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Wind as Alternative Energy Source
Alternative Energy – The Power of Wind to Reduce Peak Demands
As part of a study on alternative energy solutions and sources, the Department of Energy has proposed to use wind power in generating up to 20% of our total needs. There are more than enough locations to install windfarms within the USA, requiring an approximate investment of $150 Billion a year.
Advocates of the plan suggest that if there’d be a legislation which will mandate local utilities to purchase generated power at regulated rates, it would essentially guarantee demand. If this is the case, there’s enough reason to prioritize the project as part of the overall plan to lower greenhouse gas emissions from the current energy production activities of various enterprises.
So long as it is well understood how to construct and implement windfarms, this technology can greatly help boost manufacturing productions. Once the initial capital costs are already spent, the cost of generating electricity from wind energy is almost already negligible. It is therefore practical to implement windfarms as long as the demand is guaranteed through mandatory purchases to protect investment costs.
Feasibility of Wind Energy as an Alternative Energy Source
The static economic footprint will help stabilize the price of the other commodities in the market if wind power will become a big chunk of the total energy supply. Those who oppose wind plan say that it is intermittent and should be adopted in as wholesale in remedy of this flaw. In order to make it work, our regional distribution grids should be interconnected in such a way that productivity is leveled. The possibility, however, of manipulating distribution of generated electricity in a massive national grid is still a subject of study.
Other methods can be used to manage capacity requirements when demand is at peak through interruptible contracts and true implementation of smart grid that could help level off peak periods. It is not possible to account for a downturn in wind generated electricity because of weather conditions, it will be possible to reintroduce semi-mothballed carbon producing facilities of old, depending on the facilities’ patterns of economic use.
Alternative energy must already be a priority concern as the pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil fuels is already increasing. Whether or not it is feasible to implement wind energy in wholesale, it is still a significant contributor and would be very feasible as an alternative source of energy.
About Verisae
Verisae helps measure, manage and reduce equipment and energy costs including the related business and environmental impacts of carbon emissions. The Sustainability Resource Planning (“SRP”) software platform improves operational efficiency, protects brand integrity and helps ensure regulatory compliance for distributed enterprises across many industries. Verisae delivers a broad range of sustainability solutions to dozens of clients globally with thousands of daily users including an extended network of third-party suppliers. Verisae’s integrated sustainability platform actively tracks millions of assets across thousands of sites worldwide.
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