DO-IT-YOURSELF WIND POWER

(this section is still in progress)

I. Benefits of Windpower

(coming soon)
II. The History of Wind as an Energy Source
III. A Brief Explanation of the Mechanics of a Wind Turbine
IV. Items to Consider Before Constructing a Wind Turbine.

The Benefits of Windpower

Windpower is the fastest-growing form of renewable energy availible today, for numerous reasons. Concerns regarding the environment have been growing exponentially over the past years, One of the main reasons that it remains an attractive form of alternative energy is its price. Though a wind turbine may initially, when excecuted on a large-scale, be costly to build, the energy it produces over the course of its lifetime makes up for it, 80 times over. This denotes that windpower is the least expensive form of renewable energy availible. The technology regarding windpower and wind turbine construction is only getting better, and the consumption of electricity produced by wind turbines is growing yearly. A wind turbine from the early 80:s had a 26 kW generator. A modern wind turbine has a rotor diameter of 43m and a 600 kW generator. It will produce between one and two million kilowatt hours a year, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 300 - 400 Europen housholds. The latest generation of wind trubines has a 1 000 - 1 650 kW generator and a 50- 66m rotor diameter. (Information from http://robo.cop.fi/energy/wind/benefits_of_windpower.html)

More than 39,000 megawatts of windpower worldwide had been built by 2003, which is equal to the electricity used in 9 million U.S. homes. [American Wind Energy Association] The US Departemnt of Energy has set a goal: By 2020, windpower will make up five percent or more of the country's generation capacity. Out of all sources of electricity, windpower makes the least impact on the environment: they do not produce hazardous wastes, nor do they bring about water or air pollution, and unlike dominent energy sources, they do not exhaust the Earths supply of non-renewable resources to generate power. "Development of just 10 percent of the wind potential in the 10 windiest U.S. states would provide more than enough energy to displace emissions from the nation's coal-fired power plants and eliminate the major source of acid rain, and reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by a third."
(Facts from: http://www.eweb.org/Home/windpower/windpower101.htm)