Category: Wind Energy

Wind has been used as a supply of power for several years. The generation of electricity from wind has experienced a noteworthy pace within the past decade due to depleting typical resources and increasing environmental issues. Wind energy conversion has become a reliable and competitive means for power generation. The life span of contemporary wind turbines is currently 20-25 years, which is comparable to several alternative standard power generation technologies.

Introduction:- It is usually accepted proven fact that the Earth’s fossil energy resources like coal, gas, oil are restricted. Global consumption of those resources is growing by every passing day. During this grim scenario renewable energy can need to fulfill the increasing demand of energy. Renewable energy is clean kind of energy because it has no emission or unwanted by-products which may cause damage to the surroundings. Utilization of renewable energy is generally in its conversion to electricity. High price of oil caused the energy crisis in 1973, after those western countries began to explore solution to utilize their clean renewable energy effectively. Because of excessive exploitation of typical sources like fossil fuel, coal, and gas for energy demand, the emission if CO2 and alternative gases that are harmful to surroundings are increasing. Owing to the increase of harmful gases, average international temperature is rising at frightening pace. the clarification of this serious atmosphere regarding issue lies within the use of fresh, future eco-friendly renewable energy. Therefore, several countries have already initiated their analysis work for the event of recent technology so as to utilize the renewable and clean energy that features wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and tidal energy. Among of these existent energy sources, wind energy is one among the foremost economical energy supply for the generation of power having capability to fulfill world’s energy requirement . Because of its important growth among alternative renewable energy sources, it’s turning into a significant supply of energy within the modern energy supplying system.

Market Statics of Wing Energy In India:- India encompasses a huge offer of renewable energy resources. India has one amongst the world’s largest. Programs for preparation of renewable energy product and systems, with wind energy being one amongst the best with 11087MW installation The Indian wind energy scene is upbeat, with an oversized variety of forays being created by multinationals like vestas, gamesa, GE power etc. and with suzlon creating brisk pace within the international market, the nations wind potential is justifiedly being broached.

GW wind power generation was build in worldwide, with the rise of 60 GW only in 2015 and it’s aimed to achieve ~760 GW in 2020. Bharat has placed fifth with an build in capability of 237.7 GW within the world’s energy generation market. Among its current built in power generation capability that’s over 207.8 GW, renewable counts for over twenty five GW.A chart expressing various amount renewable energy share for electricity production has been in Fig. 2. Total installation capability of turbine in India is shown in Fig. 3.

Wind Technology System:- Wind energy is directly being employed as mechanical power or indirectly as electrical power Turbine is that the vital part of WECS that converts wind generation into electrical generation. A WECS may a be advanced electromechanical energy conversion system consists of many subsystems and elements. Turbine is most important part of WECS that uses power in wind for conversion into electricity. Presently wind turbines are typically divided into horizontal-axis type model (HAWT), and also the vertical-axis type model (VAWT). because of their larger efficiency HAWTs are a lot of most popular alternative than the VAWTs in most of the wind industries.

Conversion mechanism by Wind Energy Power Generation:- The energy of wing is first seizure by the blades of the turbine which are specially designed .This wind energy helps the turbines blade to rotate. The energy is transmitted from the blades to the generator rotor by means of shaft. In generation conversion from mechanical to electrical energy takes place. Generated electrical energy then transformed into the required voltage level by transformer. For an entire and economical wind energy conversion knowledge of control, electrical and mechanical system field is necessary.

Blade & Rotor Hubs:- The production of power because of turbine depends on the interaction between wind and rotor. The rotor consists of huge turbine blades and hub. Blades resemble the wings of an airplane. It’s largely massive in size. Generally 3 bladed wind turbines are employed in practice. Another element of rotor is pitch drive, that is employed to stay the rotating speed of rotor blades at desired operational vary of 1000-3600 rev (Revolution per Minute).

Gearbox:- Gear and bearings are 2 main elements of casing. The rotating speed of wind turbines are usually around one hundred revolutions per minute. This a lot of of speed isn’t enough to provide electricity as most generator desires the speed of 1000-3600 revolutions per minute. thus casing This will increase the speed of the generator rotor to 1000-3600 revolutions per minute to form the generator useful.

General Layout of Wind Energy Conversion Systems

Wind Energy Conversion Control Strategies:- Overall management of WECS is most significant facet for the effective generation of electrical power from the wind energy.The management techniques are applied in several components and system of WECS. There are principally 3 subsystems forming the system of WECS:-

Pitch Control or Aerodynamic Control:- In Pitch angle control, the angle of turbine blades is modified so as to regulate its speed and mechanics power. As a result, it’s vital for variable-speed turbine conversion systems. It additionally ensures the mechanical safety of turbine once there’s explosive air current.

MPPT Control:- High wanting feature of turbine system (WTS) is its ability to control at maximum power point (MPP) below variable wind speed. MPPT algorithmic program allows WTS to maximise its potency by extracting most potential energy from wide selection of wind speed values. several MPPT theories are developed thus far with crucial concern as the way to effectively acquire most yield (power) from wind in every instant. Future analysis in MPPT ought to be in pursuit of additional economical hybrid technique, that is the combination of 2 or additional existing methodology. As for instance, mathematical logic control is accustomed to notice the optimum step size in Perturb and observe

(P&O) technique. Optimum torque management (OTC) methodology may also be incorporate with P&O to resolve the inherent drawback of wrong perturbing direction within the later under quick ever-changing wind speed. To look maximum power point within the power plant, multivariable P&O algorithmic program is extremely economical.

Machine Side & Grid Side Controller:- The machine aspect controller (MSC) allows WECS for the variable speed operation. It captures most energy from varying wind speed. Master of Science changes the speed of the rotor to attain most power and increase the steadiness of the system. Grid aspect controller (GSC) helps in rising generated power quality, grid code compliance and therefore the synchronization of the entire system with the grid. It provides effective suggests that to produce active power control. GSC has no role in power conversion or generator used. it’s principally liable for the standard of the generated power, and synchronization. GSC is especially divided into 2 teams naming Voltage orientated management (VOC) and Direct power control (DPC).

Electrical System with Smart Wind:- A smart wind electrical system consists of smart meters, smart appliances, distributed renewable energy resources is obtaining wide attention among the investigator community today. Presently smart grid technology is fascinating space for the ability investigator. A superordinate centralized management fitted with correct wind prediction tool are going to be in core of good powerhouse for overall observation and operation of the system. Because the wind speed is extremely erratic in nature and take issue from place to position, so as to boost the responsibleness of facility one grid may be designed to that all the distributed turbine system might be connected with central power management unit together with energy storage facility. Nowadays, many client instrumentation and distributed generation (DG) unit quipped by power physical science devices. The idea of dc micro grid provides a brand new resolution to attach differing kinds of DC hundreds, such as computers, LED lights, variable speed drives, households ,and businesses, industrial with metric weight unit systems with the assistance of power physical science controller

Synchronous Generators:- Synchronous generators area unit connected with a turbine its necessary controlled the quick rotor speed with relation to synchronous speed at turbulent winds .Additionally synchronous generators wants drive train for versatile coupling, instead of this it to boot mount the gearbox assembly on springs (or dampers) to absorb turbulence. but the synchronous generators area unit plenty of expensive than induction generators attributable to smaller size ranges. One altogether the foremost edges of synchronous generator are that, it’s equipped the reactive power whether or not or not or not it has needed in power systems.

Induction Generators:- The propulsion generators usually aggregate into types notably squirrel-pen affectation generator (SCIG) and Wound-rotor prompting generator (WRIG). As compared to synchronous generator induction generator offers many benefits these unit of measurement reduced the price of total unit & size, ruggedness, brush-less (in cage construction), separate DC supply absence and maintenance primarily, furthermore security in opposition to excessive overburdens and short-circuits. Reactive power expenditure & downtrodden voltage regulation at a better place differed speed unit of estimation overall the primary impairments. The Static power converters developed to manage the output voltage & frequency of induction generator.

Introduction

Various wind farms of West Texas compose wind power production that provides part of electricity. As a rule, the local farmers lease their lands to wind power developers who may pay per turbine installed or a small percentage of their annual profits. While farmers contribute to wind power, it is implemented and monitored by such large turbine manufacturers as GE Energy, Siemens, Vestas, Mitsubishi, and so on. The main cause of introducing and developing wind power in West Texas is the need to generate more electricity with fewer costs and environmental friendliness. In particular, the reduction of gas emissions and carbon dioxide emissions may be noted among the causes of the identified power type.

Main body

The effects of wind power in West Texas are primarily positive. First, it accounts for approximately 12 percent of the state’s electricity production and acts as a renewable energy source. Compared to gas pipelines and coal trains, it is easier to install and repair since turbines are not connected to each other, which means that if one of them is broken, it will not affect others. Second, wind power is beneficial in economic terms as it provides the opportunity for additional profits to farmers and presents fewer costs in comparison to other power sources. Third, it allows decreasing the negative impact on the environment since there are no harmful emissions (Kaffine, McBee, & Lieskovsky, 2013). Fourth, wind power generation is advantageous due to its reliability caused by decentralized maintenance. Its providers may consider some adjustment works without interfering with the whole system. The outcomes of wind power are a for-profit enterprise, environmental awareness, reliability, and renewability.

