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Only Wind Power Meets ALL the 6 Degrees of Energy Excellence

1. Green energy is used worldwide to mean producing power in a way that is environmentally friendly. These green energy sources are non-polluting, or minimally polluting, and are often also important to our energy independence. Any green energy pollution that is produced is small enough that our planet has a natural capability to recover. Wind is one of the few sources of energy that is truly Green, and helping our energy independence.

2. Alternative energy is an additional term used to describe energy sources that replace undesirable fuel sources without the undesirable side effects of the fuel they replace. In its most common use, alternative energy means replacing fossil fuels and their pollutants with cleaner fuels. Wind energy is clearly an “alternative”. Biomass, such as ethanol, is another a common alternative fuel.

3. Renewable energy means sources that will not exhaust our finite supplies of fuel on the planet. Of course there are limits to how much power we can generate before the side effects become negative again. Renewable also doesn’t address the pollution effect; wood, for example, is renewable but is not a particularly environmentally friendly solution for energy production.

4. Sustainable energy meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to generate energy from the same source. In simple terms, it is energy that is BOTH renewable and efficient. Sustainable energy can produce some pollution of the environment, as long as it is not sufficient to prohibit heavy use of the source for an indefinite amount of time. To some, this means a time period of 100 years, but we laugh at that as much too short sighted. We believe a better time frame would be 10,000 years.

5. Scalable energy sources are those that are capable, with today’s technology, to generate large amounts of power. This power is close enough to the demand for efficient transmission to supply transportation needs, cities, schools, industries, and industrial facilities.

6. Independent energy sources can be sustained in the United States, or at least in North America without dependence on foreign sources.

Energy Sources vs. The 6 Degrees of Energy Excellence

	Green	Alternative	Renewable	Sustainable	Scalable	Independent
Wind	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Solar	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tidal/Wave	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Nuclear Power	?	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Biomass	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
HydroElectric	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
GeoThermal	Yes	Yes	?	Yes	No	Yes
Natural Gas	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Coal	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Wood	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Oil	No	No	No	No	Yes	No

No power source is entirely impact-free. All energy sources require energy to manufacture the technologies or fuels and all give rise to some degree of negative side effects. Here is a little more information on the pros and cons of the energy alternatives to fossil fuels.

Wind energy can be a very reliable renewable energy source if the wind turbines are placed in the right location. The main disadvantages of this form of energy are; sight and noise, as well as wind turbine designs affecting avian life.

Solar energy can be somewhat unreliable depending on the placement, location, and surrounding environment of the solar cells. The greater the solar energy supply, the more effective the cells will be; however, the more heat a solar panel receives, the more unreliable it can be. Solar also has a somewhat long return on investment without government incentives.

Tidal energy can be used to create electricity from the large energy force behind the tides. The main disadvantage of tidal energy is the effect on the surrounding environment, affecting sea life, and shore access.

Wave energy is similar to tidal energy, but instead uses the force behind the waves to generate electricity. This is a relatively new technology, and in many cases, is still in the research phase.

Nuclear Power, has such an infinite supply fuel that it is considered sustainable, even though it’s not renewable. It’s totally clean when air and water pollution are considered. The big downsides are safety of the power plants and the long term effects of waste storage. The emotional arguments against nuclear power are an additional downside that also has to be regarded as important in any energy solution discussion.

Biomass is renewable energy, but not totally “clean”. Although significantly cleaner than most fossil fuels such as coal and oil, it still produces sulfur dioxide.

HydroElectric energy is a very clean and powerful method for generating electricity from a trapped wall of water. The undesirable side effect is the cost to the surrounding environment and limited locations where it’s optimum.

GeoThermal energy is a reliable energy source but it’s just not available in that many areas and therefore is not very scalable as a solution.

Natural Gas burns cleaner than other fossil fuels, is easily transported, and is efficient, but it’s still a pollutant. It’s not sustainable, of course, and the largest reserves are in the Middle East and Russia.

Coal is inexpensive, versatile and available in some abundance in the United States with an estimated 25% of the world’s known reserves. It’s not renewable, and acts as a pollutant contributing to acid rain and carbon dioxide release.

Wood energy ties in with biomass, as it is still renewable, but must be burned during electricity production, which makes it harmful for our environment.

Oil requires no discussion with regards to green energy except as a stop-gap to bridge us to green, alternative, renewable, sustainable, scalable, and independent sources of energy.