C+Block+-+Wind

Wind energy has been used for thousands of years, mainly for the use of sailboats and ancient ships for travel. This type of energy began to take the form of powering homes, city complexes and other establishments in the early 21st Century through the development of advanced wind turbines. Wind turbines are machines used as an alternative to coal and gas to power buildings and homes. The turbin es convert the kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy, which generates power.
 * Background Info & Current Uses:**

__Kinetic Energy__ - Energy that a body possesses by virtue of being in motion.



Wind energy can be an ideal source of energy for two reasons: One - when used, wind energy doesn't release any harmful emissions into the air (greenhouse gases) and Two - the turbines are reliable in terms of mechanical issues, and can last up to 25 years.

Along with these positive outcomes, wind energy is also the cheapest renewable energy source available, about 6 cents average a kilowatt per hour.

Wind Turbines are used today to generate electrical energy to power homes. On October 1, 2003, the New Mexico Wind Energy Center was ready for use. According to the PNM website, "The wind center consists of 136 turbines...the facility can produce up to 200 megawatts of power, or enough to power 94,000 average-sized New Mexico homes" (Power New Mexico [PNM])


 * Advantages:**

There are many advantages to wind energy. The first and very important reason is that it is eco-friendly. It does not damage the surrounding environment, unlike a fossil-fueled generator. Fossil-fueled generators take up a lot more space than a average sized wind turbine (Clean Energy Ideas, 2012). They are also less attractive than a wind turbine.

//A generator that creates electricity from fossil fuels--- notice how unattractive it looks//

Wind is free. It is completely 100% free, so after the wind turbine is built it pays for itself. When it is combined with solar panels, it makes a reliable energy source. But there will be days when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow. So lets talk about the disadvantages of this energy source (Clean Energy Ideas, 2012).

The downside to wind powered energy is that it only generates power when the wind is blowing. Also if the wind does not blow hard enough, it may not be enough to push the turbine. Wind turbines do not make as much electricity as a fossil-fueled generators. Many wind turbines have to be built in order to make enough energy to actually make a impact. The current cost to construct a wind turbine is about $3-$4 million (Windindustry, 2012). Another disadvantage is wind turbines are generally loud and you would not want to live next to field of wind turbines. (Clean Energy Ideas, 2012). There are also many protestors that do not like the idea of wind turbines ruining the countryside's beauty.
 * Disadvantages:**

(Reuk, 2012)
Wind is made up of moving air molecules which have mass - though not a lot. Any moving object with mass carries **kinetic energy** in an amount which is given by the equation:

**Kinetic Energy = 0.5 x Mass x Velocity2**

where the mass is measured in **kg**, the velocity in **m/s**, and the energy is given in **joules**.

Air has a known density (around 1.23 kg/m3 at sea level), so the mass of air hitting our wind turbine (which sweeps a known area) each second is given by the following equation:

**Mass/sec (kg/s) = Velocity (m/s) x Area (m2) x Density (kg/m3)**

And therefore, the **power** (i.e. energy per second) in the wind hitting a **wind turbine** with a certain swept area is given by simply inserting the //mass per second// calculation into the standard kinetic energy equation given above resulting in the following **vital** equation:

** Power = 0.5 x Swept Area x Air Density x Velocity3 **

__**Wind Turbines**__
Wind turbines work the opposite of fans. Instead of using electricity to create wind and release it back like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft connecting to a generator, making electricity. The reason why wind turbines are so tall is because of the altitude and how height effects wind current. In other words, the higher you are, the windier it gets. Wind turbines use gears connected to a generator because when the turbine spins, it's connected to a shaft that carries energy, but not enough, so scientists put gears at the end of the shaft and that's how the electricity is made and built up (eere.energy.gov, 2012)



The basic event of a turbine is simple. The blades of the turbine move in motion, opposite than of a fan, pulling in air. The blades are attached to a rotor which is then attached to a shaft. When the blades turn, they also turn the shaft which is connected to a gearbox, which makes the energy intake more efficient. The energy is then transferred to generator and a transformer to be converted and stored, then moved to a different location (Clean Energy Ideas, 2012).

__The Figure Below Represents the Energy Resources of New Mexico__


As you can see from the image above, the main energy resources New Mexico tends to use most of are natural gas, wind and coal energy. While wind energy may not be as widely used as natural gas is, it is still a vital resource to New Mexico society because it is one of the only renewable energy resources used in the state.



//**The figure above shows the wind speed of New Mexico on average. As you can see from reading the legend, there are areas where different regions have higher or lower wind speeds. Usually, the area with the higher wind speed yields a higher wind energy intake, since there's more wind to take in.**//

>
 * Citations:**
 * Clean Energy Ideas. (2012). Clean energy ideas. Retrieved from http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/articles/advantages_and_disadvantages_of_wind_energy.html
 * Windindustry. (2012, October). How much do wind turbines cost?. Retrieved from http://www.windustry.org/resources/how-much-do-wind-turbines-cost
 * Pnm. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pnm.com/systems/nmwec.htm
 * http://www.reuk.co.uk/Calculation-of-Wind-Power.htm
 * http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wind/wind_how.html
 * http://www.rowan.edu/colleges/engineering/clinics/cleanenergy/rowan%20university%20clean%20energy%20program/Energy%20Efficiency%20Audits/Energy%20Technology%20Case%20Studies/Wind%20Power/wind_power.html