Along with the above positive effects, one should also pinpoint some negative issues associated with wind power. Wang and Wang (2015) discuss the disadvantages that refer to noise pollution and land surface impacts. The authors mention that wind energy generation may change the weather in those regions that are characterized by many wind power turbines. Bird and bat fatality may be noted as another negative point even though it is rather small (Wang & Wang, 2015). In general, it seems that wind power generation design and policies need to be reconsidered to prevent the adverse impact of the mentioned issues.

As for environmental policy, one should emphasize that a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) is the key regulation that is used to enforce and adapt wind power production (“Energy”, 2017). This policy issues requirement that is usually achieved earlier than states. One may, for example, note that it set a goal of achieving 10,000 MW by 2025 and its actual accomplishment in 2010 (“Energy”, 2017). RPS was developed by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) likewise a renewable-energy credit (REC) trading program, implying the use of a capacity conversion factor (CCF) to measure wind power in megawatt-hour (MWh). RPS also prescribes monitoring of sales, transfer, production, and purchase for every retailer in West Texas.

Conclusion

In my point of view, wind power in West Texas has great potential to grow and take the larger part of electricity provision. I agree that such turbines should be installed in collaboration with farmers as it is a win-win solution that ensures benefits for both sides. Although environmental issues cause some concerns, it seems that further research may improve the design of wind power generation and eliminate negative effects. Thus, I consider that wind power in West Texas should be developed in the future.

References

Energy. Legislator’s guide to the issues 2017-18. (2017). Web.

Kaffine, D. T., McBee, B. J., & Lieskovsky, J. (2013). Emissions savings from wind power generation in Texas. The Energy Journal, 34(1), 155-175.

Wang, S., & Wang, S. (2015). Impacts of wind energy on environment: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 49, 437-443.

What is “green” power?

“Green’ power refers to the power that is formed from renewable, pollutant free, and harmless sources like breeze, biomass, spoilt materials, lunar, and geothermal (the high temperature of the earth)(Gipe 6). As the growth in manufacturing and utilization continues to go up, the dilapidation of the natural surroundings of the earth persists, since the challenge to extend maintainable employment of the natural resources has not so far been met.

Due to this reason, technological modification of extensive degree is essential to reduce the reliance on substance resources, in order to maintain the surroundings, and protect the earth’s flora and fauna (Wilson 103). Wind power is one of the options that have been considered to be endorsed, to make sure a strong planet earth for age groups to come is established. The aim of this paper is to determine whether wind turbine is a feasible power source option in terms of “green”, economic friendliness, and its aptitude to produce considerable quantity of power.

“Green” power, as any other power, has its advantages and disadvantages. The debate over whether to go “green” has been there for a long time, as others argue that it is more harmful than considered. The question then arises; will constructing the huge turbines generate a cleaner and safer energy base as contrasted to normal gases, petroleum, and energy plants?

The benefits of wind power

The advantage of using “green” energy is that natural possessions that are renewable are employed to generate more power without contaminating or harming the earth. This reduces the capacity of global warming as the rate of carbon dioxide release to the atmosphere, as well as the monetary impact that comes with energy utilization is reduced (Wilson 103). In wind energy, in contrast to nuclear and relic energy power plants, water is not required for cooling or producing electrical energy.

The effects of wind power

Wind power is considered as one way the environment will be harmed if it opts to “green”. One, it is considered as a way that will end many animals’ lives hence affecting the food chain for instance, rotating wind turbines kill drifting birds, bats, and human beings as well. Studies show that, every megawatt of fitted wind-power leads to the murdering of one to six birds, annually (Slattery 97).

In addition, since many wind turbines are constructed in the coastlines, old turbines may leak oils in the water systems hence polluting the water, and killing the fish in them. More over, thick groups of wind turbines could influence close temperatures and moisture intensity, and generally, perhaps, affect climate in local circumstances (Gipe 7).

Wind turbines are also considered expensive, undependable, and incompetent because they do not reduce the discharge of carbon dioxide in the air. The reason behind this is wind energy blows only inconsistently, and hence support conservative generators are required at packed capital expenditures, for irregular use.

Wind energy is considered incompetent since it cannot cope with demands during peak-power, which makes electricity storage investment to be considered (Slattery 121). This is through flywheels, batteries, among others. Furthermore, it is very noisy hence causing noise pollution, a factor that makes it to be built away from residential areas.

In the above research, it is clear that wind energy is not as “green” as it is thought to be. Despite it being cost effective, pollutant free and of benefit especially to those people from remote areas, it comes with its own disadvantages.

Among the disadvantages are, it is expensive during installation, it affects the ecosystems, it is noisy, it accumulates a large space during construction, and it is insufficient during peak-power. The research shows that, the advantages and the disadvantages should be compared so that a solution that will benefit the planet at large can be found.

Works Cited

Gipe, Paul. Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Small and Micro Wind Systems. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Pub. Co, 1999. Print.

Slattery, Michael C. Contemporary Environmental Issues. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Pub, 2008. Print.

Wilson, Alex. Your Green Home: A Guide to Planning a Healthy, Environmentally Friendly New Home. Gabriola, B.C: New Society Publishers, 2006. Print.

Apparently, power has always been considered to be benign to environment irrespective of few reservations (Kammen 85). In this regard, there is a huge and growing controversy over how certain power generation modes have resulted to global warming, green house effects and other forms of environmental pollution.

Currently, there emerged green technologies that are perceived to feasible in terms of environmental sustainability (Kammen 85). In this case, Wind power energy has emerged as one of the best options in which clean energy can be derived. It is imperative that most of the developed countries such as USA and European countries have adopted and established wind energy with the perception that it is clean and cost effective.

Therefore, wind energy has increasingly being adopted by large communities to cater for their varying interests. However, there is a huge controversy over whether wind power is green or not (Kammen 86). This paper aims to analyze whether wind energy is green and the impacts of contemporary issues of environment to the sustainable world.

There is a predictable expansion of demand on wind energy both at the marketing and consumer level (Elliott 46). For several decades now, wind energy has been used to run machines and mills in rural areas in places such as United States of America and Denmark (Elliott 47).

Currently, wind technology has been advanced making it more effective to reinforce electric power. Additionally, problems associated with wind energy have been minimized thus increasing the efficiency of wind machines that have been made larger and stronger (Elliott 52). Earlier on, wind energy was perceived to be environmentally unfriendly.

However, there are some limitations that have intensified complaints that wind energy is not green at all. According to research study conducted by environmentalists and energy regulators on wind energy, it has been asserted that wind turbines are likely to threaten birds and other animals (Elliott 52).

A recent case study conducted on wind revealed that wind turbines have increased mortality rate of birds and as well as individuals who inhabit such sites. Consequently, the whirling of wind turbines and tower blades often kills birds that fly around them. Notably, larger percentage of avian deaths is usually associated with increased installation of wind turbines. Such include bats and other migratory birds as it was discovered in some parts of California in 1994 (Foley 53).

Collisions of migratory birds with turbines have direct impact on their breeding success rate. Moreover, visual and noise disturbance interferes with the breeding of foraging and staging birds. However, several measures have been established to decimate cases of avian deaths. Additionally, great concern has been shown on the impact of wind energy on wildlife that inhabits near wind firms. In this case, the rotor blades on wind turbines produce a lot of noise that disturbs the animal species around wind power sites.

Another challenge associated with wind power is that it occupies large space for the infrastructure than the energy produced. Study reveals that one turbine can occupies about 1.8 hectares of land in order to generate maximum energy (Elliott 42). From this figure, one can deduce that wind firms use about 235 hectares of land to produce maximum energy required (Elliott 43).

In this case, agricultural lands have been reclaimed for power generation and this can lead to food shortage. According to further investigation on the impacts of wind energy on environment other hazards have been identified. It is apparent that insects’ species that strike turbine blades are likely to develop adverse effects. In this case, insect population inhabiting near wind mills become endangered and to some extent they become extinct.

In recent studies conducted on wind power generating sites, noise generated from turbines reduces the anesthetic nature of the environment around the firms (Elliott 45). Moreover, wind power generation poses danger to fragile ecosystem since noise and vibrations generated form the turbines has adverse effect on health.

Empirical evidence obtained from surveys indicates that people residing near wind firms have symptoms of sleep disturbances, dizziness, and head aches (Elliott 46). Such a case is also experienced by both terrestrial and aquatic animals. It is evident that vibrations that occur from turbines causes soil erosion on near ground.

Preferably, bare grounds are exposed to higher risks that those that are forested. Beside this, excavations done during installation of the mills and turbines normally trigger disturbances on the ground.

Moreover, according to majority view it is evident that wind power has negative economic impacts on investors who construct rental houses in sites near the wind firms (Elliott 48). An empirical research conducted along such sites revealed that people who rent houses tend to avoid those that are near the wind mills and turbines. This is triggered by the notion that they will be disturbed by noise.

