The wind energy is, without a doubt, one of the energy sources with the greatest future projection worldwide, since the advantages are numerous, while the disadvantages that it can generate, although also existing, can be solved with technological improvements.
What is wind energy?
It can be defined as wind energy that obtained from moving air masses, i.e. wind. Wind energy is one of the renewable energies, since its energy source (wind) does not deteriorate or diminish as we exploit it to obtain electricity. This characteristic makes it, along with other renewable energies such as solar energy, one of the world’s future energy bets.
Advantages and disadvantages of wind energy
As we have already mentioned, the advantages of wind energy are so numerous that, despite having certain disadvantages, it is still profitable to bet and invest in it for the future. It is planned that in the coming decades the use of this type of energy will become widespread.
Advantages of wind energy
- It is a renewable energy, which positions it (in part) above all those non-renewable energies for the future, since it is environmentally friendly, one of the greatest concerns today if we talk about energy production.
- Wind, its energy source, is naturally present in almost any area of the world (unlike what happens with other energy sources such as oil). For this reason, those countries with less access to certain energy sources can take advantage of wind energy to obtain their own electricity.
- Favors self-consumption, usually combined with solar energy, since both can supply energy to their users in a decentralized manner.
- The only circumstance that a place needs to have access to wind energy is the wind, so it can be installed almost anywhere with wind, whether it is a desert, a mountain, or a plain.
- It is an increasingly cheaper energy, which is becoming more and more competitive with the technological improvements that are appearing.
- It is a wind energy, which is becoming more and more competitive with the technological improvements that are appearing.
- It is a safe energy, which does not require highly technical care, as is the case with examples such as nuclear energy (which has already caused accidents known worldwide).
Disadvantages of wind energy
- Wind does not occur stably in any area so, although in the long term it is a reliable energy, in the short term it cannot be used as the only source of energy (as it can have production cuts due to the temporary disappearance of the wind). This can be solved by storing the energy produced in order to use it later, when the wind is not producing energy.
- Windmills designed to harness wind energy need a large space between them to maintain optimal production, so wind farms need large areas of land to function properly. However, they do not need the “exploited land” to be used solely for the placement of the windmills.
- Windmills can cause problems for some birds, which are not accustomed to this type of object, and may even collide with their blades. Nowadays, some of the companies that exploit wind energy hire biologists to supervise the windmills and develop studies that specify a little more on the problems that the windmills can cause for birds.
- Although we are talking about a renewable energy, it is undeniable that wind farms have an environmental impact that we must try to reduce with improvements in design. The problems related to birds are only the tip of the iceberg of the influence that wind farms can have on the environment.