Today, we cover disadvantages to wind power. So, if you’re looking for an alternative to current energy generation methods, then wind power might very well be something to focus on. What you may not realize more often than not however is that aside from the wind power benefits, there are wind power disadvantages as well.
So you really need to think about all the pros and cons before you commit to a certain solution. With that being said, here you have a list with the disadvantage for wind power and how you can overcome these issues, if there’s a possibility to do so.
Table of Contents
1. Upfront Investments are Very High For Wind Energy
One of the pros for wind power is the fact that a lot of people consider it very affordable. That might be true, but the wind power cost is not as low when you factor in the initial investments. Getting the wind turbines and equipment needed to create a wind farm is far from affordable. That’s why you need to think about all the pros and cons of wind energy beforehand.
The wind power disadvantages clearly show that you do need to think twice before you invest in this type of system. It certainly has its benefits, but it’s not without flaws, which is certainly a thing to think about.
At the end of the day, wind power is definitely worth looking into, but you can’t expect it to be perfect, and that’s what you want to pursue the most in a situation like this. And yes, it can take around 10 to 20 years for a wind turbine to break even.
What that means is it will take a long time until you actually have such a system profitable. It’s great for the end user, but if you create this solely for yourself, then it will take a while to obtain the results you want. It’s still a great option to think about, sure, but you can’t expect it to be without any flaws.
Read More: A Closer Look At Wind Power For Homes
2. The More Wattage you Need the More Expensive the Wind Power System
This is one major disadvantage to wind power in that the more power you need, the more expensive the system. Take for instance this small wind energy kit that produces 400W of electricity. If you’re using it together with a solar power system, then that’s good. However, if you’re using the wind power kit alone for your home, then it quickly starts to get expensive.
The more wattage you need, the more expensive the wind power generator system becomes. But if you couple it with a solar power system, you’re good to go.
Read More: Wind Power for Homes
3. Unpredictability of Wind Power
What a lot of people don’t realize when it comes to wind power disadvantages is the fact that wind is an unpredictable resource. Solar energy is predictable, because you know the sun rises and falls at certain hours. With wind, you’re dealing with a wildcard. This means you never really know when the wind is blowing and for how much time it will actually blow.
The fact that it’s so unpredictable is exactly why you have to adapt and implement it in an appropriate manner. Of course there are demanding situations that might arise, but the fact that you don’t have control and never really know how much wind power will be available is what really makes this a bit of a challenging resource. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing, but relying solely on this without a backup can be tricky.
If you have a way to store the energy generated when wind is blowing at a very high speed, then sure, this might work. But if you consume energy as it’s generated, at some point when there’s no wind you can end up with some issues.
And that’s exactly what you must think about when selecting your energy needs. It’s definitely going to take a bit of time and effort, but even with the perfect wind power system, you still have some wind power cons like this.
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4. Noise Pollution From Windmill Blades
A great disadvantage to wind power is perhaps noise pollution. There’s no denying that when you have large turbines pushed by wind, you will encounter some noise. This is pretty much a given, and one of the reasons why some people dislike wind power completely. It’s also the reason why a lot of people focus on creating wind power systems away from populated regions. And yes, that’s also why you mostly see them in the fields.
It’s all caused by the nature of these wind power systems and how they work. They are very good, reliable and efficient, but noise is one of those challenges that you really need to face. There’s no other way around it, the way you generate energy from wind will end up bringing noise into the mix. That’s not a huge issue at least for most people, but it does appear and it can be a detractor in some cases.
Is it a huge problem? Not really, if the wind power system is not in close proximity to any populated area, it won’t really cause any problem. However, if it’s close to homes, then this can be a bit of an issue, since not everyone will be ok with the noise generated by this type of stuff.
That’s why keeping these systems away from populated areas is exactly what you need to think about. And in the end the outcome can indeed be second to none if you manage it properly. But this is an important disadvantage to wind power that you need to keep in mind.
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5. Wind Power can be Dangerous for the Local Wildlife
One of main pros for wind power to a lot of people is the fact that it protects the environment. And yes, not using fossil fuels is a major advantage to wind energy and it shows the true value for this type of system. That doesn’t make it perfect though. What you will notice is that local wildlife can actually die due to wind power systems placed in their region. A big disadvantage to wind power.
Flying creatures in particular, more specifically birds and bats are known to get caught in the rotating blades of these wind turbines. When they come in contact, specifically with large wind turbines, they have little chances of survival. And many environmentalists have raised this issue with those people responsible for these wind power systems.
It’s definitely something that can be improved. But there’s no denying that as long as these systems exist, there will still be wildlife casualties like this. It’s certainly something that can be avoided in the long term. And that’s certainly a thing you need to take into consideration as much as possible.
Below is a high energy generation wind turbine for the home, with less danger to flying creatures. This can be used to power a home. And as usual, we highly recommend you use your wind power generation equipment as a hybrid system. Preferably with solar panels.
6. Finding the Right Location can be Hard
Due to the specific requirements of wind power systems, it can be tricky to find the right location for such a solution. That’s why more often than not they are located in open fields, not that close to any living space.
You want to think about not disturbing other people, and there are other challenges like not damaging the local wildlife as much as you can. It’s definitely going to be quite challenging to determine a rightful place for these systems, especially if you want to have more than a single turbine in that location. It will take some trial and error to do it right, but the potential is definitely there.
This disadvantage of wind power that you might get a headache by finding a suitable location is something to consider all the time.
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7. Aesthetics of Windmills for Wind Power
Another disadvantage to wind power is that the wind mills are not appealing to the eye. Visuals aren’t really a major thing when it comes to wind power systems, but the reality is that these are big, large systems that are high up in the air. Wind power generators can be really large.
And the truth is that you do need planning permission for this type of item if you want it in a populated area. And even if you receive any approval like that, you might still end up with people that are unhappy.
Plus, you are limited to any colors you can use. The height of that wind power system you can install near your home will also be undern certain limits, so it’s not exactly going to be right the way you wanted. It will take some time to do it right, and that’s certainly one of the things that you need to think about in a situation like this.
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8. Maintenance Cost for Wind Power
The wind power cost is one thing, but you also have to consider any maintenance costs. What many people fail to consider is the fact that wind turbines also need regular maintenance. And in some cases, their parts need to be replaced, if they malfunction in the long run. The invertor needs to be replaced after 10 years, sometimes less than that.
Things like the turbine size, the amount of power that it generates, but also the overall weather conditions can also have an impact on your wind power system and its maintenance costs. Granted, these maintenance costs are not exactly huge, but they do add up. So even if they might not seem like a whole lot in the beginning, it’s not like they do not exist. They can add up in the long term, and this can be a disadvantage for wind power.
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Conclusion
When you think about wind power benefits, you also have to take into account things like wind power disadvantages. Of course there are demanding situations that might arise, but if you know how to do them properly, the benefits are indeed second to none. We recommend avoiding any rush and pushing the boundaries as much as possible when it comes to quality and professionalism.
The faster you do that, the better the results you can receive. Rest assured that even with these wind power disadvantages, wind power systems are still very popular. People from all over the world invest in wind energy. They continue to be some of the best, most sustainable ways to generate energy. Not to forget, wind power is the cheapest as well.
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homesolarwind
Tuesday 25th of April 2023
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