Wind energy is being used as a reliable source of energy for a long time. The Babylonians and Chinese used wind power to pump water for irrigating crops 4,000 years ago, and sailing boats were around long before that.
Wind power was used in the Middle Ages, in Europe, to grind corn, which is where the term “windmill” comes from. Following are some of the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy:
Advantages
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Wind is absolutely free and wind farms need no fuel to generate electricity.
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Wind energy produces no waste or greenhouse gases.
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The land beneath the wind turbines can usually still be used for farming.
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Wind farms can be tourist attractions.
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A great method of supplying energy to remote areas.
Disadvantages
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It is difficult to predict the wind pattern, there is no wind on some days.
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Suitable areas for wind farms are often near the coast, where land is expensive.
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Some people dislike the look of turbines, and feel that covering the landscape with these towers is unsightly.
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Wind turbines can kill birds as migrating flocks tend to like strong winds. However, this is quite rare, and we tend not to build wind farms on migratory routes anyway.
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Can affect television reception if you live nearby.
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Can be very noisy. Wind generators have a bad reputation of making a constant, low, “swooshing” noise day and night, which can drive you nuts, if you live nearby. But with time, aerodynamic designs have improved modern wind farms making them much quieter. The small modern wind generators used on boats and caravans make hardly any sound at all.
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