From Ecopedia

Overview

Wind power is an alternative power source, produced by converting wind energy into useful energy forms that include:

-electricity generation using wind turbines

-mechanical power using wind mills

-propelling ships using wind pumps

At present, over 2% of the total global energy production is achieved using wind-powered generators such as wind turbines, wind mills and wind pumps. Around eighty countries across the world are currently using wind power for commercial purposes.

As a power source, wind energy offers an attractive alternative to non-renewable fossil fuels because wind energy is

-renewable

-abundantly available

-widely distributed, and

-extremely clean with no greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions

Wind energy is currently emerging as a highly-promising source of alternative energy replacing many popular and widely used power sources such as coal and natural gas. Coal and natural gas, being fossilized fuels, pose serious environmental threats leading to global warming and climate change among many others.

Non-Dispatchability

The only major disadvantage of using wind power is that wind power is not portable. As wind power is non-dispatchable, all the produced output needs to be taken when and where available. Other resources such as hydropower along with standard load managing techniques are needed to match power supply with energy demand.

Environmental Benefits

Many environmental benefits can be reaped using the eco-friendly wind power. As wind power does not consume any fuel, no greenhouse gases (GHG) are produced. As a result, no environment-harming pollutants are released into the air.

Any initial energy consumed at the time of installing wind power generators could be easily “paid back” during operational phase. A study conducted by an Irish national grid observed that electricity generation from wind drastically reduces consumption of fossil fuels, thereby, leading to emission savings. The study noted that carbon dioxide (CO2) emission levels declined from 0.33 tonnes to 0.59 tonnes per MWh.

In comparison to fossil fuel production sites and nuclear power stations, requiring large amounts of water for circulation and evaporation, wind turbines do not require water for electricity generation. However, rarely, water contamination in surrounding areas might occur due to leakage of lubricant oils or hydraulic fluids down the turbine blades.

Danger to either birds or bats from wind turbines is a rare occurrence. Birds or bat population deaths caused by the wind turbines is quite negligible and insignificant compared to deaths due to anthropogenic activities including, electric power transmission, traffic and high-rise buildings. Moreover, most offshore wind sites are located at more than 10 km from the sea shore, thus assuring minimal interaction with bat or bird populations.

References

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/wind-power/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_effects_of_wind_power