Due to the identified reasons, wind energy can not be considered to be green. Furthermore, the energy is unreliable and thus it can not fulfill the needs of users in a harmonious manner (Kammen 89). According to environmentalist view, green sources of energy should be reliable even in future and should cater fully for the need of users.

Evidently in the past decades, wind energy has been reinforced by other sources of power that are harmful to the environment. At some times, wind has limited strength to turn the turbines thus requires use of alternative sources of power such as fossil fuel, bioethanol and geothermal energy (Kammen 89).

Nevertheless, a large number of people have consistently shown interest in using wind energy in homes. Considerably, this form of energy growth has increased by 30% in the previous decade. Rapid expansion and use of wind power have been noted in developed countries such as Texas and USA (Elliott 45). Substantial growth and expansion of wind power energy have been fostered by several environmental factors.

Such factors include the need to decimate carbon emissions and reduce global warming. In this case, wind energy can be considered to be green as compared to other sources of energy such as fossil fuels. According to opinion surveys, a large population supports the establishment of wind power plant in their immediate neighborhood.

Approximately, 70-8-% of residents in Denmark and UK highly regards use of wind power energy (Elliott 46). Recent surveys have shown that there is an increased large scale acceptance in using the energy in India and china.

The fact that wind power energy is green lies on the basis that its environmental merits are experienced both at the national and global level. A typical example can be drawn from the use of photovoltaic cells in the form of solar energy. Although the latter is increasingly being used, it is import ant to bearing in mind that the development of photovoltaic is still under revolution and that there are some societal resources which have been redistributed.

This technology, however, requires intense labor. In some cases, the use of automatic machines to construct this device has resulted into higher production costs to the manufacturers as well as expensive purchase and installation of the component to consumers.

Another impediment in the development of photovoltaic is the high demand for basic raw substances used in the manufacturing process. This has inevitably led to escalation o prices of some items which are commonly used in its manufacture. Besides, specific quantities of materials required are not constant. They keep on changing with time making the process of production even more hectic. For example, photovoltaic cells may consume up to one hundred thousand tones of steel in a given production year.

Another likely constraint in the development of this technology is the significant quantity of energy required. Studies reveal that the production of photovoltaic cells requires an extra energy input compared to other traditional forms o f energy. This implies that photovoltaic technology is rather expensive. Nevertheless, the payback energy is presumably higher than input energy.

It is apparent that wind is a renewable source of energy and thus can be conventionally be generated without depleting the environment in any way (Elliott 43). Wind energy is a clean source of power thus it does not result to air pollution. Governments from developed states have high preference on wind power due to the increased cost of fossil fuels. Wind power is naturally available and can be regenerated without being influenced by market forces in the international market.

According to international surveys conducted on countries using wind power, it is apparent that the energy incurs low external costs as opposed to other means such as electricity and fossil fuel (Elliott 53). As a natural resource, wind is abundant and largely distributed in local areas though there exist challenges resulting from the forces of nature.

In line with this, there is no perceived evidence that wind energy results to global warming thus offering it an added advantage over other sources such as fossil fuels. Despite the fact that the demerits are experienced at the local level, overall impacts of wind power are worth of apprehension. Therefore, we can not deny the fact that wind energy is green (Kammen 90).

On the same note, environmental issues have affected the sustainability of the world in various ways. Examples of contemporary issues in the environment include global warming, green house emissions, climate change and demographic issues (www.bp.com). To begin with, climate disasters have emerged as a heavy toll on human beings when it comes to management (Kammen 92).

Unprecedentedly, large number of people has suffered from damages afflicted by climate change such as flooding, storms and drought. There is lot of tenfold in terms of cost used to rescue people from disasters. Predictably, unless effective measures are taken to decimate climate change, there is expected that irreversible damage might occur on the earth surface thus reducing sustainability of life in the world.

In line with this, global warming has increasingly impacted negatively on environment and world sustainability (www.bp.com). As a global catastrophe, it has posed danger to the fragile ecosystem. For instance, global warming has highly contributed to the extinction certain bio-species.

Irrespective of the conservation measures conducted, successes has not been fully registered at the global level. Currently, there exist scientific evidences that indicate that global temperatures have risen by 0.8% in the beginning of 20^th century (Elliott 63).

For this reason, the effects are very adverse particularly in agriculture industry. Rise of global temperatures has resulted to El Nino, severe bushfires and drought. In some places, native forests, rangelands and wetlands have shrunk posing danger to the marine and alpine ecosystems. In addition to this, sea levels have risen posing danger to the coastal inhabitants (Elliott 62).

The rate of emission of green house gasses is above the potential threshold of the earth (www.bp.com). Potentially, this has caused significance imbalances and changes in the world climate. According to scientific studies conducted, it is evident that excessive emission of carbon from fossils has sharply risen since the year 2000. In fact, there was registered a 3.5% increase of carbon emissions in the same year (Kammen 85).

Considerably the world is at risk as such gases are likely to adversely model climate in future. Besides this, it is vivid that the global population rate is growing at an alarming rate posing danger to the available resources. Natural resources such as forests, rangelands and wet lands are at risk of extinction since human beings have reclaimed them for settlement purposes (www.bp.com). Nevertheless, effective measures have been taken to control the rate of population expansion in both developed and developing nations.

Globally, efforts are being put in place to decimate the impacts of such issues in the environment (www.bp.com). Recently an earth summit was established to focus on achieving sustainable world prospect. Nations have worked in partnership in order to facilitate sustainable use of natural resources and preferably the non-renewable one. On the same note, nations have made significant use of renewable resources such as wind, hydro and geothermal power.

Such sources of power are emission free and naturally available (Kammen 86). The fact that they does not get exhausted is an added advantage of eliminating factors that trigger the emergence of contemporary issues in the environment. Emergence of scientific disciplines such as environmental sciences have facilitated in creating awareness over issues surfacing on the global environment (www.bp.com). By so doing, appropriate measures have been taken to decimate environmental degradation thus creating a sustainable world.

In a broader perspective, almost every state has established regulations that will sustainably address environmental issues through agencies, corporations and use of policies (www.bp.com). To ensure a sustainable world in present and future, there are numerous sources of regulations.

Such include use of common laws, international treaties and legislations in industries to ensure that they meet the expected code of ethics. An example of international treaties includes the Kyoto Protocol that covers a wider global movement on protecting the environment (Kammen 92). It is imperative to note that the treaty targets the developed countries in order to pressure them to decimate the rate in which they emit green house gases.

To recap it all, irrespective of the demerits associated with wind power, it can be considered to be one of the benign sources of energy for use. In an attempt to minimize damages caused on both human and animal life, such states like USA and Canada have adopted rules and regulations in order to protect the remaining natural resources by use of sustainable sources of power.

In the process, this has made it possible to monitor the routine emission of gases into the atmosphere. Besides, significant efforts put in place have ensured that energy sustainability is not affected by the emerging issues of the environment.

Works Cited

BP. Statistical review of world energy. 2011. Web.

Elliott, David. “Public Reactions to Wind farms: the Dynamics of Opinion Formation”. Energy & Environment, 5.4(1994): 40-65. Print.

Foley, John. “Boundaries for a healthy planet”. Scientific American. 2.6(2010): 53– 54.Print.

Kammen, David. “The rise of renewable energy”. Scientific American, 295.4(2006): 84- 93. Print.

Introduction

In the globalized society, the issue of climate change prompts stakeholders to take part in the establishment and implementation of strategies that enhance the sustainability of the environment. Essentially, strategies geared towards fostering environmental sustainability have a positive influence on socio-economic growth and development. Currently, industrial activities contribute to the emission of hazardous greenhouse gasses, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). In this concern, international conventions usually agitate for the embracement of practices that reduce the depletion of the ozone layer besides other forms of environmental degradation. An international summit held in October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda, saw almost 200 members of the Montreal Protocol agree to cut the emission of HFCs significantly to reach the lowest levels ever to be achieved.

In this light, several countries, including Saudi Arabia, have invested in engineering projects aimed at tapping the alternative sources of energy to reduce environmental depletion. Notably, the development of wind power plants in strategic places such as offshores is regarded as a strategic move towards enhancing energy production, as well as curbing further degradation of the ecosystem. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of the status regarding wind power plants before looking at the importance of such projects in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the paper will cover the background of wind power plants by addressing the technical aspects, similar projects in different parts of the globe, and the significant statistical figures for the case of Saudi Arabia.

Overview of the wind power status: possible deficiencies and limitations

The need for creating a society that upholds the essence of combating detrimental climate change calls for the establishment of projects that capture and distribute renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind (Shaahid 169). Further, the overdependence on fossil fuels besides oil reserves is worrying since it undermines environmental and economic sustainability to a considerable degree. Besides, for the sake of improving energy security, the establishment of wind power plants is considered a strategic move in the contemporary world (“Energy Information Administration- Official Site” par.2).

