The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) notes that “The large-scale use of renewable energy sources is essential if the necessary reductions in CO2 and other emissions from electricity generation are to be met and if sustainable development and sustainable growth are to be achieved.”

    Wind power is an attractive renewable energy source for reducing CO2 emissions.  Many countries in Europe have begun implementing wind power as an energy source.  “Across Europe in 2003, wind power on average was responsible for the annual reduction of 27 million metric tons of CO2.”  The advantages of wind power could benefit the United States, and specifically Chapel Hill, in the same way.
 
 

Advantages:

• Low Cost -  can be competitive with nuclear, coal and gas on a level playing field
• The fuel is free, abundant and inexhaustible
• Clean energy – NO resulting carbon dioxide emissions
• Provides a hedge against fuel price volatility
• Security of supply – avoids reliance on imported fuels
• Modular and rapid to install
• Provides bulk power equivalent to conventional sources
• Land friendly – agricultural/industrial activity can continue around it
• May be best option for individual homeowners

• Highly variable source
• Relatively low efficiency (~30%)
• More power than needed when wind blows
• Efficient storage needed

    Wind turbines are very reliable and cost effective.  They can “operate continuously, unattended and with low maintenance with some 120,000 hours of active operation in a design life of 20 years.  By comparison, a typical car engine has a design lifetime of the order of 6,000 hours.”
 

“Over its 20 year lifetime, an average turbine will provide 63-78 times more energy than used to construct, operate, and eventually dismantle the turbine.  It is fair to assume that the energy balance of wind power has improved considerably since the 1997 study.”

“Wind turbines are highly reliable, with operating availabilities (the proportion of the time in which they are available to operate) of 98%.  No other electricity generating technology has a higher availability.”

“On a few windy winter nights, wind turbines can account for up to 100% of power generation in the western part of Denmark.”

“Depending on its siting, a 1 MW turbine can produce enough electricity for up to 650 households.”

Wind Power in the United States and Chapel Hill
 

• Wind power is affective in the United States, and Chapel Hill, for many reasons:
• Wind power is the fastest-growing energy source in the world. (Worldwatch Institute)
• The wind in North Dakota alone could produce a third of America’s electricity (The Official Earth Day Guide to Planet Repair)
• Wind power has the potential to supply a large fraction—probably at least 20%--of U.S. electricity demand at an economical price.
• In 1900, California’s wind power plants offset the emission of more than 2.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, and 15 million pounds of other pollutants that would have otherwise been produced.
• Using 100 kWh of wind power each month is equivalent to planting 1/2 acre of trees or not driving 2,400 miles.

Source: US Department of Energy

    Wind Power technology is improving at rapid rates.  “Since the beginning of the 1980s, the power of a wind turbine has increased by a factor of more than 200.  Turbines able to operate at varying speeds are increasingly common, a characteristic which improves compatibility with the electricity grid.”

    In addition, small changes can have big impacts on energy production.  “Every time the average wind speed doubles, the power in the wind increases by a factor of eight, so even small changes in average speed can produce large charges in performance.  If the average wind speed at a given site increases from 6 meters per second (m/s) to 10 m/s, for example, the amount of energy produced by a wind farm will increase by over 130%.”

    Besides the fact that wind power is inexhaustible and has zero emission, public acceptance is high.  “When asked to look ahead to how our energy might be supplied in the year 2050, 67% of those questioned thought that renewable energy sources were the best environmental option.  On costs, 40% predicted that renewables like wind, solar, an biomass would be the least expensive energy sources by then, followed by hydroelectric power (24%) and natural gas (21%).”  These observations show that the public is ready to adopt cleaner sources of energy.  Now it is up to the town government to suggest and help implement these necessary and preferred changes.

   Wind turbines can vary in size, from large-scale wind farms to small turbines for individual household’s rooftops.  We suggest implementing small turbines on the rooftops of residences before building large-scale farms.  If Chapel Hill residences adopted this energy source, CO2 emissions would be greatly reduced.

Sources:

EWEA publications: Wind Power Technology and Wind Energy and the Environment