Is the Answer Blowing in the Wind?

Not many of us particularly love the wind, blowing our hair everywhere and swaying us sideways, however, believe it or not, winds can actually be very useful to us. Wind Power uses wind turbines to harness wind energy and turn it into electricity. Though there is an infinite supply of wind, wind power often fluctuates between and within regions and seasons. This may mean that it is not always completely reliable. Many wind farms and wind projects have already been established in the developed world and from the following graph (International Energy Agency, 2009) we can see that the US, China, Germany, Spain and India, are already quite invested in wind power.

The next table shows some more recent data of wind capacity throughout various regions in the world:

From this table, it is clear that Europe, Asia and North America have the most firmly established wind power markets (Nelson, 2014). Nelson also notes that on-shore wind power is a not a great deal more expensive than fossil fuels and some energy sources are much more expensive than wind power, such as photovoltaic and solar energy. However, costs can vary depending on the winds that regions can harness, which may often fluctuate. Coastal regions have an advantage, as wind is also wave generated, which is why on-shore wind power is cheaper than off-shore wind power. So, what do you think? Have I swayed you? Are you blown away at the realisation of how useful winds can be? I'll stop with the puns now, but do comment below and voice your opinion!

Next up: Solar Energy!

The Unloved Saviours: Alternative Energies

Following on from last post, now that climate change is widely accepted, society is looking to become greener. Since global warming has been largely blamed on fossil fuel combustion, which we now seem to be depleting and exhausting, I’d say it’s about time we start looking elsewhere… wouldn’t you? In fact, I’d say all of these green energies, waiting to be exploited, are feeling a bit unloved and can relate to the Grinch in his oh-so-festive spirit:

The next posts will aim to answer the following questions about alternative energy sources:

1. What are the alternatives?
2. Do we have access to harness the power of the alternatives?
3. Are the alternative energies efficient? What do they use?
4. What is the current market of these alternatives?
5. What is the potential supply of these alternatives? Will we run out?
6. Are fossil fuels still the best economic option?