Axiomatically, wind power plants produce more power that they consume compared to other ways of producing energy. Notably, wind farms can generate between 17 and 39 times of the power consumed in the production process in comparison with 11 times for coal plants and 16 times for nuclear energy plants (Baseer 39). Therefore, the generation efficiency associated with wind power plants denotes the suitability of the energy alternative. In this regard, between 2007 and 2015, countries in the different regions have shown an increase in the establishment of wind power plants to promote the generation of renewable sources of energy to combat climate change. The figure below shows the trend of the power plants installation capacity in various regions.

The upward trend shows that more countries consider the integration of wind power plants to enhance the efficiency of their energy generation strategies by supporting the essence of sustainable development. For this reason, in 2015, wind-power plants led the advanced power technologies globally. However, economies in the Middle East and Africa require a greater installation of wind energy plants, owing to the advantages of such energy technologies.

The wind, as a power source, is advantageous in an array of ways. The cleanliness of the source implies that it does not contribute to the pollution of the air as compared to the toxic emissions generated when combusting fossil fuels (Ramli et al. 296). The turbines do not contribute to the emission of greenhouse gasses besides triggering acid rain. Further, wind power plants generate energy from a readily available source. Thus, its abundance enhances the capacity of different countries to meet their energy needs. Additionally, the sustainability of the wind as a source of power has seen the significant installation of turbines in the Asian region, led by China (Ramli et al. 290). Moreover, the cost-effective aspect of wind power estimated between two and six cents per kilowatt-hour has encouraged countries such as the Saudi Arabia to consider establishing their first power plant.

Amid the advantages, wind power plants pose several challenges. Notably, wind power projects are usually capital intensive. Thus, they require significant investments. The location of the facility also matters since areas with less energetic winds can increase the cost of generating energy. Further, the usage of land or offshores for wind power plants competes with other land uses that can generate greater benefits. Despite its insignificant contribution to environmental degradation, wind energy generation causes noise and aesthetic pollution. The turbines usually create noise besides altering the natural appearance of landscapes.

Moreover, the renewable energy plants have raised concerns in different countries over the threat to the conservation of the wildlife. Prominent cases have shown the damage of birds caught in the area of the spinning turbines. Therefore, countries that seek to install wind power plants need to consider the possible ways of mitigating the deficiencies or limitations of such projects for the sake of maximizing the benefits.

The importance of wind power plants in Saudi Arabia and the expected improvement

The integration of wind power plants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a decisive move towards combating climate change in the Middle Eastern region, as well as promoting energy efficiency and security. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 targets to foster productivity and effectiveness in different fields of the economy, including the energy sector. In particular, the country’s Vision 2030 seeks to realize a generation of at least 9.5 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy (Ramli et al. 379). Therefore, the installation of wind turbines to generate energy would be crucial towards the realization of the country’s envisioned targets.

Saudi Arabia seeks to install its first-ever wind turbine at the Turaif Bulk Plant that is situated in the northwestern region of the Gulf Kingdom. The contractors of the project include Saudi Aramco and General Electric (GE) partnering to facilitate the pioneering of wind power plants in the Middle East region (Ramli et al. 378). The partners aim at the installation of the highest quality wind turbines in the region to meet the heightening energy needs of the kingdom in a way that promotes the embracement of renewable energy generation as an alternative to its fossil fuels that cause environmental pollution.

Furthermore, the northern regions of Saudi Arabia provide suitable sites for the installation of wind turbines to bolster the reduction of the costs incurred in the energy sector. Notably, the central and northeast regions of Saudi Arabia experience winds exceeding 8.0 m/s, thereby offering strategic locations for wind power plants (Baseer 40). Therefore, the establishment of the projects in the identified areas would put the arid land to profitable use, thereby bolstering the diversification and efficiency of the kingdom’s economy.

Evidently, Saudi Arabians expect the integration of wind power plants in the Kingdom to enhance energy security, combat the degradation of the environment, and/or trigger economic development. A similar project launched in Jordan seeks to get rid of the country’s energy woes since the Tafila Wind Farm has the capacity to generate 400 GWh of electricity yearly (Ramli et al. 376). Thus, the case of Saudi Arabia would also be relevant in promoting energy efficiency.

The renewable energy project is also crucial since it undermines the over-reliance on hydrocarbons for energy production. As such, Saudi Arabians anticipate the project as a key move towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Since the reduction of poisonous gas emissions such as HFCs is a global objective, the participation of Saudi Arabia towards the attainment of such targets is considerable.

Technical illustration of the proposed technology

A simple engineering principle facilitates the functionality of wind turbines. Normally, wind energy propels two or three blades affixed to a rotor. A shaft connected to the rotor spins a generator, thereby resulting in the creation of electricity. The simple engineering principle reverses the way a fan functions. In this respect, instead of using electricity to turn the blades in the turbine, the blades turn to create electricity (Shaahid 170). Therefore, the energy in the wind triggers the spinning of the blades that rotate a shaft linked to a generator that produces electricity.

The main types of wind turbines include the vertical axis and horizontal axis. The installation of the turbines can take place at the offshore of large water bodies such as lakes or oceans. Primarily, installed wind turbines facilitate the conversion of kinetic energy to mechanical power. Wind power plants offer the mechanical force to the electrical components for supply to consumers (Ramli et al. 293). The mechanical power or electricity may be deployed for various purposes, including domestic and industrial use. A network of power cables that link different homes, premises, and industries facilitates the channeling of the generated power to the grid.

Important to note, the wind is one of the forms of solar energy that develops as an outcome of the sun’s uneven heating of the atmosphere. The rotation of the earth and the irregular nature of the earth’s surface also influence the generation of wind. The setting up of wind turbines needs to consider areas with high wind speed, at least 8 meters per second (Shaahid et al. 8044). Usually, the factors that undermine the speed of wind include vegetation, terrain differences, and water bodies.

International overview of the industry and similar practices worldwide with possible achievement

By the end of 2015, the various wind power plants situated in different countries realized a cumulative generation of electricity summing up to 432,883 MW (“The International Renewable Energy Agency” par.1). The figure represents a 175 increase when compared to the 2014 records. Between 2013 and 2015, the generation of electricity from wind increased by a substantial 100%, as denoted by the witnessed 35,467 MW increase in 2013 since 2015 saw an additional of 63,330 MW (Ramli et al. 380). Globally, China and the US lead the pack among the countries that have engaged in the significant installation of wind power plants (“U.S. Environmental Protection Agency” par.3). In 2015, China’s installation capacity generated 145,362 MW, which accounted for a significant 34.1% of the global installation ability. The US follows with an installation aptitude of 74,471 MW, thereby accounting for 17.5% of the global total production.

Since 2010, new installations of wind power plants occurred outside North America and Europe as denoted by the boom of nearly half of the world’s new installations in China and India. However, Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan lag behind in the creation of wind power plants. Amid the slow progress, the region shows positive signs of fully embracing renewable energy sources, in particular, the wind. As such, the region managed to add 317MW of wind power in 2015 (Shaahid et al. 8042).

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait continue showing optimism in the generation of wind power. The Turaif Bulk Plant in the northern region of Saudi Arabia is a promising move geared towards energy efficiency. Similarly, the Shagaya and Gamesa turbines in Kuwait aim at generating at least 100 MW of power. This capacity will improve the production of renewable energy in the region (Ramli et al. 290). The African region has also shown interest in tapping wind power where countries such as Kenya, Namibia, and Ethiopia continue installing wind turbines.

Statistics about Saudi Arabia concerning wind power technology

Saudi Arabia holds an important energy policy that focuses on the mitigation of waste besides bolstering the efficiency of the efforts put in place to streamline the Kingdom’s energy sector. In this regard, the country plans to generate at least 50GW of electricity from solar and wind power by 2040 (Shaahid 169). Currently, the Kingdom has allocated over $2 trillion to fund wind power projects that would generate at least 9.5GW of the wind and solar energy before the deadline of its 2030 national vision (Baseer 37).

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 seeks to streamline the efficiency of the energy sector in a way that fosters the diversity and sustainability of the economy. In this regard, the establishment of the King Salman Renewable Energy Initiative is geared towards the modification of the available regulatory and legal frameworks to promote private-public partnerships (Ramli et al. 289).

In 2014, the Gulf Kingdom allocated more than $3 trillion to the King Salman Renewable Energy Initiative to bolster the competitiveness of renewable energy. The cost competitive nature of wind energy makes it a suitable choice for the Saudi Arabian government. Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon view wind power plants as the alternative to hydrocarbons since the production of the former averages at $c5/kWh (Ramli et al. 382). Therefore, Saudi Arabia would reap considerable economic benefits, owing to the competitiveness of the costs incurred in the production of wind power.

Conclusion

The development of wind power plants in Saudi Arabia would play a considerable role in fighting against climate change, fostering energy sufficiency, and facilitating the diversification and sustainability of the Kingdom’s economy. Other countries led by China and the US have shown commendable progress in the new installation capacity, thereby accounting for almost half of the world’s generation capacity through wind energy. However, the Gulf kingdom still lags behind in the installation of wind power plants in the country. Thus, for the attainment of the energy targets spelled out in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, the intensification of wind power projects is relevant.

