In a time when energy dependency on foreign countries is straining domestic politics around the world, many countries are looking to offshore wind farms as a possibility. Great Britain and the United States are just two of those countries investing money and time into researching the option of using wind generated power to supplement their countries’ power consumption.
Wind farms exist in rural areas across America. These are on shore wind farms and have been in use since the 1970′s. Offshore wind farms mimic the same pattern of onshore wind farms on the ocean floor close to the coast. The limiting factor in offshore wind farms is the topography of the ocean floor. Shallow waters are required for financially feasible offshore wind farm. Onshore wind farms might be a better solution for areas with large plains and flat lands. Wind farms have stood in California’s Central Valley for nearly 3 decades. California uses the power generated by its central valley wind farms to add to the state’s supply of fossil fuels.
Great Britain plans to have the country powered by wind energy by 2020. This would be possible in major part to the topography of the ocean floor surrounding Great Britain. The floor is shelved and shallow making the cost of installing turbines manageable. The ideal spot for an offshore wind farm in the United States would be Cape Cod. The pacific coast of the United States is steep and treacherous making onshore wind farms a better option.
Offshore wind farms are attractive mainly because of the weather conditions produced by the ocean. Strong winds are regularly experienced, larger turbines can be installed and so more energy can be produced. On shore wind farms are also attractive for midland states like Montana and Kentucky where winds howl off the plains.
Wind power has the capacity to produce more than 100 billion kilowatt hours worldwide yearly. The main hindrance to this wind generated power technologies lies in the cost of the turbines. The rate at which the turbines pay themselves off however is faster than any other power producing mechanism.
Interest in wind power is global. Denmark, Australia, India and even Morocco already have wind farms generating portions of their countries power. Many experts in alternative fuels believe that wind power will be an excellent option for fostering independence in developing nations.
Wind generated power projects are generally funded by governments and non governmental organizations world wide. Employment outlooks for this sector are increasing especially with the U.S. President Obama committing more funding to the industries of alternative energy production. The American Wind Energy Associate estimates that 4.8 jobs will be created for every 1 mega watt of wind power installed.
Is wind electricity the way for you to be electricity self sufficient? Many parts of the world have sufficient consistent wind to generate sufficient electricity to serve everyones requirements.
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