Science

As part of our cross-curricular project we have to do a science portion to our project. This includes the science when it comes to wind energy, pro’s con’s, and effects, the cost, and various other details regarding wind energy.

How do they work?

• The wind hits the turbine directly on the blades and turns them.
• The turning creates electricity and is sent to a transformer.
• The transformer distributes the electricity throughout the city.

Pro’s:

• Renewable & sustainable
• Costs reasonably low and continues to decrease.
• Can be used almost anywhere.
• Tax Free.
• No pollution or waste generated by the system’s operation
• Low maintenance
• Can be aesthetically appealing
• Wind is always free
• Sell power to the grid (you make so much power with a wind farm that you can sell power back to the grid) 🙂

Con’s

• Wind is inconsistent, unsteady, and unpredictable.
• Wildlife impact
• Noise
• Not cheap in the beginning stages
• Severe storms can damage them
• Use of space
• height

Effects

• They can make people dizzy
• birds (like the trumpeter swan that nests here) fly into them
• The noise will drive animals away
• The dangerous blade

How do we do this?

• Grande Prairie is like a big wind tunnel, lots of wind.
• Large area of available to the north and the west of Grande Prairie.
• The parts for the turbines are delivered by train.
• Atco Electric had experience with electricity and could be hired to set them up.
• Cheaper power rates by half.

Now the big question… The cost?

• The minimum amount of power is 300 to 1000 W.
• The installation cost $5, 000 (plus man power).
• The average maintenance is $40 a year (per turbine).
• The typical lifetime of a turbine is 10- 15 years.

 

Here’s Our Video 🙂 

Sustainability Project