Wind Power Facts

Learn about wind power facts and decide for yourself what place this form of alternative energy may have in the future. The wind energy industry has been increasing over the past decade and the potential is great. Still wind is not all roses at this point and it remains only a small segment of the energy sector. Understanding the facts on wind power you can have a greater awareness of what this alternative energy source is doing, and more importantly, what it may be able to do decades in the future.

1. Wind History. It is a fact that wind power is nothing new. From ship sails being powered by the force of the wind to the earliest known windmills, first made in Persia during the first millennium A.D to pump water, humans have been using the power of the wind for centuries. As we come to realize the detriment of other energy sources, such as the burning of fossil fuels and nuclear energy, there is more and more attention being put on this natural energy source.
2. Wind Is Clean. One of the most attractive facts on wind power is that this source of energy is clean and renewable. Even the mammoth wind turbines do not produce any pollution. Only wind is necessary as a source of energy, which is an infinite, free source, as long as there are both warm and cool air currents on the Earth.
3. Production Facts. Right now wind power is used to generate electricity. The largest turbines can create enough energy to supply electricity for 600 American homes. In 2008, wind power was responsible for 1.3 percent of all the electricity generated in the United States.
4. Support for Wind. The U.S. government, as well as many other governments around the world, have been offering support through subsidies and tax incentives for wind energy use. In some areas customers can choose to purchase more green electricity from wind and other renewable sources to help support the renewable energy industry.
5. Drawbacks. The biggest problem with wind power is that the wind doesn't always blow. This means that wind farms can only operate at a percentage of their possible capacity. Another downside is that unless the turbines are kept away from residential areas, the 200-foot-long blades whooshing through the air are a huge source of noise pollution. Wind power has great potential and will likely play a bigger role in the future of the energy industry, just don't move in next door to a turbine.