will benefit from wind turbines. Only the communities that border coastal/mountainous areas that receive large amounts of wind can reliably depend upon wind energy.

Disadvantage - Cost & Noise

• Constructing wind turbines is still relatively expensive, and it takes several years to recoup some of the initial costs associated with erecting this energy-generating tool. Wind turbines also generally produce much less electricity than fossil fueled power plants, meaning communities installing turbines will most likely have to install multiple turbine units, explains Clean Energy Ideas. The units are also noisy when they are in operation, so any houses or communities relatively close to the turbines will experience noise pollution.