Question #3: The answer should be between 500 words Using this website link as y
ID: 294892 • Letter: Q
Question
Question #3: The answer should be between 500 words
Using this website link as your starting point, please discuss why wind farms have become important as an energy resource. In addition, please discuss if you agree or disagree with the use of wind farms in the metropolitan area? Finally, discuss your opinions with the NIMBY (not in my back yard) feelings that slow down development of many beneficial environmental projects including wind farms? Please feel free to research if necessary but as always, remember to cite.
https://www.boem.gov/Offshore-Wind-Energy/ https://breakingenergy.com/2012/07/02/offshore-wind-energy-arriving-on-northeast-us-shores/
Explanation / Answer
The project involving wind farms are is environment friendly. It provides a permanent shield against increasing power prices. It is the cheapest source of electrical energy. Wind farms have the fastest payback period. It works with the lowest gestation period and a modular concept. Also the Operational and Maintenance costs are low. It requires very less manpower and has gives us a chance of cost saving there. Electricity generated by the wind energy produces no CO2 emissions and therefore does not contribute to the greenhouse effect. In remote, wind energy has been very useful as it can be used for charging batteries or can be combined with a diesel engine to save fuel whenever wind is available. A large wind farm may consist of hundreds of wind turbines distributed over an extended area and the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other purposes. It has a minor impact on environment when compared to fossils. The potential of wind power is 20 times more than human population needs. It is a renewable source of energy as it is created from the sun. Wind turbines used in residential areas yields energy savings and protects people from power outages.
Wind turbines take up a large amount of land area. They can be noisy and can cause disconcerting shadow flickers. Also, They require consistent and non-turbulent winds of certain speeds which is not easy to get in urban areas. This reduces the yield to half as compared to the yield in rural areas. Hence, I think solar energy should be considered as the logical choice for renewable energy generation in urban areas. The performance and cost effectiveness of wind turbines in urban environments is not fixed. Hence, Wind farms can be used in urban areas on a smaller scale. However, Currently many architects are integrating wind turbines in taller buildings in such a way that the contours of the building envelope focus wind on to the turbine blades. With the technological advances it can be assured that wind farms can also be used in urban areas after some years on a large scale.
For every project, Public’s opinion is considered to be the top most priority especially in developed countries. This is why in many countries the installation of wind farms has taken a lot more time than expected. Public acceptance is considered to be the primary indicators of support for wind power within the society. Some projects have suffered badly because of Not-In-My-Backyard (NIMBY) syndrome. Leaving other factors such as the need of large land area for installation and the cost of installation many projects have been dumped only on the basis of public opinion or precisely due to the NIMBY syndrome. Even though the wind farms are quite popular these days and public supports this energy the setback this energy has suffered due to public opinion is huge. We have to support this energy as it has a minor impact on our environment as compared to other sources of energies being used.