14 DAY TRIAL // Although other sources may prove more effective in the long run, of all the natural energy providers out there wind is always the closest and the easiest one to comprehend. More and more people build their own wind-fueled energy mini-stations at home, which is compared to having your own car instead of relying on public transportation. Yet, this does not stop those who are not thoroughly informed on this matter from being reluctant to harnessing wind power. Five of the most common fears associated to obtaining wind energy are presented below.
Wind doesn't cost anything. As true as this may be, this does not imply though that building an infrastructure that would support its harness is also as cheap. In fact, the initial costs for building up an operable business are very high, with a few million dollars per megawatt for large turbines, as much as fossil fuel-operated power plants. But considering that wind doesn't blow constantly (and quite often it doesn't blow at all), the energy output of such turbines is calculated at an average of 30%, which may not equal the output of some other energy sources. It's like, although your car can reach maximal speeds of, say, 300 km/h (186 miles per hour), you only use it at a quarter of its capacity in the city while at night you don't use it at all. Still, you need that car to be able to do its best at some point.
America is far behind in this field. Not true at all. In fact, although 20% of Denmark's energy is wind-generated and while the number of wind turbines in Germany is the largest in the world, because of its stronger and more plentiful winds, America produces the largest raw total of wind energy on the planet. According to the Department of Energy's figures, this translates into 17.000 megawatts (1.2% of the national energy demand) of wind power.
Wind turbines are too noisy. True, they were at some point. But technology doesn't just stand around doing nothing. Newest discoveries and advancements in science and technology allowed for the creation of slower, more silent rotors and still continue to seek other, even less loud designs.
A windmill can be built by anyone at home. Well, it could be true, but not unless your house was placed on a very large piece of land, free from trees or other buildings, as those cause wind turbulences that greatly lower the power outcome.
Wind turbines decimate birds. Well, actually yes, they do, but in far less numbers than complained about. Pat Moriarty from the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado, explains how this concept derives from a single wind farm, one of the first ever, situated in Altamont Pass, in the pathway of some migratory birds. But the latest turbines are taller and more spread, which greatly reduces the risk of such undesirable accidents. By comparison, nowadays, a lot more birds die from colliding with cars or buildings.