Kyle Dockstader

Ms. Lucy

9-2 Science

30 April 2014

Energy Report

The Earth’s recourses are rapidly being consumed and the

world is becoming more and more dependent on renewable energy

recourses. Renewable energy resource is a source of energy that

can be replaced in a relatively short period of time. Some

examples of renewable energy are wind energy, solar energy, and

hydroelectric energy. Wind energy converts wind into energy,

solar energy converts sunlight into energy, and hydroelectric

converts water into energy. These are all very efficient ways to

conserve and renew energy, but I think that wind energy is the

most efficient way. A commercial wind turbine can cost from $3-$4

million. According to wind energy foundation a single wind

turbine can power 500 homes alone. That is enough energy to power

the entire town of Centennial Park, just in one turbine. So I

think that using renewable wind energy is the most efficient

because efficiency of the engineering, the large amounts of power

produced, and, even though they are expensive, wind turbines are

one of the lowest priced renewable energy technologies today.

A commercial wind turbine is about 260 feet tall and the

blades themselves are 135 feet long. The newer turbines that are

this size have a capacity to produce 1.8 megawatts each. The

older turbines have a capacity of 660 kilowatts each, they are

213 feet tall, and their blades are 70 feet long. The higher the

tower, the better access to the wind. A turbine is constructed of

many parts, there is a anemometer, two or three blades, a brake,

a controller, a gear box, a generator, a high speed shaft, a low

speed shaft, a nacelle, a pitch, a rotor, a tower, a wind vane, a

yaw drive and a yaw motor. Each component has a different

function to aid the conversion of kinetic energy into mechanical

energy. The anemometer measure the wind speed and transmits the

speed data into the controller. The blades are moved from the

wind and then start to rotate. The controller starts up the

machine at wind speeds of about 8 to 16 miles per hour.

Interestingly enough, wind turbines do not operate at winds above

55 miles per hour because they might be damaged by the high

winds. The gearbox is where gears connect the low-speed shaft to

the high speed shaft and increases the rotating speeds from about

30 to 60 rotations per minute. (RPM) The generator produces 60

cycle AC electricity AC is the form in which electric power is

delivered to businesses and residences. The high-speed shaft

drives the generator, while the rotor, at about 30 to 60 rpm,

turns the low-speed shafts, generator, controller and brake. Take

a look at this Wind Turbine Diagram.

This design is efficient and completely environmentally safe,

does not cause any pollution like fossil fuels, and produces lots

of energy.

According to Wind Energy Foundation, between 2008 and 2012,

wind power has provided 36.5% of all new generating in the United

States. American wind power has grown into a $10 Billion

industry. Wind Turbines are producing a ton of energy, and its

turning into a good investment and saving the country money. By

2030, U.S wind power will save nearly 30 trillion bottles of

water. This is because unlike nearly every other form of energy,

wind power uses virtually no water. Not only does it save water,

it saves money, and it still is one of the main sources of U.S

generating capacity. Another interesting thing is that large

modern wind Turbines are very quiet. At a distance of more than

650 feet, the swishing sound of the rotor blades is usually make

completely by wind noise of the trees or shrubs. The turbine

sites will normally be distant enough from neighbors so that

people won’t hear any sound at all, unless they are standing

close. This is really useful because 95% of wind turbines are

installed on private land. This ties back into Centennial Park.

Centennial is made mostly up of private land, since it has not

been largely expanded yet, so not only would these wind turbines

be peaceful, they could virtually power the entirety of

Centennial Park and even Colorado City if we wanted to run the

electricity out there. But the question is, is $3 million per

turbine investment worth it? Let’s say that the average power

bill per home in Centennial Park is $1000 per month. So that is

$12,000 per year per household. If there are 500 homes in the

town then that is a total of $6 million spent on power. Two wind

turbines would be paid off in one year. But it does all depend on

how much wind occurs, so it is all roughly guessing. This is an

example of a private wind farm.

Wind energy is one of the cheaper ways of renewable energy, but

they are some of the largest producers.

The average commercial wind turbine cost ranges from about

$2-3 million. 14,000 watt sized solar panel cost $34,500 but only

puts out 1,950 kWh per month. According to ecogeek.org, a water

mill costs about $1,299 but doesn’t even make a fraction of the

energy. Geothermal energy need to be in more western states, such

as Alaska, Hawaii etc. So we can draw the conclusion that wind

energy is a more efficient way of renewable energy, being

available in more areas and producing what it is worth.

Wind energy became the number-one source of new U.S.

electricity-generating capacity for the first time in 2012,

providing some 42% of all new generating capacity. In fact, 2012

was a strong year for all renewables, as together they accounted

for more than 55% of all new U.S. generating capacity. This is

what the country needs to be seeking for, this is a great way for

us to help the earth, and preserve our own recourses. Renewable

energy is effeciant, but I think the most efficient type of

renewable energy is wind because it has efficient engineering, it

produces lots of power, and the cost of using wind energy.