When I was younger, I always used to ask my parents what the giant “fans” on the hill were. They explained to me that they were in fact not fans, but windmills of sort. Still I struggled with the thought of a windmill being in the middle of nowhere. As far as I was concerned windmills were for fairy tales and only seen at Idlewild amusement park.
Eventually I grew a little bit older and discovered that they weren’t placed atop mountains for purely aesthetic appeal. These windmills were actually huge sources of energy that provided our state with a much greener way to power itself; they were wind turbines.
Even in early history this type of technology was used. According to WindEnergy Foundation, “Since early recorded history, people have harnessed the energy of the wind. Wind energy propelled boats along the Nile River as early as 5000 B.C. “
Seeing these modern looking structures would not initially make me think that they were derived from something historic. The evolution of the wind turbine is directly related to the advances we have made in the environmental industry, engineering industry, and energy industry. It is interesting to see how a simple idea has developed over centuries into something that seems futuristic in its technology.
“The oil shortages of the 1970s changed the energy picture for the U.S. and the world. It created an interest in alternative energy sources, paving the way for the re-entry of the wind turbine to generate electricity.”
With new interest in this type of catalyst to cleaner energy, more and more wind turbines appeared all over the country as well as competition. The positive influence of one technological advance created the need to discover other renewable resources.
The foundation further states that, “About 4% of the electricity generated in the United States is produced from wind energy. In 2013, Iowa and South Dakota produced more than 25% of their generation from wind energy.”
Economically speaking, these turbines are also one of the most affordable forms when it comes to comparing with commonalities such as natural gas. Including the power of wind, the value of new energy sources continues to increase with time and hopefully will continue to expand our nations growth into a more environmentally safe society.
Resources:
“FAQs | Wind Energy Foundation.” FAQs | Wind Energy Foundation. Wind Energy Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. <http://www.windenergyfoundation.org/about-wind-energy/faqs>.
“History | Wind Energy Foundation.” History | Wind Energy Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014. <http://www.windenergyfoundation.org/about-wind-energy/history>.