... Locating requires matching seasonable winds to the seasons' power needs

a still untested procedure. The latest studies also suggest that the oceans, storehouses of carbon, may be satiated and no longer able to absorb current levels of emissions.

Installing Wind Turbines: The Basics

The most widely used wind turbine today is the horizontal axis wind turbine, and installations consist of two forms: small power generators for small communities or single properties, and large installations known as wind farms. Wind farms, however, may also be land-based or off shore installations, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Interestingly, in Europe they are called “wind parks.” The turbines usually consist of a three-bladed propellor, mounted on a tower.

Before building a wind turbine or a wind farm, site selection is crucial and involves several basic factors. Even before measuring the strength and reliability of wind currents, there must not only be a market for the power but also a electrical grid through which the electricity can be transmitted and a utility which is willing to buy the power at a reasonable price.

Since the demand for power may vary by time of day or season, the site must be studied not only in terms of the strength and reliability of its wind currents, but also if they correspond to the peak demand periods. For instance, more power is required in southern states during the summer for air conditioning while the demand for power in northern states increases in winter. Since power cannot be stored indefinitely, sites must be found which have the capacity to produce accordingly.

While the desirability of renewable, emissions-free energy is an important factor, the decision to invest comes down to two questions:  Given the estimated costs to purchase or lease the land, conduct the studies, purchase the equipment, install the turbines, commission and maintain the wind farm, will the energy produced compete effectively with coal, oil, natural gas, solar or nuclear? And will there be a reliable market for the next 20 years, the estimated life span of most wind turbines? The estimated future cost of decommissioning must also be added.

Drawbacks of wind power and Possible Solutions

Whether land based or offshore, wind power also has to overcome several inherent obstacles. As stated, wind currents are not constant and, depending on the distance from the consuming market, it is difficult to store electricity for later transmission. Wind turbines also have to be constructed so as to withstand powerful surges in wind or to turn away from the brunt of severe storms.