What Are the Positives Effects of Wind Energy?

Science fair projects need quality topics in order to win a prize. One way to identify a quality topic is to select one that is based on current science research and issues. Wind energy, in particular, is a great topic to experiment with when developing a science fair project as wind energy is the most viable renewable energy resource right now.

One of the issues that has been raised against the use of renewable energy sources is that their electricity producing capabilities are limited. Solar energy, for example, is only available for generating electricity during daylight hours. Wind energy, on the other hand is a renewable energy source that is up to 99 percent reliable. This statistic can be tested using horizontal wind turbine experiment kits.

One of the most promising characteristics of wind energy is that it does not produce the type or amount of air pollution that other energy sources do. In fact, wind energy does not produce air pollution. This means that a 1-MW wind turbine will be able to reduce air pollution related to carbon dioxide at a rate of 2,000 tons a year. This is the same displacement rate as one square mile of established forest. The benefit of this displacement of carbon dioxide is that it reduces smog, acid rain and greenhouse gasses.

Even when an energy source is clean and reliable, cost is ultimately going to be the deciding factor of whether or not it is used. Fortunately, wind energy is very reasonable. The source of energy is actually free, the wind, as it is provided by the movement of the earth and an exchange of heat between the earth and the sun. the construction and maintenance costs for wind farms is the biggest element of the cost of this energy source, however, once established wind energy is on par with the cost of natural gas.

As mentioned earlier, in order to win a science fair your project needs to have a great topic. Fortunately there are a lot of great topics related to wind energy. The topic you select needs to be unique, interesting and valuable.

A good place to start when coming up with an idea for a wind energy science fair project is to select a general area of study. For example, you can select a biology, geology, earth science or physics category of study. From here you can narrow down your search to a specific concept within the category of study.

Biology Topics

·         How does wind energy impact wildlife?

·         How does wind energy impact the health of humans?

Geology Topics

·         What type of geology is needed for the foundation of a wind turbine?

·         What type of materials are used in the creation of wind turbines?

Earth Science Topics

·         How much pollution is produced by manufacturing wind turbines?

·         Where is the best place on earth to set up wind farms?

·         Could Antarctica be used as a mega wind farm? What would the challenges and advantages be?

Physics Topics

·         What wind velocity is needed to power a 1-MW wind turbine?

·         How much force is needed to rotate the blade assembly in a wind turbine?

·         Can the mass of the wind turbine blades be altered to reduce the amount of force needed to turn the turbine?