Advisor: Dr. Baldwin, FYP

SLU Festival of Science 2001 Poster Presentation

Abstract:

With all of the environmental problems in the world people wonder what they can do to help. Wind power can be used with other environmentally safe forms of energy such as solar power or hydropower to provide a clean form of energy for your home. Wind turbines produce energy without releasing any of the harmful chemicals that are traditionally released into the air by other forms of energy production. Wind is a renewable energy source and can be used almost everywhere.

There are many different aspects of using a home wind energy system for power production. The cost of installing a wind energy system could be any where from the same price as a used old car to the same price as a brand new SUV.  This will also be compared to the price of being connected to the national power grid. Installing a wind power system could save you up to 2,500 dollars. There are many positive effects this energy can have for the environment (i.e. low emissions, little noise, environmentally benign) as compared to the negative effects burning fossil fuels cause, such as electricity emissions and fuel transport emissions.

There are also negative aspects of this technology as well.  There have been studies shown that the wind turbines do interfere with bird migratory patterns. We have been working on methods of circumventing this problem. Complaints neighbors might have about the turbine such as the appearance. This is also in the process of being solved, new paints and smaller more efficient turbines are being designed. Maintenance of these turbines compared to other forms of energy (i.e. solar power, hydro power, and obtaining your power from the national grid) and there negative aspects.

Companies do sell this technology and some people have chosen to make the change off the national power grid. You can make a difference in the world. You can produce you own energy by wind turbines without any harm to the environment.

The most damage to the environment is caused by energy production (Stanley, 2000)

Wind technology is a completely green way of obtaining energy, it produces energy with no air pollution, no waste products, and does not pollute the water (Ramage, 1997)