Alternative Energy Source: Wind

One of the oldest sources of energy that we have is the wind. Windmills have been used for centuries and are starting to make a comeback. The need for alternative energy sources has sent a lot of people looking to the past for a solution to the problem. Wind does offer a number of potential advantages in the sense that it is essentially free and it does produce no emissions. On the other hand there are some significant limitations to using wind power. The result is that wind may well have a future as a way to reduce the amount of oil that we use but it is unlikely that it is going to replace it completely as a source of energy.

There are a number of advantages that make wind a good candidate for an alternative source of energy, the biggest being that it produces no emissions. It also offers the advantage of being fairly reliable, unlike solar power, since the wind is pretty much always blowing. On the surface this would seem to make wind power an ideal source of energy, the problem is that is really only a supplement to other forms of energy. While the wind can reduce the amount of oil we use there will still be a fairly large requirement for oil. This doesn't mean we shouldn't pursue wind power, it just means that it will have to be used in conjunction with other sources.

The problem with wind power energy is that it really isn't all that useful for vehicles. While wind power may replace the coal burning power plant that produces electricity for your house it is unlikely that it will replace the gas in your car. As long as this is the case we will need oil as a fuel source in addition to wind power. The other major issue with wind power is that in order to meet our energy needs we would need hundreds of thousands of wind farms. Finding enough space to build them all is going to be a major issue.

Wind power also suffers from the problem that gets most alternative energy sources, money. In order to develop the technology it is going to cost a lot of money and it is going to take a long time before there is any pay off. That means that it is not a particularly attractive investment opportunity. As long as wind power remains experimental or an idea for the future it will be very difficult to attract investors.

Wind power is one those alternative energy sources that has potential because there are no real technological hurdles to be overcome. However because of the nature of wind power it is always going to be a complimentary source of power rather than on of the main ones. That means that it isn't really a replacement for oil, however it can help to reduce the amount that we use.