Wind power is one of the most efficient alternative energy sources to combine with solar, especially out in the middle of a total self-sustainability project. Because when there is sun; there isn’t always wind, but when there is wind, there isn’t always sun, so the two systems (solar/wind) seem to compliment each other. Wind supplied power is expected to dethrone natural gas as the top source of new electricity for our country. Wind supplied power is already a leader among renewable energy technologies, and its future is bright – that is not in question. The question instead is whether or not we, as a nation, will support it now and reap the economic and ecological benefits later, or delay it another year while our competition forges ahead.
Wind power is growing at the rate of 30 percent annually, with a worldwide installed capacity of over 100 GW, and is widely used in several European countries and the United States. The manufacturing output of the photovoltaic industry reached more than 2,000 MW in 2006, and photovoltaic (PV) power stations are particularly popular in Germany and Spain. This type of power is uncertain insofar as wind speeds can be forecast with only limited accuracy. These issues can be overcome to some extent by developing better wind forecasting methods and addressing electricity grid interconnection issues between regions.
Residential power systems can take a while to pay for themselves, but when they do the advantages of free power with a very low impact on the environment are huge. Residential wind fed power systems produce no pollution, and by using alternative power, instead of mass produced electricity, you will be offsetting 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gases could have been created by your electric company. Most small turbines do not require any regular maintenance and last for up to twenty years. Residential wind power continues to grow at a significant rate as a primary source of alternative energy for homeowners. A quick way to reduce personal energy cost is an investment in residential wind power.
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