WIND POWER

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines. In windmills, wind energy is directly used to crush grain or to pump water. Although wind currently produces just over 1% of world-wide electricity use, it accounts for approximately 19% of electricity production in Denmark, 9% in Spain and Portugal, and 6% in Germany and the Republic of Ireland (2007 data). Globally, wind power generation increased more than fivefold between 2000 and 2007.
Wind power is produced in large scale wind farms connected to electrical grids, as well as in individual turbines for providing electricity to isolated locations.
Wind energy is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions when it displaces fossil-fuel-derived electricity. The intermittency of wind seldom creates insurmountable problems when using wind power to supply a low proportion of total demand, but it presents extra costs when wind is to be used for a large fraction of demand
If the external costs are taken into account, wind energy may be competitive in more cases. Wind energy costs have generally decreased due to technology development and scale enlargement. Wind energy supporters argue that, once external costs and subsidies to other forms of electrical production are accounted for, wind energy is amongst the least costly forms of electrical production. Critics argue that the level of required subsidies, the small amount of energy needs met, and the uncertain financial returns to wind projects make it inferior to other energy sources. Intermittency and other characteristics of wind energy also have costs that may rise with higher levels of penetration, and may change the cost-benefit ratio.

ENERGIA EÓLICA

La energía eólica es la conversión de la energía del viento a una forma útil, tal como electricidad, usando turbinas a viento. En molinos, la energía del viento es directamente usada para moler granos ó para bombear agua. Aunque el viento produce actualmente sólo alrededor de 1% de toda la electricidad del mundo, es importante en países como Dinamarca (19%), España y Portugal (9%), Alemania (6%) y en la República de Irlanda, según datos de 2007.
La energía eólica es producida en gran escala en parques eólicos conectados a redes eléctricas, así como también turbinas individuales lo pueden hacer para viviendas localizadas en parajes aislados.
La energía eólica es abundante, renovable, ampliamente distribuida, limpia, y reduce los emisiones de gases efecto invernadero cuando reemplaza la electricidad derivada de los combustibles fósiles. La intermitencia del viento rara vez crea problemas cuando se usa energía eólica para abastecer una baja proporción del total de la demanda, pero presente costos extra cuando el viento es utilizado para una alta porción de demanda.