Wind Energy

Wind energy makes sense in many ways, however don’t think for a moment that’s its the silver bullet that will give us energy independence. Energy in wind will absolutely be a part of creating a future world where we get nearly free energy courtesy of the sun. But wind and its energy will not be the only tools at our disposal.

Here it is, 2009, and last year we had yet another run up in crude-oil prices that brought alternative energy to the forefront. My college degree is in geology, so I’ve known for many years what many are discovering now - that oil is not going to last forever. The sooner we wean ourselves off of that bubbling crude that Jed Clampett used to take him to Beverly Hills, California, the better. Mother Nature is busy making crude oil each day, but it takes many years of simmering until it’s ready. We’re using it far faster than she can make it.

Wind-power energy is attractive because in many parts of the world the wind blows regularly and with some great force. Wind is just the visible force that we humans can see, when grass and trees move, flags flutter and paper skitters across a parking lot. Wind is created when air moves from high-pressure weather systems into low-pressure areas. Mother Nature is just trying to balance the pressure in the atmosphere. So where there are frequent changes in the weather, you get consistent wind.

Windmill energy is nothing new. Drive through some rural areas today and you’ll still see windmills that work for free bringing water up from wells beneath the ground. Farmers need water for all sorts of things, especially those that need fresh water for livestock. Modern windmills are really wind energy turbines that have massive blades. The larger blades can turn the turbine with less wind power.

While renewable wind energy is an attractive method you might want to use to make some residential wind energy and electricity, you better think again. It needs to make economical sense unless you happen to be independently wealthy, and just want a feel-good pole in your yard. When you do the math at current 2009 costs, it just doesn’t make dollars and cents to invest in one for your home. Maybe it does if you’re a business that pays a higher cost per kilowatt of electricity, but for regular Joes, like you and I, it will be years and years before wind turbines can pay for themselves.

Wind-energy advantages must always be weighed against the disadvantages. As in any decision, you have to look at the pros and cons. At the current time, I feel the biggest advantage is that wind energy is absolutely part of the solution. It may be a large part of the energy equation in many areas of the world where wind blows much of the time. But beware of groups or organizations that propose wind as the end all and be all. Be sure to always take into consideration wind energy cost. Don’t forget to always factor in the ongoing maintenance of the wind turbines into the equation. It’s not fair to just add in the initial cost.

In addition to wind-energy development, I feel we need to explore simple solar energy. The sun burns 24/7/365. We need to develop technology to convert the massive infrared energy that is blasting the Earth each day. Imagine collecting and concentrating the sun’s rays like you did as a kid with a magnifying glass. Direct this beam of energy from outer space into power plants located near the oceans, rivers and large lakes.

The intense beam of light energy is sent into a boiler that makes steam that runs the electric generators. It’s totally clean and creates no pollution. When using ocean water you get clean distilled water as a byproduct. This can be used for drinking water as it condenses. The water can also be broken into pure oxygen and hydrogen using the free electricity pouring from the generators. The oxygen is put into the atmosphere and the hydrogen is used to power all of our cars, trucks and used to heat homes.

It’s that simple! We just need to get the next generation of kids to do this for us. Fill your brains with knowledge in school kids and forget about oil. We need you to think about giant magnifying glasses in space!

April 5 2009 AsktheBuilder News and Tips

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