The Wind and the Power

Wind Power according to Wikipedia, is the conversion of wind  energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, wind mills for mechanical power, wind pumps  for pumping water or drainage, or sails to propel ships.

At the end of 2009, worldwide nameplate capacity of wind-powered generators was 159.2 gigawatts (GW). Energy production was 340 TWh, which is about 2% of worldwide electricity usage and has doubled in the past three years. Several countries have achieved relatively high levels of wind power penetration (with large governmental subsidies), such as 20% of stationary electricity production in Denmark, 14% in Ireland and Portugal 11% in Spain, and 8% in Germany in 2009. As of May 2009, 80 countries around the world are using wind power on a commercial basis.

Wind power is free natural resources that can easily be developed as a source of electricity just like the sun. Humans have been using wind power for at least more than 6,000 years. We have examples like windmills, water pumping windmills and sailboats in propelling.

It helps in our everyday living especially allowing the farming and ranching of vast areas otherwise devoid of readily accessible water. Wind pumps contributed to the expansion of rail transport systems throughout the world, by pumping water from water wells for the steam locomotives. The multi-bladed wind turbine atop a lattice tower made of wood or steel was, for many years, a fixture of the landscape throughout rural America. When fitted with generators and battery banks, small wind machines provided electricity to isolated farms.

It also existed on various countries the development of small wind turbines for lighting of isolated rural buildings in the 20th century.

The modern wind power industry began in 1979 with the serial production of wind turbines by Danish manufacturers Kuriant, Vestas,Nordtank, and Bonus. These early turbines were small by today's standards, with capacities of 20–30 kW each. Since then, they have increased greatly in size, with the Enercon E-126 capable of delivering up to 7 MW, while wind turbine production has expanded to many countries (source: Wikipedia).

To be able to have a successful wind power, grid management, capacity factor and wind penetration should correlate.

These means, there should be enough studies on how get power from wind. Enough support of funds and research methodologies from the government. Lastly, since wind is everywhere, we should learn to appreciate it and not take them for granted.

 As an alternative power, there have been so much studies, debates, trials and errors that have been done a long time ago. Until now, different organizations are trying to rely and find answers to wind as one of our alternative solutions in power source.

It will be amazing to see one day that we are maximizing the utilization of our natural resources including wind. Someday, with all the pros and cons of getting power from the wind, I am pretty much sure it will have more advantage than disadvantage in using wind as one of our alternatives in getting power.