Cyr.Dannaher.MMA.Spring.2009.EnergyandWater


 * WIND POWER **

∙ No greenhouse gas emissions ∙ No fuel consumption ∙ Very Energy efficient
 * Advantages- **



Today we are so reliant on fossil fuels as a means of producing energy that we have turned what was once a great abundance into a foreseen shortage in the near future.Not only are we deteriorating such resources but we are causing massive amounts of pollution.America is a major contributor and is responsible for 25% of total world pollution today. Efforts have been made to try and break away from our reliance on fossil fuels and use more environmental friendly sources of energy.The goal is not only to find sources that limit pollution but also are renewable.A perfect form of this “green” energy is wind power.
 * What is the problem at hand? **

The problem with relying on wind to create energy is that it is not a constant source.Wind turbines must be placed in areas where there is a strong supply of wind.However, even the best areas for these turbines can experience stagnant days. (I.e. we experience days here on Taylor’s Point where there is very little wind and the turbine is becalmed.)In order to produce a reliable amount of energy many turbines have to be used, meaning that wind farms have to be stationed on large areas of land to accommodate them all.Onshore wind turbines can also cause problems to the local wildlife.Though the number of birds and bats killed by wind turbines is far less than that of other human related activities, these structures still provide a danger.
 * What is the problem of producing wind power? **

Because wind power emits no greenhouse gases, consumes no fuel, and is very energy efficient (the cost of building a wind turbine can be paid back within a few short months of operation) the popularity of its use has risen.Even though wind power is only responsible for 1.5% of worldwide electricity use, it is rapidly increasing in European countries especially.As of May 2009 eight countries have come to rely on wind power on a commercial basis. Today wind power is the second most rapidly increasing source of energy in the United States.Natural gas is the only form of energy that has a higher rate.The installed wind power capacity has doubled over the last two years because of devoted increase in money and technology spent towards wind energy.In 2006 the installed wind power capacity in the United States alone was 11,603 MW.In 2007 this number increased to 16,818 MW.Last year the capacity was an astonishing 25,170 MW the highest in the world.The point is that wind energy is growing not only in the United States but worldwide as well and with President Obama’s plan for wind power to generate 20% of the country’s electricity creating over 250,000 jobs by the year 2030 the future only looks brighter for this renewable source.
 * What actions are people taking toward wind power? **

Though the process of how wind turbines operate is considered difficult to build and maintain, it can be understood quite simply.The turbines blades are designed with an airfoil shape much like airplane wings.The shape of the blades allows the kinetic energy of the wind to be caught and produce lift.Because the blades are attached in a circular structure the lift of the blades transforms into their rotation around this circular path.The circular movement of the blades turns a shaft inside the boxlike structure at the top of the windmill.The shaft is attached to a gear box which is used to multiply its rotational speed enough for the generator to transform rotational energy into electrical energy.This is done through a complex process using magnetic fields.The power that is output by the wind turbine is moved to a transformer that increases the voltage for the distribution system.The grid than transmits the power for use.
 * How does wind power work? **



Wind turbines installed worldwide in one year alone produced 15,200 megawatts of energy which is the same amount of energy as 23 average-sized U.S. coal-fired power plants. “Wind power is on track to soon play a major role in reducing fossil fuel dependence and slowing the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.Already, the 43 million tons of carbon dioxide displaced by the new wind plants installed last year equaled more than 5% of the year’s growth in global emissions.If the wind market quadruples over the next 9 years (a highly plausible scenario) wind power could be reducing global emissions growth by 20% in 2015” –Worldwatch Senior Researcher Janet Sawin. As efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions accelerate around the globe, dozens of countries are working to add or strengthen laws that support the development of wind power and other forms of renewable energy.Rapid growth is expected in the next few years in several countries, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, and Portugal.
 * Determine the amount of CO2 it produces or inhibits. **

"Solar energy, wind energy, and a combination of wind and solar energy have been used successfully to power an UV (ultraviolet) water purification system. Five different solar and wind energy systems have been tested and although these renewable energy systems have been used for water purification, graphs contained in the paper can be used to determine the feasibility of powering other electrical loads. Combining a 100-W solar-PV system with a 500-W wind turbine resulted in pumping and purifying enough water to satisfy the potable water requirements of 4000 people (16000 liters/day).” ([])
 * Determine the amount of water it can generate or purify. **
 * Journal of Solar Energy Engineering **

Obviously there are mixed views about wind turbines and their overall effect on the world today.Some people are very enthused about them and believe it is excellent sources of renewable energy while others, on the other hand, believe it has a more negative effect.Here are some examples of what some critics think about them. “In tough economic times our government is going to force us to pay more for electricity due to them promoting such an inefficient form as wind,” she said. “That’s not going to be good for homeowners, businesses and manufacturers.”-Monica Elmes, CKWAG spokesperson.
 * How do critics discuss wind power? **

When MMA decided to show that they had a little bit of green in them by installing their own commercial-scale wind turbine many people were not shy to voice their opinion of it.

"The academy's investment in wind power has direct benefits for the students by helping prepare them with the knowledge and skills for their future careers in renewable energy." -- Steven Strong, President of Solar Design Associates

“The issue is not, as wind turbine advocates want us to believe, between 'clean' energy production as opposed to the more traditional forms of energy such as coal.The windmills actually produce little electricity, and the majority if not all that is produced goes out of state. If not for federal tax credits given to these corporations, most would not even be profitable enough to build. ... Make no mistake, these are not the pastoral windmills pictured in paintings, but giant towers with turbine rotors, some rising more than 400 feet above the ground."-//The// //News and Sentinel//

MMA Wind Turbine

The reason why wind power isn’t one of the top sources of energy production in the world is due to the fact that they can only be effective in certain areas.Though its technologies are growing and its use is increasing in many countries, the geographic location as to where wind turbines can be placed is limited.Offshore wind farms have to be located far enough offshore so that they don’t interfere with shipping lanes and create an “eye sore” but also have to be found in areas of relatively shallow water.The massive amounts of offshore wind farms located in Europe conform to both of these principles. We feel as though the technologies are there and so is the support to make wind power one of the top energy sources in the world.In order to further develop wind energy we would reconstruct wind turbine designs so that they could be effective in areas of lesser wind flow.This would certainly cure the problem of limited geographic location.
 * Why isn’t wind power one of the top energy sources in the world today? What would you do to help develop wind energy? **


 * [|Trading carbon credits]**

Offshore Wind Farm

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