Wind Energy Essentials: Societal, Economic, and Environmental Impacts

Wind Energy Essentials: Societal, Economic, and Environmental Impacts

<p><b>Examines the possible societal impacts of wind energyprojects and explains the potential issues faced when siting,constructing, and operating a wind energy project.</b></p><p>This book begins with a history of wind power and the socialimpacts of both electricity and wind power from a historicalperspective, a discussion of basic electrical terms, and a primeron the conversion of power in the wind to electricity. Much of thesecond half of the book is devoted to comparing wind energy toother forms of electric generation, both renewable andnon-renewable sources. In order to have a true understanding of theimpact of wind energy on society, one also has to have a thoroughunderstanding of the impacts that other sources of electricgeneration have, such as fossil-fuelled plants or nuclear powerplants. The comparison of electric generation sources includes areview of how such sources are typically utilized within theelectric system, as well as the economic factors and environmentalconsiderations that affect which resources utilities or operatorsof electric grids have to take into account. The authors concludewith a discussion of energy policies in the U.S., individualstates, and foreign nations, how these policies influence the useof renewable energy, and what our future may hold in terms ofenergy supply and demand. Some highlights of this book are:</p><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Discussesthe wind energy impacts on the environment, local economy, electricutilities, individuals and communities</li><li class="MsoNormal"style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Providesa visual explanation of wind energy principles through tables,graphs, maps, illustrations and photographs</li><li class="MsoNormal"style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Offersa comprehensive overview of the issues associated with thecreation and use of wind energy</li><li class="MsoNormal"style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Modelschapters around an existing university curriculum</li></ul>Spanning the broad range of environmental, financial, policy andother topics that define and determine the relationships betweenwind energy technology and our energy-dependent society, <i>WindEnergy Essentials</i> is a resource for students, universities, andthe entire wind energy industry.