Unexpected Disadvantages of Wind Energy

Wind energy has so many advantages to discover the unexpected disadvantages of wind energy was surprising. You wouldn't consider that harvesting the wind could also have an impact on wind patterns.

Weather Patterns

The unexpected disadvantages of wind energy need to be considered before choosing it as a primary source of power production. These disadvantages affect not only the average homeowner, but also the large wind farms. Impacts on the environment and weather are making some reconsider the widespread use of wind energy as an alternative.

Areas where wind energy is possible have strong, nearly constant winds to move the turbines. The weather in these areas also depends on the wind current. Wind moves storms, and causes temperature changes. Large scale wind farms have the potential to affect these weather patterns and storm movements.

First, they can decrease the average wind speed in an area by around five and a half miles per hour. This may not seem like much but it can change weather patterns. There is also the movement of the wind by the turbines. Spinning blades cause the wind to move up and down as it moves around the blades, changing its general direction.

Technological Advances

Does this mean we shouldn’t consider wind energy? Of course not. Technological advances are being made that can help reduce wind turbulence caused by the blades of the turbines. Small farmers with just a few wind turbines do not cause significant effects either. It is the large wind farms that contain hundreds or even thousands of turbines that would potentially cause the problems.

Wind turbines no matter how few you have can affect local wildlife. Birds try to fly through the turbines, causing the birds to instead fly into them. Significant effects on wild birds have been noticed in areas with wind turbines. The main concern is for rare, endangered, and migratory birds.

Part of the attraction for the birds could be the large populations of prey that live near the base of the turbines. The turbines protect these animals, causing increases in their populations. The increased population attracts the birds that feed on them, causing even more bird deaths.

Less significant disadvantages of wind energy are aesthetic. Turbines don’t look nice. Many people have complained about the turbines ruining the view of nature and the sky. There doesn’t seem to be a significant effect on tourism but people who live near turbines generally don’t like looking at them.

While wind energy is a good option for renewable clean energy, understanding the unintended consequences and developing solutions for them prior to investing in large scale wind farms will benefit all of us.

To Leave Unexpected Disadvantages of Wind Energy and return to Wind Energy, click here.