Works Cited

Baseer, Mildred. “Wind Power Characteristics of Seven Data Collection Sites in Jubail, Saudi Arabia using Weibull Parameters.” Renewable Energy, vol. 102, no. 1, 2017, pp. 35-49.

“Energy Information Administration- Official Site.” EIA, 2015. Web.

Ramli, Makbul, et al. “Techno-economic Energy Analysis of Wind/Solar Hybrid System: Case Study for Western Coastal Area of Saudi Arabia.” Renewable Energy, vol. 91, no. 1, 2016, pp. 374-385.

Shaahid, Swaleh, et al. “Feasibility of Development of Wind Farms in Northern Province of Saudi Arabia.” International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, vol. 11, no. 13, 2016, pp. 8041-8045.

Shaahid, Syed. “Economic Perspective of Hybrid Wind-Diesel Technology for Commercial Loads of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.” Thermal Science, vol. 19, no. 1, 2015, pp. 167-178.

“The International Renewable Energy Agency.” IRENA, 2014. Web.

“U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.” EPA, 2014. Web.

Introduction

Wind power is a form of renewable natural energy which is generated from wind. Wind has emerged as one of the widely used sources of energy in the modern world, owing to its nature as a virtually inexhaustible source of energy. Wind power simply involves the process of converting wind energy into mechanical or electrical energy using wind turbines.

Even though the use of wind power has been there for many centuries, it has never gained much popularity across the world compared with other sources of energy such as hydropower and solar energy, which are widely used to generate electricity. This, however, appears to have changed in the current world where the capacity for wind power generation is observed to have risen to as much as 50 percent in a year.

As it would be observed, there are some obstacles that have restricted increased use of this reliable source of energy in most parts of the world. One common obstacle here is that wind farms are not just located anywhere, but in regions where large masses of moving air are present.

In this regard, some of the most strategic location points of wind farms would be along coastlines or on large tracts of land where there is constant supply of wind. In most cases, it would not be easy for people to devote these strategic areas to wind farms while there are other useful ways of utilizing them.

How Wind Power Works

Wind power involves the use of turbines, the modern equivalent of windmills, to convert wind energy into a more useful form of energy. The wind exerts force on the turbine blades causing it to propel. This pressure puts the turbine’s shaft into motion, thus causing it to spin at a speed of between 10 and 20 revolutions in a minute. The kinetic energy of the moving air is then turned into mechanical power by the rotor shaft.

The amount of energy generated from a wind turbine normally depends on a number of factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, the speed of wind, air density, and the overall area covered by the turbine blades.

For effective performance, wind turbines require a minimum wind speed of about 12-14 km/h and a maximum of 90 km/h. Strong winds of about 50-60 km/h are enough to generate wind power at full capacity. However, wind turbines must be stopped on levels where wind the speed exceeds 90 km/h to avoid damage.

Conversion of Mechanical Power to Electrical Energy

Mechanical energy can further be processed into electrical energy using electric generators that are connected to the turbine’s shaft. According to Joselin and others (2007), wind turbines operate just like windmills in almost all aspects. The process begins with the wind blowing on the blades of the rotor causing it to spin into revolutions.

These revolutions play a significant role in converting the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy. The strength of the revolutions and the direction from which the wind is blowing are then detected by sensors within the turbine’s shaft. The rotor then turns towards the wind direction from where it automatically controls the operations of the turbine.

The rotor is usually connected to a generator by the shaft and a gearbox. The generator would spin every time the rotor propels producing mechanical energy. This energy is then converted into electric energy by the generator using an inbuilt electromagnetic field.

As the process continues, the electrical energy is carried to a substation using cables, where it is combined to generate a high voltage. The final product of wind power is then transmitted through power lines into transformers. Here, the voltage is regulated into usable levels, before it is finally released for human consumption.

Advantages of Wind Energy

The use of wind power as a source of energy is associated with many benefits compared to other sources of energy. Following is a summary of some of the most common advantages of wind energy.

Wind Energy is Free, Pure and Renewable

One main advantage of wind energy over all the other forms of energy is that it is free, clean and renewable. This pure source of energy comes freely and can be acquired efficiently from just anywhere, since wind is widely distributed everywhere. Wind energy can be generated again and again, provided there is plenty and steady supply of moving air or wind.

This has the meaning that, no matter how much wind energy is consumed every time, people will always access the same supply of wind energy in the future. More importantly, unlike conventional power plants that are known to emit a variety of air polluting substances, wind power is a clean, non-polluting source of energy.

Wind plants don’t emit air pollution or green gases, and it is this non-polluting nature that makes them environment-friendly (Jaramillo, Borja & Huacuz, 2004).

Cost of Production

As it would be observed, the production cost of wind energy has dropped steadily in the last one or so decades. The only bigger costs which investors in the energy sector are likely to incur as far as wind power is concerned would be through site preparation, machinery, and installation.

Moreover, wind turbines consume a small piece of land which means that the remaining space can be utilized for other useful purposes in life. When combined with other energy alternatives, wind energy can generate adequate energy supply for both domestic and commercial use in the society.

Creation of Jobs

Ranging from the installation of wind turbines to the maintenance of wind farms, wind energy offers many job opportunities for the people. However, a wide range of these opportunities are available for those people who live on hilly areas and around coastal areas where most wind farms are located.

Reduction of Fossil Fuel Consumption

Wind is a reliable source of energy which can serve as an alternative for petroleum and gas products, among other nonrenewable sources of energy thus helping to control air pollution. More importantly, effective and efficient use of wind energy can reduce human dependence on fossil fuels, and this helps to minimize the potential effects of global warming.

Variety of Wind Turbines

Wind turbines are produced in a range of types and sizes. What this means is that, many people and businesses can acquire them easily and use them to generate their own mechanical or electric energy without having to incur a lot of expenses (Chen, Guerrero & Blaabjerg, 2009).

Economical benefits

Wind energy resources are usually put up in remote areas where wind is plenty. In that case, they serve as steady and significant revenue generators to rural land owners and the communities inhabiting those economically disadvantaged regions.

Moreover, land owners can supplement revenues on land use by other streams obtained through land leasing agreements between them and energy companies. Also, wind farms do play a key role in increasing the tax base for the rural communities.

Preservation of Natural Resources

Effective use of wind power by communities helps to preserve natural resources and non-renewable sources of energy. For instance, every time we use wind energy as an alternative source of energy, we end up saving a significant amount of coal, which is nonrenewable.

In this regard, manufacture of many wind farms across the world would play a significant role in eliminating burning of coal to produce energy. This will not only help to preserve resources, but it will also be an effective way of minimizing air pollution caused by many nonrenewable energy resources.

Disadvantages of Wind Power

There is a range of disadvantages of wind power and below is a summary of some of the common ones as they are observed from various regions across the world, where the idea of wind power has been implemented.

Wind Unreliability Factor

As it would be observed, the strength of wind is never constant, and therefore cannot be relied upon to generate steady mechanical and electric energy for human and industry consumption. Moreover, the nature of wind will tend to vary with seasons and weather patterns, and this would have the meaning that people will have to go without power sometimes, especially when there are no strong winds to drive the turbines.

Environmental Concerns

The fact that wind power plants have no pollution effects to the air does not mean that they are 100 percent environment friendly. As a matter of fact, there are some concerns over the aesthetic impacts of wind turbines, the noise produced by rotating rotor blades, and birds being killed by the revolving rotors of the turbines.

There have been constant claims from the wildlife department that wind turbines have affected the lifestyles of migratory birds. More importantly, they have also contributed to high bird mortality in some regions. There have also been claims that, apart from slashing birds to death with the rotors, wind turbines can also cause explosion of bats’ lungs, thus leading to instant deaths of these nocturnal birds.

According to Pedersen and Waye (2004), there is also a possibility of high rates of sound and air pollution as wind turbines during the assembling of the turbines. Even though some of these concerns have been resolved using modern technological developments, there are still many environment issues associated with the generation of wind energy in most regions.

Supply and Transport Issues

Wind is known to be intermittent. This means that, moving air would not be available all the time to generate the required levels of electricity for human consumption. This is actually one of the major challenges associated with wind as a source of energy. Moreover, wind energy cannot be stored for future use, and this brings many complications to people who rely on it as their main source of energy.

Another common challenge here is that, not all types of winds can be used to meet the average electricity demands. On a further note, perfect wind sites are usually found in remote regions far from urban centers where the demands for electricity are very high.

Another possible supply issue linked with wind energy is that, development of wind resources is likely to compete with other land uses which may be more valuable compared with the idea of power generation.

Levels of Production/ Energy Density

Generally, wind turbines generate less electric energy compared to hydro power stations and other alternative energy sources that are driven by fossil fuels. In this regard, multiple wind turbines will be required in a single wind farm in order to generate a reasonable amount of energy that would bring a significant impact to the communities.

Petitions and Protests on Wind Farms

Many people in the current world are not used to wind power. This, however, explains the many protests and petitions that are raised to confront any wind farm development plans raised in the modern world, especially in the developing countries, where people are less informed of the diverse benefits associated with this source energy.

