Question

What is wind energy? Mention its two advantages.

Answer 1

Hint: We will study how in place of using electricity to make wind, as in fans, wind turbines use wind to generate electricity. The wind resource – how fast it blows, how often, and when plays a significant role in the generation of electricity through wind turbines.

Complete step by step answer:
Wind energy is the electrical energy obtained from harnessing the wind with windmills or wind turbines. Wind power or wind energy is described as the process of using blowing wind in order to generate the mechanical power through wind turbines to turn electric generators and traditionally to do other work, such as milling or pumping. The mechanical power produced by the turbines can be used for specific tasks, such as grinding grain or pumping water. An electrical generator can convert this mechanical power into electricity.
Wind farms or wind parks are also called wind power stations. The turbines in a wind farm are connected directly to the electric power transmission network. Wind turbines give variable power which is consistent from year to year but varies greatly over short time scales. Therefore, wind energy must be used with other energy sources or storage to give reliable supply.

Advantages of using Wind energy:
1. Wind power is cost effective: Land based utility scale wind is one of the lowest priced renewable energy sources available today. It only costs between four and six cents per kilowatt-hour, depending upon the wind resource and project financing of a particular project.
2. Clean fuel source: Wind energy is a clean and pure energy source. Wind energy does not pollute the air like other energy sources which rely on combustion of fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas. Also, wind energy does not emit dangerous gases such as nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide.

Note: Wind energy is the cheapest available form of new electricity generation at present. Wind power sources are more expensive than power from old established power plants, but are cost competitive with any new power plant. Wind energy mitigates the price uncertainty that fuel costs add to traditional sources.