Pros and Cons of Wind Farm Energy

In order to better understand the future of wind farm energy, it's helpful to understand some of the basic pros and cons of wind farms. Electricity produced from wind farms supplies about 3 percent of the world's power, according to the World Wind Energy Association, with China and the United States leading the way. Consider these advantages and disadvantages of wind farm energy:

Benefits of Wind Farm Energy

• Energy independence. Of course, the goal for all forms of alternative energy is to lessen the country's dependence on fossil fuels. Opponents say fossil fuels are dangerous for the environment and are becoming increasingly difficult to locate. With wind farm energy, there is no concern about running out of the fuel source because wind is easily available.
• Clean energy. There is no manufacturing process with wind energy that introduces pollutants into the environment. While other sources of energy introduce pollutants into the atmosphere, that is not the case with wind farm energy.
• Land-friendly. Larger wind farms can require large areas of land because individual turbines must be far enough apart to be individually propelled by the wind. While the land is in use, there is no large manufacturing plant or significant upheaval of the land. Instead, there are only the individual wind turbines on the land. Many wind farms are located on farming land, either in the middle of crops are in grazing fields for cattle. Farmers get a fee for the use of their land, while not really losing the use of their land to wind farms.

Concerns with Wind Farm Energy

• Shadow flicker. This occurs when the rays of the sun are blocked by the blades of a turbine. Wind proponents say this occurs only a few minutes a month at most wind farms, and sometimes less.
• Noise. Wind turbines do create noise, though the level of the noise has decreased with technological improvements. While the noise level is generally not excessive, future neighbors may not welcome any additional noise.
• Danger to birds, bats. There are many reports of birds and bats being killed after flying into the swirling turbines on wind farms. Wind experts say this can be minimized by more careful selection of wind farm locations.
• Wind is not continuously available. Unlike the coal-driven production of energy, wind is not available in all locations 24 hours a day. That means there are times during the day when wind farms are unable to produce energy because the weather is not cooperative. Unusual periods of windless conditions can seriously affect a wind farm.