Wind energy

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Wind Energy
Outlooks renewable energy has gained substantial audience after environmental degradation awareness and scarcity of fossil energy resources. Wind energy is among the most widely implemented renewable energy resources that possess the potential of enhanced research and development. Different outlooks for its application in various climates and environmental conditions are under consideration; however, harvesting energy through wind energy is a potential new outlook for most of the third-world countries.
Wind energy offers environmental sustainability. Fossil fuels that include coal, petroleum fuels and natural gas provide high energy production. However, they are significantly damaging and detrimental for the environment. USA’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (1) has stated that the wind energy is could be damaging to the local wildlife and habitat. However, the damages caused by the fossil fuels consumption outweigh that of wind energy. Fossil fuels cause land, sea and air pollution while damaging the local habitat and wildlife pattern. On the other hand, wind energy have limited outlooks for damage that can be rectified with careful positioning of wind power stations in areas having limited or no birds migration activities.
Electricity generation is dependent on four common factors; namely, cost of CO2 emissions, fuel cost, operations and maintenance (O&M) cost and capital cost. In this regard, fuel price is highly susceptible to international and political dynamics.

Another factor of CO2 consumption is included to regulate electricity generation companies to limit their CO2 contribution to environment. However, as depicted in Figure 1, it is evident that wind power (onshore and offshore) is somewhat expensive as compared to coal- and gas-powered power plants. Krohn (13) has provided an elaborative analysis of conventional power generations versus wind power generation that states, lesser regulatory and CO2 costs as compared to wind power generation.
However, the wind energy cost per kWh is not susceptible to environmental and external political dynamics of oil and gas markets. Increase in fossil fuel and CO2 regulations costs makes the wind energy investment fruitful for the long-term perspective. Figure 2 shows a fixed and invariable investment cost in wind energy as compared to increased fuel and CO2 regulation costs. Jon Weiner, in Berkley Lab newsletter has expected the future costs of wind energy to decline by 24-30% by FY 2030 and around 35-41% by FY 2050. Krohn (12) has described trend of CO2 cost avoidance and fuel cost avoidance during 2008-2030.
Wind energy can also be implemented on different scales; namely, small, medium and large scale integration. Limitation of wind energy application is highly dependent on these integration scales. For small scale integration, wind velocity, one acre of land in rural setting, and long-term investment are necessary. Apart from that, average electricity consumption of atleast $150 per month in order to justify the investment. However, the medium and large scale implementation is quite favorable on industrial and energy generation scales (O’Dell 12).
Wind energy is also fruitful for creation of jobs thereby reducing the economic pressures faced by the developing and developed economies. During FY 2014, the wind energy sector has created more than 73000 jobs having an investment of around $8 billion in this very sector. As per the Wind Vision Report, it has been stated that the wind energy sector has the potential to create more than 600,000 jobs in, manufacturing, installation, maintenance and support services by the end of FY 2050 (Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 1).
All in all, wind energy is a sustainable energy source that has tremendous outlooks for research and development to make it applicable and more cost effective on the short-term perspective. Apart from that, the wind energy requires significant amount of direct investment; however, the long-term cost benefits outweigh the incurred fixed costs regarding installation, foundation, and land purchase and turbine design.

Works Cited
“Advantages and Challenges of Wind Energy | Department Of Energy”. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 2016, http://energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-wind-energy. p. 1
“Wind Vision”. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 2016, http://energy.gov/eere/wind/maps/wind-vision.
Krohn, Soren, Poul-Erik Morthorst, and Shimon Awerbuch. “The economics of wind energy: A report by the European Wind Energy Association.” European Wind Energy Association, Brussels. Available online at: http://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/00_POLICY_document/Economics_of_Wind_Energy__March_2009_.pdf (2009).
O’Dell, K. Small Wind Electric Systems: A US Consumer’s Guide. No. DOE/GO-102001-1293; NREL/BR-500-29793. National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (US), 2002.
Weiner, Jon. “Experts Anticipate Significant Continued Reductions In Wind Energy Costs | Berkeley Lab”. Berkeley Lab, 2016, http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2016/09/13/experts-anticipate-significant-continued-reductions-wind-energy-costs/.