APES 6.12 Wind Energy

Enduring Understanding:

• Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.

Learning Objective:

• Describe the use of wind energy in power generation.
• Describe the effects of the use of wind energy in power generation on the environment.

Essential Knowledge:

• Wind turbines use the kinetic energy of moving air to spin a turbine, which in turn converts the mechanical energy of the turbine into electricity.
• Wind energy is a renewable, clean source of energy.  However, birds and bats may be killed if they fly into the spinning turbine blades.

Process

• Relies upon the kinetic energy from moving air (wind)
• This energy is caught against, and turns, the blades, which turn a turbine inside the windmill
  • This powers a generator which produces the electricity
• This is one of the most direct methods of spinning a turbine to creating energy

Consequences

Positive

• Renewable
• Clean
• Allows for multiple land uses
  • The turbines do not need a lot of land individually
  • They can be placed on fields that are simultaneously being used for agriculture
  • They can also be placed off shore and not take up any land at all, or on mountains that have no other land uses

Negative

• Birds and bats can be killed by turbines
• Maintenance is required
• Locations must have consistence and sufficient winds to provide power supply
  • There will need to be backup methods in place in case the wind ceases for an extended period of time which is not uncommon