The concept behind wind powered renewable energy is simple, use the wind to turn a turbine and generate electricity. Much of the United States has a consistent strong breeze, which makes the United States idea for installing wind power. Some of the most popular locations include central California, North Dakota, Texas Panhandle, and offshore. Wind provides an idea source of energy because it can be harnassed day or night, summer or winter. Solar requires sunlight to generate electricity, so they can only operate at night. They also lose some efficiency in the winter due to weaker sun rays. But solar is extremely consistent. If the sun is out at all, the photovoltaic solar panels will generate electricity. When a day without breeze occurs, the wind generation suffers.
Learn about wind energy and the research being done to implement wind in the United States from National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL has been doing tests using United States federal funding from the department of energy.
These tests have led to the development of wind turbines, which generate electricity, that rival the cost of burning fossil fuels. Take into account that wind is inexhaustable, and wind is an investment that will pay off the environment and one's pocketbook.
The United States can currently generate more than 25,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the wind, which is enough to power about 7 million average American homes. Industry experts predict that, with proper development, wind energy could provide 20% of this nation's energy needs. |
