Environmentalists Unsure Whether They Should Smile at the Sun or Laugh in the Wind

Although the decision to go green is quite an easy one to make, difficulties may arise when one tries to figure out which type of renewable energy would best suit his/her needs.

Aware of this dilemma, some researchers decided to put their backs into it and compare and contrast your most common two types of alternative energy sources: the sun and the wind.

Thus, the experiment, carried out by the Inland Power and Light company – the largest electric cooperative in Washington –, reached the conclusion that solar-energy is by far much more efficient than the wind-based one.

As cleantechies.com reports, their experiment consisted in comparing a 35-foot wind turbine (about 10.5 meters) to a solar panel array, both functioning under optimal conditions.

As well as this, costs for the wind turbine and the solar panel were similar: about $22,000 each (approximately €18,000).

By choosing a wind turbine and a solar panel array that cost roughly the same amount of money, the scientists involved in this experiment wished to make sure that they successfully replicate real-life conditions, given the fact that most families operate with a fixed monthly budget and have quite clear cut ideas about how much they are willing and ready to invest in various projects.

Results indicated that the solar array was five times more efficient in generating energy, but, as the researchers explained, this should come as no surprise, as wind speeds tend to vary much more than sunlight does.

Experiment aside, the same researchers also drew attention to the fact that solar panels can find their way around your average household easier than most wind turbines ever could, as they can be simply planted on top of the house and thus not hinder daily activities in any way.

In spite of the findings of this experiment, we strongly recommend that both these renewable sources of energy continue to be improved on and taken into consideration by those who wish to go green, as different people most definitely have very different needs.