This strong opposition by environment conservationists and opponents of the wind power idea has been one of the many social issues that have continued to hinder the development of wind energy in most developing countries.

Preservation of the Natural Form

Large structures such as wind turbines usually don’t give a good picture of a place. As a matter of fact, many people, especially those who have the heart of preserving the environment, would tend to see these unsightly structures as spoilers of the landscape (Asif and Muneer, 2007).

For these reasons, they would tend to remain adamant in ensuring that the natural beauty of the landscape is strictly retained for the benefits of humans and animals.

Cost issues

The initial cost for installation of wind turbines and maintenance of the entire wind farm is usually very high. This has continued to serve as a major obstacle in the development of wind power as a reliable alternative to fossil fuels and other sources of energy.

National Security

Study has revealed wind energy as a threat to national security. It has been observed that wind farm resources penetrate the RADAR coverage, thus confusing the system. This happens as the turbine blades rotate at very high speeds causing holes in the RADAR system. Even though there are ways to mitigate this problem, the damage can turn out being too heavy for the communities by the time it is identified and resolved.

Relationship between Wind Power and the Environment

Wind power is less pollutant to the environment compared to other renewable and non-renewable energy sources. The extraction, supply and processing of natural gas, coal and fossil fuels to generate energy is likely to release pollutant substances to the atmosphere, thus bringing serious effects to living things and the environment.

Unlike other sources of energy which are known to emit high levels of pollution to the environment, wind power is a pure energy source that can’t be associated with any form of pollution or nuclear waste, since it does not utilize fossil fuel. This, however, does not imply there are no negative environmental impacts that are associated with the generation of wind power.

Even though wind is itself a pure source of energy, the process of converting the energy it generates to a useful form would require inclusion of energy which is in form of fossil fuel (Sahin, 2004). Moreover, the construction of wind farms requires removal of massive vegetation covers. One turbine, for instance, is said to require a clearance of about 3 to 5 acres of land.

This means that vegetation on a wider area of land will have to be cleared to pave way for large scale wind farms. This massive deforestation is likely to bear serious long-term effects on the environment. A good example here is erosion of the soil, which may necessitate other more serious harms to the environment.

Also, the constructions of wind farms at high altitudes to enable them gather more wind has come down with its own effects. As a result of this, many turbines have constantly failed owing to icing. This has often resulted to the application of de-icing substances on surfaces of the wind turbines as a way of combating the problem.

The de-icing fluid is a compound of ethylene-glycol and propylene-glycol, both of which are toxic chemicals. According to Venkataraman and Elango (1998), the hazardous de-icing fluid is likely to contaminate the environment around the wind turbines, thus creating unfavorable conditions for humans, wildlife, and fish.

The other common damage to the environment which may occur as a result of wind energy generation is the destruction of bat and bird populations as discussed in this paper.

Based on observations from previous wind power reports, wind turbines practically have adverse impacts on wildlife and birds. Based on these observations, the generation of wind power is not 100 percent friendly to the environment, unlike what many people across the world would tend to presume.

The Future of Wind Power

Regardless of the numerous disadvantages and environmental impacts associated with wind power, it is still the most preferable alternative of nonrenewable sources of energy in the modern world where plans to adopt renewable sources of energy are rapidly taking shape (Hosansky, 2011). This is evident in countries such as China and the U.S., where the use of wind power is observed to be increasing at an overwhelming rate.

Improvements on technological approaches and better generation ways have led to a steady decline of the overall cost of wind power over the last ten years. This, really, is another reason which is likely to see the use of wind power across the world increase abundantly in the near future.

Conclusion

As it is observed in this report, wind energy, though a controversial matter when it comes to the extent by which it is friendly to the environment, is still one of the fastest-growing renewable sources of energy across the world. Wind power, just like any other source of energy, comprises of both benefits and disadvantages, all of which seem to have a significant impact on this renewable source of energy.

Wind power is not hundred percent friendly to the environment as it is observed in this paper, where a number of arguments have been highlighted to support the claim.

However, as a pure, renewable source of energy having minimal effects on the environment, wind power is the most appropriate source of energy that can be used to replace nonrenewable sources of energy such fossil fuel and coal, which are known to have immense impacts on the environment.

References

Asif, M., & Muneer, T. (2007). Energy supply, its demand and security issues for developed and emerging economies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 11(7), 138-141.

Chen, Z., Guerrero, J., & Blaabjerg, F. (2009). A review of the state of the art of power electronics for wind turbines. Power Electronics, 24(8), 185-187.

Hosansky, D. (2011). Wind Power: Is wind energy good for the environment? Researcher, 21(13), 281-312.

Jaramillo, O., Borja, M., & Huacuz, J. (2004). Using hydropower to complement wind energy: a hybrid system to provide firm power. Renewable Energy, 29(11), 188-190.

Joselin H., Iniyan, S., Sreevalsan, E., & Rajapandian, S. (2007). A review of wind energy technologies. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 11(6), 111- 114.

Pedersen, E., & Waye, K. (2004). Perception and annoyance due to wind turbine noise. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 17(116), 346-350.

Sahin, A. (2004). Progress and recent trends in wind energy. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 30(5), 50-54.

Venkataraman, B and Elango, D. (1998). Renewable Energy Sources. Hindustan College of Engineering, 17(5), 16-19.

Analyzing Visual Argument

The issue of decreasing carbon emissions and using alternative sources of energy are actively discussed in modern American society. “Wind Power Fills Our Sails” is a poster designed for the Climate Victory Campaign which is developed by a group of activists promoting the advantages of using renewable energy (“Climate Victory”). The poster is designed to attract the wide public including governors, businessmen, manufacturers, farmers, and energy consumers. The main argument of the visual is that wind power is a source of a lot of energy for millions of Americans, and a result of using wind power is limitless access to the energy source, a possibility to use clean energy, decrease carbon emissions, and create green jobs. The poster can be discussed as an effective visual argument because the use of the text and images is balanced, the textual message is clear and motivational, and the images provoke associations with developing the best future while using wind power.

Looking at the poster, a person can see a large wind turbine and two people in the foreground as well as several other wind turbines near the skyline. The rising sun is presented as the background of the image. “Wind Power Fills Our Sails!” is the main textual message presented in the poster, and it is supported with such texts as “Clean energy! Green jobs! Abundant supply!” (“Wind Power Fills Our Sails”). It is mentioned in the poster that it is sponsored by 350.org and the Climate Victory Campaign.

The reference to the Climate Victory Campaign can be discussed as the main ethical appeal used in the poster because the activists of the Climate Victory are known for their projects in the sphere of preventing climate change (“Climate Victory”). To persuade the audience that the use of wind power is an effective decision to solve the energy and climate change problems, the authors appeal to the emotions while using an image of a large wind turbine and an image of a rising sun as metaphors for developing the best future (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson 180). The pathos is also observed with references to the message “Wind Power Fills Our Sails!” where the word ‘sail’ is used metaphorically to provoke associations with powerful windmills’ sails and to emphasize the successful journey under sail to the better future while using wind power. The visual persuades the audience to refer to using wind power because of presenting such textual reasons as “Clean energy! Green jobs! Abundant supply!” (“Wind Power Fills Our Sails”). Paying attention to the kairos, it is necessary to state that the poster is presented at the right time because the question of renewable energy is actively discussed today to cope with climate change.

The poster is designed in red, blue, and green colors to provoke associations with unlimited power and clean energy. The textual message and the image are effectively balanced because the main focus is on the visual component, and the text is presented at the top of the image as typical for posters. Much attention is paid to the distance in the poster because putting the wind turbines in the forefront and the rising sun in the background, the authors draw the audience’s attention to the idea of the growth associated with the dawn of the new future with green energy (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson 179). The figures of two workers looking at the rising sun add to understanding the idea of using wind power as a perspective. The whole image is made in a colorful style of comics, and it accentuates ideas about the people’s victory over climate change.

The discussed poster is an effective visual argument because it uses effective colorful schemes based on mainly green, red, and blue colors, efficient images of wind turbines, and concise textual messages. As a result, the audience is expected to think about the effectiveness of using wind power to develop the future with a lot of green energy and jobs.

Works Cited

Climate Victory. 2014. Web.

Ramage, John, John Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings. New York, NY: Longman, 2011. Print.

Wind Power Fills Our Sails. 2014. Web.

Introduction

Greece is one of the countries in the world that enjoys a substantial amount of wind resources, especially in the Aegean Sea Islands and on the mountain ridges on the mainland. Due to this, the government has given the first indication to investors concerning the size of the initial phase of offshore wind power plant deployment (Kardakaris, Boufidi and Soukissian, 2021). Therefore, Greek and foreign companies will start battling for market share immediately after legislative and regulatory structure is presented. In addition, individual investors will start scrambling for an opportunity to invest in the offshore business. The main question arising is the possibility of investing in offshore wind power in Greece, which has been answered in this report.

