Benefits of Wind Power
- The Write Way SVA Literary Magazine
- Dec 5
- 2 min read
Anonymous
High School Student
November/December 2025
Choose one renewable energy source (solar, wind, or hydropower) and analyze the physics principles that govern its operation. Discuss the factors that affect its efficiency, such as energy conversion, power output, and environmental conditions. Additionally, address one major challenge in improving this energy source and propose a potential solution based on physics concepts.
One renewable energy source with many physical principles governing its operation and function is wind power. The physics of wind power includes aerodynamics, which pushes the wind turbine’s fins to generate electricity. Wind power has been widespread in the United States' plains, as wind, being a weather condition, is a common aspect of the world, and wind turbines do not release any pollution or greenhouse gases. The effectiveness of wind turbines is excellent because they can be built not only in plain areas, but also offshore. But another advantage of wind power in wind turbines is the energy conversion of the mechanism. For example, the cost to build, manufacture, and maintain wind turbines is less than the profit from the energy they generate, and there is no net thermal energy loss, as wind turbines do not produce pollution or greenhouse gases. Wind power output is due mainly to the effectiveness of wind turbines. Over its lifetime, a wind turbine can convert 20-30% of its kinetic energy into electricity, but this varies with wind speed. Still, according to Betz’s law, the maximum is 59.3%, making it more efficient than most other renewable energy sources. The environmental conditions of wind power rely solely on the amount of wind in the wind turbine. Though wind turbines are very effective, in areas with little to no wind, other renewable energy sources might be better suited to a given climate. One major challenge for wind power and wind turbines is that energy demand exceeds the electricity they can generate. Even though wind power’s conversion efficiency is exceptional in wind turbines, there will always be a greater need for energy, which is where other energy sources, such as fossil fuels, are used to make up for the lack of electricity. One potential fix for this is to address the physics concept of potential energy. By potential energy, I mean the increase in building wind turbines in wind-prone areas such as Kansas, so that the potential energy increases, and as a result, the amount of energy created by wind power will increase, taking the place of some energy made by fossil fuels.
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