Alternative Energy: Wind

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History

Wind energy propelled boats along the Nile River as early as 5000 B.C.

By 200 B.C., simple windmills in China were pumping water, while vertical-axis windmills with woven reed sails were grinding grain in Persia and the Middle East.

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DISADVANTAGES

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Location

The wind doesn’t blow all the time or everyday.

Good sites for wind plants are the tops of smooth, rounded hills, open plains or shorelines, and mountain gaps that produce wind funneling. However these sites are generally limited and far from the load.

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Environmental ImpactWind turbines do have negative impacts on the environment especially in the case of bird and bat deaths, and the landscape.

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ADVANTAGES

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Cost

Wind energy is one of the lowest priced renewable energy technologies available today, costing between four and six cents per kilowatt hour.

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Levelized Cost of Electricity for Various Power and Energy Efficiency Options, ¢/KWH

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Wow! Six ¢/KWH is pretty cheap for

wind.

Lifetime

A wind turbine’s life expectancy is 20-25 years. The expected lifetime of a refurbished wind turbine is another 15 years.

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