Analysis

Greece’s 2050 target is to have zero carbon emissions, and investing in renewable energy is critical to achieving the country’s target. This has led to discussions on exploiting the country’s offshore wind through a relevant legislative structure that will promote investment in offshore wind energy in Greece (Spyridonidou and Vagiona, 2020). New floating offshore wind technology has been developed, and it is most appropriate for the deep waters of the Greek seas. For instance, a floating offshore wind farm of 500MW energy capacity at an average 12 kilometers (km) distance away from the shore and 300 meters (m) depth. In addition, the floating offshore has a likelihood of requiring an investment of about $1.34 billion over its lifetime (Pires et al., 2021). Further on, the farm can produce 3 million MWh yearly for more than 30 years. This will cater to 6% of the country’s energy and reduce carbon emissions by 2 million tons.

The analysis above quantifies the social impact of offshore wind farms. Further on, developing a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) structure connects investment costs to offshore wind power’s social, environmental, and economic benefits. The CBA structure focuses on the benefits of the national and global level and local community and visitors to places where farms will be located (Spyridonidou, Vagiona and Loukogeorgaki, 2020). It is crucial to identify that investment in offshore wind power in Greece will create a significant global gain by reducing carbon emissions and replacing them with energy from conventional sources.

The offshore wind power plant can also benefit local communities when the Greek government develops appropriate compensation. On the other hand, it can hinder development because it is associated with visual disamenity (Vourdoubas, 2021). A good estimation structure can be developed by estimating annual welfare loss, the approximate amount per resident. The best form of compensation is private compensation, which provides energy at lower prices to the residents (Wang, Nguyen and Dang, 2022). Another compensation can be providing local public goods such as maintaining cultural heritage or developing local infrastructures. Using either of the two compensation methods will ensure significant benefits to the residents where a farm will be built.

Results and Findings

The study was conducted to answer issues concerning investing in an offshore wind power plant in Greece. In the study, 15 participants were used, and the method used was administering questionnaires. To analyze the data collected from the participants, IBM SPSS was used. The null hypothesis of the study was that the variables compared in the analysis were independent, while the alternative hypothesis was that the variables compared were dependent on each other. The summary from the statistical software was created using a crosstabs table and correlation, and the results acquired are further interpreted in this section.

The first test is cross-tabulation of how well the participants were informed regarding offshore wind power by how much they believe that wind energy has the potential to total revenue (tr). The results reveal that six out of 15 were somewhat well-informed about offshore wind power. In addition, three out of six who were somewhat well informed believed that wind power would affect the total revenue by 4%, and the rest believed that wind power would affect total revenue by 5%. Further on, seven respondents believed that wind power would increase the total revenue by 5% regardless of their knowledge about wind power plants.

From another perspective looking at both the crosstabs table and the chi-square test results (How well informed are you regarding offshore wind power * How much do you believe that wind energy has the potential to tr Crosstabulation) were consistent with the data. Most of the participants believed that wind energy would increase the total revenue by 5%, followed by 4% and the last was 3%. In addition, the value of chi-square statistics is 8.762, and the p-value is.363. Since the p-value is greater than the significant level of.05, the alternative hypothesis is rejected to conclude that the two variables in the study are independent.

The second cross-tabulation for the study are the feasibility of investing in an offshore wind power plant and would the participant consider Greece an attractive location to invest in. The crosstabs table shows that the chi-square is consistent with the data. The feasibility of the participant in the test was divided into three: short-term, medium-term, and long-term profitability. The expected answers were; maybe, no, and yes. 6 out of 15 participants replied that investing in an offshore wind power plant will have long-term profitability. This shows that most participants were unsure of the feasibility, but they suspected it could have long-term profitability. In addition, most of the participants revealed that they were sure that investing in wind energy cannot have short-term profitability.

The chi-statistics of the feasibility and location test is 5.044, while the p-value is.282. The p-value of the test is greater than the significant level of.05. Therefore, the null hypothesis should be accepted to conclude that the variables in the study are independent. In addition, this has revealed that the answers provided by the participants concerning feasibility were not affected by the location of the power plant. Therefore, there is a probability that the participants responded to the test depending on their knowledge of wind power plants instead of the location.

The third cross-tabulation was testing if the proposed research is related to the investment resource by what are the main limitations of such an investment. The proposed research was divided into change management, investment, leadership, and resource limitation. On the other hand, the main limitations were: bureaucracy and financial and geographical. Further on, the results in the cross table and the chi-square were consistent with the participant’s data. Eight out of 15 participant respondents said that financial limitation is the main limitation to investing in wind power plants. This shows that the proposed research does not significantly impact investing in wind energy.

On the other hand, the chi-statistics of the proposed research and preliminary limitation test is 13.281, while the p-value is.150. In the study, the p-value is less than the significant value of.05. Therefore, the alternative hypothesis should be rejected to accept the null hypothesis and conclude that this test’s two variables are independent. This shows that the answers provided by the participants did not depend on the primary limitations; instead, they responded depending on what they felt closely related to the investment and resources.

The final test on the cross-tabulation was how much participants believed that the geographical location within Greece is important by feasibility, in the end, to invest at all in Greece. In this test, the geographical location was divided from 1 to 5. On the other hand, the feasibility of investing was divided into two, maybe and yes. The crosstab revealed that one value was, but this did not affect the consistency in the chi-square test results. The crosstabs results revealed that most participants were unsure if the geographical location is essential for locating the power plant. In addition, the chi-square statistic was 3.111, while the p-value was.539. Since the p>.05, the null hypothesis will be accepted to conclude that the two variables in the study were independent. Therefore, the answers provided by the respondents were not determined by the feasibility of investment.

Spearman’s rank was computed to assess the relationship between how much you believe that wind energy has: the potential for the total revenue and the geographical location within Greece is essential. The results revealed a positive correlation between the two variables, r (14), p=.432. Since the p-value is greater than the significant value of.05, the alternative hypothesis is accepted to conclude that the two variables are independent. In addition, the Person correlation revealed there is a positive correlation between the two variables, r (14), p=.510. Therefore, both Pearson and Spearman correlations show positive correlations and accept null hypotheses.

Discussion and Conclusion

Most people do not know much about wind power energy and its benefits in a country. Still, despite the little knowledge they have about it, they believe that it has the capability of significantly increasing the total revenue. For instance, the data collected in this study has revealed that people believe that wind power has the potential to increase the total revenue by either 3, 4, or 5% (Wu et al., 2020). Therefore, more public education should show the benefits and negative impacts of wind energy before another study is conducted. In addition, this will ensure more accuracy in the study conducted because people will not guess; they will give their opinions depending on what they know.

Wind power has the feasibility of long-term profitability because it focuses more on business planning and less on asset sales. Due to this, wind power plants can survive eventually without breakdown. The study revealed that most participants are not sure but believe that wind power will have long-term profitability. Therefore, the Greek government should consider these participants’ belief responses since they support it regardless of knowing less about wind power (Cheng and Wu, 2021). In addition, the financial limitation is the main issue affecting investing in wind power plants. Although proposed research on change management, investment, leadership, and resource limitation tampers with investing in wind power, it does not significantly impact financial limitation (Ziemba, 2022). Due to financial constraints attached to investing in wind power, the Greek government should determine if the project will be funded by the federal government or privatized.

The wind power plant’s geographical location is crucial because wind turbines should be located within a wind plant area to maximize annual energy production. Since the Aegean Sea receives heavy air, it will be the perfect location for placing wind turbines and power plants (Loukogeorgaki, Vagiona and Lioliou, 2022). After selecting the place, a compensation plan should ensure that the local community benefits more from the project. For the perfect compensation plan, public participation is crucial to avoid the distress that might lead to the project’s failure. Therefore, ensuring that the project is located at the appropriate place and an appropriate compensation plan for the residents will assist the wind power plant’s success.

In conclusion, investing in wind power plants has numerous advantages for Greece. First, it will increase the country’s total revenue by 3 to 5%. Secondly, if appropriate compensation is selected, the power plant revenues will ensure local infrastructure development where the project is located. Thirdly, it will reduce carbon emissions because wind power does not produce carbon. Finally, it will reduce the power shortage that the country is facing due to the current power supplier. Although investing in the wind power plant is expensive, the government has many methods of funding its methods; hence it will use those means to fund the project and ensure it becomes a success.

Reference List

Cheng, M. and Wu, Y. (2021) ‘Investment evaluation and partnership selection model in the offshore wind power underwater foundations industry’, Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 9(12), p.1371.

Kardakaris, K., Boufidi, I. and Soukissian, T. (2021) ‘Offshore wind and wave Energy complementarity in the Greek seas based on ERA5 data’, Atmosphere, 12(10), p.1360.

Loukogeorgaki, E., Vagiona, D. and Lioliou, A. (2022) ‘Incorporating public participation in offshore wind farm siting in Greece’, Wind, 2(1), pp.1-16.

Pires, A., Rotella Junior, P., Morioka, S., Rocha, L. and Bolis, I. (2021) ‘Main trends and criteria adopted in economic feasibility studies of offshore wind energy: a systematic literature review’, Energies, 15(1), p.12.

