DISADVANTAGES OF WIND POWER
A Threat to Wildlife
In the early days of wind power there was great concern about the effect wind farms would have on wildlife, especially birds. Birds made a habit of colliding with the blades of the turbines, and many even built their nests in the structures themselves.
While bird strike is still a problem for wind farms it’s not nearly as severe as it was in the past. Modern turbines operate at a higher efficiency than the earlier models, providing the same power while the blades spin at a much lower RPM. Towers have also been redesigned to prevent birds from nesting, with smooth surfaces replacing the old girders.
This concern, then, is more of a design challenge than an intractable problem. With the right design, the effect on local wildlife can be kept to a minimum. Furthermore, it’s worth remembering that most other forms of energy production have a much greater impact on wildlife, and even power lines are much more dangerous for bird life than wind farms.
Predicting Power from Wind Turbines
One of the major problems with wind power is the unpredictable nature of the raw material: wind. While traditional power stations can control their production at will, wind turbines depend on the local air currents to keep producing energy. When the air is still the blades don’t turn, and power production drops to zero.
To solve this problem we must locate our wind farms in areas with strong, dependable air currents that rarely fluctuate. Offshore locations usually provide strong winds, as do hilltops and other exposed areas. As long as we never reach the point at which we depend entirely on a constant air flow to maintain our power requirements this needn’t be a serious problem.
Wind Farms Are an Eyesore