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Wind-energy advocates contend that less than 1% of the land is used for foundations and access roads, the other 99% can still be used for farming. [12] A wind turbine needs about 200–400 m 2 for the foundation. With the increasing size of the wind turbine the relative size of the foundation decreases. [93]
Not including these effects, modern wind turbines kill about 0.273 birds per GWh in comparison with 0.200 by coal power plants. [124] The effects of wind turbines on birds can be mitigated with proper wildlife monitoring. [125] Many wind turbine blades are made of fiberglass, and have a lifetime of 20 years. [126]
Wind Power Density (WPD) is a quantitative measure of wind energy available at any location. It is the mean annual power available per square meter of swept area of a turbine, and is calculated for different heights above ground. Calculation of wind power density includes the effect of wind velocity and air density. [25]
Winds have various defining aspects such as velocity , the density of the gases involved, and energy content or wind energy. In meteorology, winds are often referred to according to their strength, and the direction from which the wind is blowing. The convention for directions refer to where the wind comes from; therefore, a 'western' or ...
This means that the amount of energy available in the wind is directly proportional to the wind speed cubed. [2] For example, assuming that all other variables are held constant, doubling the wind speed would increase the available energy in the wind by 8 times. [1] A slight increase in wind speed results in dramatic increases in wind power.
Numerous positive environmental effects of wind power have been cited, including pollution avoided from electricity generation from fossil fuels as well as the fact that unlike electricity production from fossil fuel power plants such as coal or petroleum, wind power does not need to use water for cooling. [3]
Wind and solar power production does not consistently match demand. [63] [64] To deliver reliable electricity from variable renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, electrical power systems must be flexible. [65] Most electrical grids were constructed for non-intermittent energy sources such as coal-fired power plants. [66]
In Denmark, wind energy met more than 40% of its electricity demand while Ireland, Portugal and Spain each met nearly 20%. [82] Globally, the long-term technical potential of wind energy is believed to be five times total current global energy production, or 40 times current electricity demand, assuming all practical barriers needed were overcome.