Transcript Overview - Wilkes University

Heather Shutt, Lauren Pawling, Nathan White
Objectives
 Evidence supporting wind
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energy
How society looks at wind
energy
Product development
Environmental problems
Benefits/ disadvantages
Political or physical
impediments
Overall sustainability and
efficiency of wind power
Providing for Future Needs
 American Wind Energy
Association
 US Department of
Energy
 US will generate enough
 Wind harvested in the
energy to meet needs of
4.5 million households
every year
 1 MW of wind
power=250 households
Great Plains states of
Texas, Kansas, and
North Dakota
 Enough to run the
entire nation
 Harvesting wind
on/near Great Lakes
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80% of current needs
Providing for Future Needs
 2008: world-wide
capacity of wind power
 121.2 GW
 1.5% of world electrical
needs
 2009: 80 countries using
wind power on
commercial basis
 Capacity Credit
 No energy is essentially
“being wasted”
Change in Wind Power
Middle Ages Wind Power
Present Day Wind Power
Does Society Agree?
Some Agree
 Wind energy has potential to
U.S.A Wind Energy Capacity
expand
 Renewable resource
 Variety of outputs
 commercial, medium, at home
 80 countries are currently mass
harvesting wind
 Already harvesting wind power
 Not new technology
 Overall, wind energy has the
essential qualities that can
provide a sufficient proportion of
electrical demands
http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_installed_capacity.asp
Does Society Agree?
Some Disagree
 Do not believe wind is viable
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solution
Energy demands are too high
Not enough technology word
wide
Wind is unpredictable
Small output of each turbine
Others agree with evidence
 Generally just do not agree
with wind power
Can production be enhanced in those areas
in which it is already developed?
 Focus on areas with most
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beneficial wind speed
Looking for consistency
Only so many turbines can
occupy one space to
maximize efficiency
Developers looking at
multiple factors to
determine best “zones”
Already developed
 Mid-West, Great Plains,
California
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
Wind Power Potential
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_Wind_Resources_and_
Transmission_Lines_map.jpg
Can production be developed in areas
where it is now minimally developed?
 focus on good “zones”
 Many “hot-spots” have
already been developed
 Great Plains, mid-west
 Still many possibilities
 Off shore, Great Lake
 Almost anywhere will
have some sort of
potential
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Windenergy.jpg
What are the technical impediments (restraints) to
development and deployment of wind power? Can those
impediments be overcome?
 Environmental effects of wind power are relatively minor.
 Danger to birds and bats has been a concern in some
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locations.
Aesthetics have also been an issue in some areas
Noise levels
Wind towers require aircraft warning lights, which create
bothersome light pollution
tourism officials predict wind farms will damage tourism
Community Opinion
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_effects_of_w
ind_power#Aesthetics)
What environmental problems does wind
power pose?
 Noise Level
 Climate change
 Anesthetics
 Ecological Footprint
 Safety
 Net energy gain
 Impact on wildlife
 Green house gas
emissions
 Land use
 Tornado False Positives
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki)
Laws And Regulations
Beneficial Regulations
Problematic Regulations
 Production Tax Credit (PTC)- An
 Migratory Bird Treaty Act- The
incentive that gives an income tax credit of
2.1 cents/kilowatt-hour for the production
of electricity from utility-scale wind
turbines.
 Small Wind Systems Tax Credit- A
federal-level investment tax credit (ITC) is
available to owners of small wind systems
with 100 kilowatts (kW) of capacity or less.
They can receive a credit for 30% of the
total installed cost of the system.
 The American Clean Energy and
Security Act - The committee’s bill
contains a 20% renewable electricity by
2020 standard, allowing for 8% of the
standard to be met through energy
efficiency improvements.
 http://www.awea.org/
statute makes it unlawful to pursue,
hunt, take, capture, kill or sell birds
listed as “migratory”. A proposed wind
farm in Greenbrier County, West
Virginia was ruled against because of the
possible injury and death to an
endangered species of bats.
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 The National Wildlife Refuge
System Improvement Act- any
activity on refuge lands must be compatible
with the Refuge system mission.
Problematic Regulations
 In Pennsylvania, wind turbines must be set back from the
nearest occupied building, road, or property line a distance not
less than the greater of the maximum setback requirements for
that zoning classification where the turbine is located or 1.1 times
the Turbine Height, whichever is greater.
 The setback distance is measured from the center of the Wind
Turbine base to the nearest point on the foundation of the
Occupied Building
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 Audible sound from a Wind Energy Facility cannot exceed fifty
(55) dBA, as measured at the exterior of any Occupied Building
on a Non-participating Landowner’s property.
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http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/energy/cwp/view.asp?a=1370&Q=485761
Is Wind Power Sustainable
 The two biggest reasons for using wind to generate
electricity are the most obvious ones: Wind power is
clean, and it's renewable
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 we are in no danger of running out of wind anytime
soon.
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http://science.howstuffworks.com/wind-power.htm
 There is independence associated with wind energy, as any country can
generate it at home with no foreign support.
 Wind turbine can bring electricity to remote areas not served by the central
power grid
 Wind is free, wind farms need no fuel.
 Produces no waste or greenhouse gases.
 The land beneath can usually still be used for farming.
 Wind farms can be tourist attractions.
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http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/wind.htm#adv
Lifespan of Modern Wind Farms
 The lifespan of a modern turbine is pegged at around 120 000
hours or 20-25 years
 They aren't totally maintenance free because they contain some
moving parts which will need to be replaced during their
lifespan
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http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/65/1/How-wind-turbines-work.html
Conclusion
 Wind power is a very effective choice for alternative
energy.
 It is probable and achievable.
 Not to mention the fact that it is an almost
COMPLETELY clean source.
Questions?
www.well.com