What Are The Wind Energy Facts On The Renewable Wind Energy Industry?

What are the wind energy facts on the renewable wind energy industry? There is much to be impressed about and there are cautions.

In reviewing these facts we should always think about purpose of wind energy. It has mainly come about as a result of fears of climate change.

Can wind energy play a significant role in ameliorating this real threat?

You judge.

Wind energy facts – it’s solar power, stupid!

Wind energy is possible through nothing more than airflows created by different air temperatures in different locations. Of course the sun brings about these Earthly dynamics. Hence wind energy is solar energy.

Wind energy facts – a little history

The earliest known use of wind power is by the Egyptians some 5000 years ago, who used it to sail their boats from shore to shore on the Nile. Around 2000BC the first windmill was built in Babylon.

And is wasn’t The Netherlands but Afghanistan that was using large windmills, as high as 30 feet, with 16-foot long blades by the 10th century BC. Chinese and Persian windmills for grain milling date from at least the 13th century.

These are serious wind energy facts bearing in mind predictions of significant ocean level rises from mnelting glaciers and polar ice. Windmills will no longer be enough.

But of course global warming is a more recent widespread concern that drives the wind energy movement. The oil crisis in the 1970’s first kick-started the current interest in wind power and renewable energy in general.

Wind energy facts – size of the industry

In 2005 wind energy generated less than one percent of global energy and generated 58,982 MW worldwide.

It grew by 21% in 2004 and 24% in 2005, with growth rates now further increasing so that by the year 2000 the World Wind Energy Association expects 120,000 MW of wind power being in place by 2010.

In 2005 some 235,000 people were employed in the wind industry – and that is not counting politicians!

China as a fast growing energy consumer has committed itself to derive 20% of its energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2020. It already boasts some 300,000 small-scale wind energy generators.

Wind energy facts - Where is it used?

Europe is the biggest user of wind energy of all continents, representing 55% of global wind energy capacity with Germany and Spain the leading European countries.

America, that is North- and South America combined, have 17% of global capacity. 98% of that proportion resides in North America. The USA is now the fastest growing wind energy producer in the world. In terms of overall capacity it ranks third behind Spain. Canada’s capacity is growing fast with 683MW and Argentina and Brazil have emerging wind energy industries,.

Asia had a wind energy growth rate of 48% in 2005, adding 2.263 MW capacity to total 7,022 MW. China and India account for most of this as fast emerging industrialised nations and ranks fourth in the world with 4,430 MW capacity. China ranks eighth and has committed itself to a capacity of 30 GW by 2020. Pakistan is another fast-emerging wind energy nation with its first major wind farm scheduled to be finished in 2006.

In Australia and the Pacific the Australian capacity in 2005 was 572 MW. Recent political developments now seem to indicate a waning commitment to wind energy by its government. Australia has re-opened its domestic debate on nuclear energy coinciding with major uranium contracts with China and India. Australian States remain supportive of wind power.

The continent of Africa has the lowest wind energy capacity with 252 MW capacity. Egypt and Morocco are expected to enter into wind energy projects with the aid of international development funds. Some Middle Eastern countries are getting into wind energy too. In fact the first wind farm in the Middle East was built in the UAE on Sir Baniyas Island.

Iran, a major oil producer just commissioned a 10 MW with 10 further wind farms expected by end 2006. Syria and Dubai have announced its interest in wind energy. You like to have a look at my Kyoto Protocol summary to understand how development funds could be applied to Africa to minimise climate change.

Wind energy facts – What does it cost?

Costs depend on the scale of the wind turbine, available wind and ease of maintenance so they are difficult to pinpoint. However the British Wind Energy Association gives an average cost of onshore wind energy of 3.2 pence per kilowatt hour. Off-shore wind farms are more expensive to maintain than land –based plants as access to them has to be by ship.

Wind power costs are falling due to economies of scale and new technology. In 2005 the cost of wind energy was one-fifth its cost in 1999 and some say that USA wind power is now lower than that of fossil-fuel energy generation. The high cost of oil has of course had a major impact here. With further developments in wind energy technology and scale, its cost is expected to continue to drop.

Wind energy facts – required wind speed

Generally wind generators run productively from a minimum of 20 km per hour. The wind’s effectiveness is greater the higher a turbine is placed. Ideally a wind turbine should be located in a place where there is a near constant flow of non-turbulent wind throughout the year. Further locations with too many sudden strong gusts of wind should be avoided.

Further wind energy facts

• In 2006, seven wind turbines off the coast of Dublin, Ireland, represent the largest wind turbines in the world with a capacity of 3.6 MW each.

• There are three British offshore wind farms with a combined capacity of 210 MW.

• Wind's long-term technical potential is believed to be five times the current global energy consumption or 40 times current electricity demand. This would require 13% of all land area, meaning that land area with enough wind energy potential at a height of 80 meters. This assumes a placement of six large wind turbines per square kilometre on land. With offshore wind power plants this ratio is better as these can deliver seven times the energy as land-based plants.

Do we really want a global land- and seascape like that?

And what if it could abate global warming?

Of course wind power energy is only ever a part of any nation’s total energy use so by itself it cannot solve global warming. Cars for instance do not run on wind energy.

And there are some other downsides to wind energy as there are with all forms of energy.

The answer to clean energy then is likely to be a mix of renewable energy sources - perhaps as well as nuclear power.

Want more wind energy facts? Then have a look here.