Spyridonidou, S. and Vagiona, D. (2020) ‘Systematic review of site-selection processes in onshore and offshore wind energy research’, Energies, 13(22), p.5906.

Spyridonidou, S., Vagiona, D. and Loukogeorgaki, E. (2020) ‘Strategic planning of offshore wind farms in Greece’, Sustainability, 12(3), p.905.

Vourdoubas, J. (2021) ‘Islands with zero net carbon footprint due to electricity use. The case of Crete, Greece ‘, European Journal of Environment and Earth Sciences, 2(1), pp.37-43.

Wang, C., Nguyen, N. and Dang, T. (2022) ‘Offshore wind power station (OWPS) site selection using a two-stage MCDM-based spherical fuzzy set approach’, Scientific Reports, 12(1).

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Wind power in general and the associated technology have great potential to supplement global energy demands and reduce the utilization of coal, natural gas, and other non-renewable sources of energy. Unlike natural gas and coal, wind power is clean, produces little or no greenhouse gases, and does not cause or exacerbate global warming and climate change (Vagiona and Kamilakis, 2018). In addition to tackling energy and climate change concerns, wind energy can also spark regional, national, and global economic growth. It ensures that individuals, homes, and businesses access clean and reliable energy (Tercanet al., 2020). Wind farms and wind energy distribution provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to numerous people globally. Offshore wind power – often obtained deep inside a water body such as a sea or ocean – is often plentiful in some countries. In Greece, the Aegean Sea is an attractive location for wind farm development to produce wind energy to meet the country’s energy targets (Satir et al., 2018). Several companies have already established wind farms there to take advantage of the powerful offshore winds in the region. This research proposal considers the feasibility of investing in one of these offshore wind power plants in the Aegean Sea in Greece.

Research Questions

The main research question is, “what is the feasibility of investing in an offshore wind power plant in Greece’s Aegean Sea?” The most important consideration is short, medium, and long-term profitability here. An investment opportunity that promises short, medium, and long-term profitability is the most ideal and the most feasible (Nezhad et al., 2021). However, since this is not always feasible, the other best alternative is an investment opportunity that provides positive returns in the medium and short terms. Investment opportunities with unclear returns potential are not ideal for investment. Therefore, based on this assessment, the investor will look at various wind plants in the Aegean Sea and consider the availability of investment opportunities and their attractiveness based on their past, current, and future financial performance (based on projections and estimates).

Research Aim

The research aims to understand the feasibility of investing in a new or existing wind farm in Greece’s Aegean Sea. Wind energy has great potential to transform the global economy and reduce environmental pollution. Producing offshore wind energy can be challenging, given the technological requirements for a successful undertaking (Karystianos et al., 2021). However, its benefits are numerous and include the possibility of profitability for individual and institutional investors.

Research Objectives

The research aims to identify an attractive investment opportunity in offshore wind energy generation in the Aegean Sea. This research will identify existing wind farms in the region and consider the feasibility of investing in them. Alternatively, the study will consider the feasibility of investing in a new wind farm in the region. This second alternative will look at the entire process of starting a wind farm, including the regulatory requirements and the associated costs. The consideration will also include the cost of doing business and the minimum amount required for a successful investment in the production of clean wind energy.

Reasoned Justification of the Study

The study is necessary because investment decisions are critical and require supporting data and informed decisions. Conducting the study allows the investor to collect sufficient data to support the investment decision (Bertsiou et al., 2018). This information will also help the investor take calculated risks because while investment opportunities can lead to significant gains, they are risky undertakings that require careful selection and scrutiny. The purpose of the research is to minimize the risk by collecting information and examining the attractiveness of this investment opportunity.

Limitations of the Study

One of the limitations of the study revolves around the scope. Although this is an investigation of the attractiveness of a business opportunity, it does not consider the associated technical issues and problems. Investment in offshore wind power production is a significant technical undertaking with significant technological demands (Tsilimigkas et al., 2018). However, this study will not focus on the technological aspects of the investment. The study is also geographically limited since it focuses on the Greek Aegean Islands and offshore wind resources. It is necessary to focus on one geographical area to limit the expenditure associated with the investment (Sakka et al., 2020). Notably, it is impractical, unnecessary, and impossible to invest in every wind farm globally. Choosing to invest in one location is a critical investment decision and risk. Lastly, the project is financially limited. Although this investment opportunity can potentially produce profitability, it is limited financially. The exact amount investable in this project will vary depending on the identified opportunity and the outcome of this investigation.

Relevant Theme and Discipline/Theory Area

The proposed research is related to the investment and resource limitation theories, change management, and leadership. Change management is necessary to manage the transition from one business to another, and good leadership is the key to managing resources properly and achieving success (Katopodiset al., 2021). The study recognizes the importance and complexity of the investment process and attempts to minimize risks and increase profitability. Risk minimization is the deliberate process of finding reliable information and using it to make informed decisions. Investing involves considering various factors and determining the right investment given the prevailing goal and purpose. The resource limitation theory recognizes that financial, technical, and natural resources are limited and that the best way of creating value is investing carefully. According to the investment theory by Sternberg and Lubart (1991), creative people can buy low and invest high on available ideas. This tendency to take risks is often rewarding, although it can sometimes produce losses.

Types of Data Employed

The proposed study will employ both primary and secondary data. The researcher will collect primary data by interviewing or surveying appropriately experienced individuals. Secondary data will come from published books, journals, and websites. Both primary and secondary data will allow for a thorough comprehension of the investigation issue and facilitate better decision-making (Kakouris, 2021). The only problem with employing primary and secondary data is that the process can be expensive and more time-consuming.

Method of Data Collection

The researcher will collect primary data through observations, interviews, and surveys. Primary data is more reliable, accurate, and up-to-date because it comes directly from the source. The author will then collect secondary data from reading books, journals, and online publications. Some books and peer-reviewed journals will come from online databases, while others will be accessed through the school library and the public libraries countrywide. Site visits are optional as they depend on the availability of travel resources.

Preliminary Hypotheses (Null H0 and Alternative H1)

• H0: It is not feasible to invest in an offshore wind power plant in Greece’s Aegean Sea.
• H1: IT is feasible to invest in an offshore wind power plant in Greece’s Aegean Sea.

Direction for Further Research

Future research should focus on identifying potentially profitable businesses from inception. It is hard to differentiate between potentially profitable and non-profitable firms unless one accesses the company’s financial reports. One can base performance likelihood for upcoming firms on the business environment, but this is a difficult undertaking. No matter how well-organized business projections are, there is no guarantee that outcomes will resemble them. Further research should also focus on the likely impact of competition in wind energy generation.

References List

Bertsiou, M., Feloni, E., Karpouzos, D. and Baltas, E., 2018. Water management and electricity output of a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) in Fournoi island in Aegean Sea. Renewable energy, 118, pp.790-798.

Kakouris, A., 2021. Teaching creativity in entrepreneurship: Embolden or discourage?. Industry and Higher Education, 35(4), pp.465-470.

Karystianos, M.E., Pitas, C.N., Efstathiou, S.P., Tsili, M.A., Mantzaris, J.C., Leonidaki, E.A., Voumvoulakis, E.M. and Sakellaridis, N.G., 2021. Planning of Aegean Archipelago Interconnections to the Continental Power System of Greece. Energies, 14(13), p.3818.

Katopodis, T., Markantonis, I., Vlachogiannis, D., Politi, N. and Sfetsos, A., 2021. Assessing climate change impacts on wind characteristics in Greece through high resolution regional climate modelling. Renewable Energy, 179, pp.427-444.

Nezhad, M.M., Neshat, M., Groppi, D., Marzialetti, P., Heydari, A., Sylaios, G. and Garcia, D.A., 2021. A primary offshore wind farm site assessment using reanalysis data: A case study for Samothraki island. Renewable Energy, 172, pp.667-679.

Sakka, E.G., Bilionis, D.V., Vamvatsikos, D. and Gantes, C.J., 2020. Onshore wind farm siting prioritization based on investment profitability for Greece. Renewable Energy, 146, pp.2827-2839.

Satir, M., Murphy, F. and McDonnell, K., 2018. Feasibility study of an offshore wind farm in the Aegean Sea, Turkey. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 81, pp.2552-2562.

Sternberg, R.J. and Lubart, T.I., 1991. An investment theory of creativity and its development. Human development, 34(1), pp.1-31.

Tercan, E., Tapkın, S., Latinopoulos, D., Dereli, M.A., Tsiropoulos, A. and Ak, M.F., 2020. A GIS-based multi-criteria model for offshore wind energy power plants site selection in both sides of the Aegean Sea. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192(10), pp.1-20.

Tsilimigkas, G., Pafi, M. and Gourgiotis, A., 2018. Coastal landscape and the Greek spatial planning: evidence from windpower in the South Aegean islands. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 22(6), pp.1129-1142.

Vagiona, D.G. and Kamilakis, M., 2018. Sustainable site selection for offshore wind farms in the South Aegean—Greece. Sustainability, 10(3), p.749.