Environmental Solutions Research Project: Wind Energy

Windmills work by turning wind into kinetic energy. Pinwheel style turbines use the
wind to turn their blades around a rotor which spins a generator to create electricity. Many
turbines can be over one hundred feet tall, a height that allows them to take advantage of
greater wind speed at higher altitudes. Each is equipped with a barometer that measures how
hard the wind is blowing and from what direction. When wind speed is below 15mph or above
55mph a break is deployed to stop the rotation; at low wind speeds it is inefficient to turn the
blades, and if wind speeds are too high the turbine is at risk of damaging itself from excessive
spinning and friction (How a Wind Turbine Works, 2014).

Variability in energy output is the greatest challenge with using weather based
renewable resources like wind and solar. Storage of energy produced by renewable sources is
largely insufficient, meaning that on very windy days the power must be used immediately to
avoid overwhelming the grid and creating power outages. When there is a lull in energy
production due to weather variations, coal is the typical fall back due to its reliability (New
insights into fluctuations of wind energy, 2016). When it comes to wind energy, its more
important to find locations with reliable winds than the highest winds. Placing wind farms in the
most ideal locations is essential to making quick energy returns. In Europe there has been
meteorological research to provide a European Wind Atlas that would accurately assess the
wind energy potential of terrain across the continent (Finding better wind energy potential,
2017). This along with efforts to unite European countries in their wind energy production
would help negate the possibility that there will be energy shortages in areas that are more
wind-dependent (Unbalanced wind farm planning, 2017).

Recently the construction of offshore wind farms has begun in Europe and America,
which aim to harness strong and steady winds coming from the ocean. The challenge with this
is assessing how to avoid and reduce the environmental impact on local ecosystems. The
movement of ships and activity from driving foundations for turbines could damage fish and
other marine animals in the area. Alternatively, the placement of turbines could eventually
provide shelter for animals and act as an artificial reef that is protected from boating and
fishing (Impact of offshore wind farms on marine species, 2014). When it comes to marine
mammals that communicate and sense their surroundings via echolocation, the loud sounds
coming from underwater construction can be detrimental to them. In Maine there was a study
into the behavior of harbor porpoises to track their activities during the year by using
underwater microphones to listen to their echolocation sounds. It was discovered that they
were most active from January to May and during the evening and early morning. This
information could help with the development of wind farms, as starting construction in the
summer would help avoid disturbing the porpoises. The more that is known about an area that
is being assessed for wind farm development, the better informed legislators can be in their
decisions (Scientists track porpoises to assess impact of offshore wind farms, 2017). Better
ways of monitoring animal activity have emerged to help find the best areas for wind farms and
wildlife to coexist. Software that analyzes footage from 360 degree night vision cameras could
replace human spotters as a more effective method of tracking bird and bat populations. This is
important because pinwheel style turbines pose a risk to birds and other flying animals that can
be struck in the air by the rotating blades (Nightvision for bird- and bat-friendly offshore wind
power, 2017).

IceWind is a small Icelandic company which seeks to make alternatives to traditional

wind turbines that will withstand harsh conditions while maintaining energy efficiency. Rather
than the tall fan-blade style, IceWinds turbines feature curved vertical blades that can catch
wind from any angle. The blades remain close and concentric to the design, eliminating the
possibility of bird strikes. Notably, the shape of the blades direct air around the turbine in such
a way that makes spinning too fast impossible. This is crucial to withstanding the stormy winds
common to Iceland, winds that can force traditional wind turbines to spin to the point of
failure. Iceland receives all of its energy from renewable sources, primarily geothermal, so
IceWind currently markets to individual homeowners, but plan to distribute their product
internationally in the near future (Innovative new wind turbine from Iceland, 2015).
 There are other wind harnessing designs that are blade-free. Vortex Bladeless is a
company that has garnered attention from Harvard University for its innovative bladeless wind
turbine. The vertical elongated cone shape design relies on vorticity, an aerodynamic
phenomenon that causes eddies of air to form around a structure and, if they become large
enough, will make the structure oscillate. These wind turbines take the mechanical energy
produced from the wind oscillating them and convert that to electricity. A dramatic example of
the potential power of this phenomenon is with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which collapsed
due to winds that made it sway from side to side (New Whirlwind-Attracting Bladeless Micro
Wind Turbine, 2015).

Some designers have taken an approach to wind energy that combines utility with
aesthetics. The Windstalk concept exists only as diagrams and artistic renderings right now, but
it showcases how any problem can be approached with creative solutions. A common
complaint of wind farms are their aesthetic impact on an area. Windstalk was conceptualized as
land art that that doubled as a method of energy production. Each unit is a 180ft tall flexible
pole packed with piezoelectric ceramic discs connected by electrodes. When the wind causes
the poles to bend and flex, the discs inside compress and generate a current. A visual indicator
of when the stalks are generating electricity is shown by a LED lamp fixed at the end of each
pole, which glows brighter or dimmer respective to the amount of power (Windstalk concept is
a wind farm without the turbines, 2010).

When I began researching my topic I wanted to take a relatively familiar subject, wind
energy, and explore the scientific advancements that continue to improve how humans interact
with this form of energy. To me, renewable energy represents our efforts to live in harmony
with nature. Rather than capitalizing on finite resources that pollute the environment, we are
discovering long lasting solutions to our energy needs that produce minimal waste. Part of our
efforts to preserve the environment includes protecting animal species from our activities,
which are often harmed because of our ignorance or disregard of their habits and needs.
Learning about the challenges and solutions to the problem of wind energy has made me
optimistic of our future as a species on this planet.
References:
Pierce, E. R. (2014, June 20). How a Wind Turbine Works. Energy.gov. Retrieved October
28, 2017 from https://energy.gov/articles/how-wind-turbine-works
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University - OIST. (2016,
December 31). New insights into fluctuations of wind energy, with implications for engineering
and policy. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 28, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161231184935.htm
American Institute of Physics. (2017, September 6). Finding better wind energy potential
with the new European Wind Atlas. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 28, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170906135544.htm
ETH Zurich. (2017, July 17). Unbalanced wind farm planning exacerbates fluctuations.
ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 28, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170717115343.htm
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. (2014, October 16). Impact of
offshore wind farms on marine species. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 28, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141016123608.htm
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. (2017, May 5). Scientists track
porpoises to assess impact of offshore wind farms. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 28, 2017
from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170505151617.htm
DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. (2017, August 11). Night vision for bird- and
bat-friendly offshore wind power: ThermalTracker software can aid responsible wind farm
siting and operations. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 28, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170811102018.htm
DiStasio, C. (2015, December 27). Innovative new wind turbine from Iceland is tough
enough for the strongest gales. Inhabitat. Retrieved October 28, 2017 from
https://inhabitat.com/innovative-new-wind-turbine-from-iceland-is-tough-enough-for-the-
strongest-gales/
Casey, T. (2015, May 1). New Whirlwind-Attracting Bladeless Micro Wind Turbine Gets
Harvard Cred. Clean Technica. Retrieved October 28, 2017 from
https://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/01/new-whirlwind-attracting-bladeless-micro-wind-
turbine-gets-harvard-cred/
Quick, D. (2010, October 13). Windstalk concept is a wind farm without the turbines.
New Atlas. Retrieved October 28, 2017 from https://newatlas.com/windstalk-concept/16647/