In the spirit of Queen Elizabeth purchasing the world’s largest wind turbine, here are some things you might not have known about wind energy.
- Wind is incredibly expensive – from the start up costs, to the non-windy days, a wind turbine takes many years to recoup the expenses that go into installing it.
- America produces more wind energy than any other country! Although Denmark gets 20% of its nation’s power from the wind, and Germany has more turbines than any other country, American wind farms (like in Texas, for example) are making the USA a leader in the wind energy field.
- Despite what whiny neighbours say, wind turbines are not noisy – and each new model is getting quieter.
- Wind Farms are only a minor threat to birds – although turbines do take the lives of many birds in a year, new farms are spreading their turbines further apart, and with rotors lower to the ground, to allow for safer migration.
- Residential wind turbines aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Brands like Freetricity helped grow the small wind turbine market by 14% last year, but the fact of the matter is that if the turbine is too close to buildings or trees, the wind it’s exposed to will likely be turbulent and not produce what it’s supposed to.
However, that doesn’t mean they won’t be successful in an open area, or on a boat.
So there you go – a few things you might keep in mind next time you’re having a sustainable energy conversation.
