Wind Farms in the United Kingdom
Wind has been used as a power source for many thousands of years. Windmills were used in many cultures in order to mill grains and harness the power of the wind for daily use. More recently, wind has become a great alternative power source for countries all over the world. Using the power of the wind is relatively simple, while also being ecologically sound and completely renewable. Wind farms are the easiest way to harness large amounts of wind power at a time, and the farms in the UK provide perfect examples. .
Wind farms are large collections of wind turbines, all located in the same place, that are generating electricity. In the UK, wind farms are controlled by the British Wind Energy Association. The BWEA operates 127 wind farms with 1618 turbines all over the UK. These wind farms produce 1694.55 megawatts of electricity annually, which is enough electricity to power 947,506 homes a year. Think about that for a minute. The wind farm project produces enough energy to power a fairly large city.
These wind farms are incredibly safe compared to other energy sources with no recorded public injuries by wind turbine since the introduction of wind farming. They also produce no waste or pollution, making wind farms very ecologically advantageous. In fact, eight out of ten people are in favor of using wind energy as their power source. Wind energy is also completely renewable, as it takes no fuel or other resources that can be expended.
Many people wonder whether wind farms are noisy, or if they affect the area surrounding the farms. The BWEA assures us that this is not the case. Wind farms do not produce excessive noise, and they have not shown any affect on farms, other livestock, or tourism concerns. The wind turbines themselves are quite large, at about 65 meters in diameter and 25 to 80 meters in height, but they are non-disruptive to the area surrounding them. Their efficiency is also pretty impressive, considering the unpredictable nature of wind, with a rating of 60 percent efficiency.
Wind is an excellent alternative to other power sources. Wind farms can help to reduce our world's dependence on fossil fuels and other destructive fuel sources, while not adding to the pollution already present in our skies. Choosing wind to power our lives is one way that we, and our governments, can help to reduce the stress on an already battered environment, and also help the economy while we're at it.
