Wind energy is one of the most cost-effective renewable energy resources, which is vastly and widely being adopted, especially on a mass scale to be a power generation source. By the mid of 2009, no less than 80 countries were using wind energy on a commercial level.
Unlike conventional fossil fuel power plants, windmills don’t emit any greenhouse gasses and even if they are removed they don’t leave any sort of pollution behind. Off shore wind farms and those set up at higher altitudes which produce more energy can return the investment in as little as three months, which is why they are becoming more and more popular, especially at homes.
But before you take further steps about adopting wind energy, consider a few pros and cons of windmills that should help you judge how suitable it can be for you. Below we have outlined several major positive and negative sides of using windmills at your home.
Pros of using windmills
- Once set up, wind energy uses kinetic energy from wind for free forever, enabling you to utilize the energy of a force of nature that has a total potential of power generation larger than the current power consumption from all the power sources combined.
- Wind energy is environment friendly and there are no carbon emissions or environmental hazards produced during power generation, as is the case with thermal energy.
- Wind energy is more efficient than solar energy if provided the right capacity and conditions. A small wind turbine can create as much energy as 5 to 10 solar panels combined.
- New designs and mechanism are being introduced through constant research to ensure the better use of wind turbines. Such has been the case in its improvement in output and noise reduction from what we used to get 5 to 10 years back.
There are also a few downsides to using windmills, so be sure to read about them below.
Cons of using windmills
- The performance of wind mills depends on wind, weather and geography.
- Wind energy, comparatively to solar panels, requires greater maintenance due to moving parts and you would have to replace the bearings of the turbine once every 5 years.
- Wind mills can be a potential threat to the lives of flying animals like birds and bats.
- Wind mills are immediately noticed at a particular location, and their visual impact may affect the desirability and property values in the neighborhood, which could create a hurdle to its installation in the first place.
Along with all the pros and cons, and otherwise important disadvantage is the cost of purchase and installation of windmills, which can be significantly reduced by a quality energy guide like this, as it enables you to create your own windmills for only a fraction of the cost and set them through a very simple and do-it-yourself methods.
And you can make this possible well under an expenditure of $200. The program is available with an 8 week full money-back guarantee, utilizing which you can reduce your electricity costs as much as 80%, or could eliminate your power bills altogether, providing you with a self-sufficient power generation mechanism.
In the end it’s all about saving money while also protecting the environment and investing into windmills is just as smart as investing into solar panels.