ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND THE CONSERVATION AND CONTINUOUS RENEWAL OF A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS ARE PUBLIC MATTERS!
In today’s world, demand for energy is increasing, however fulfilling these needs means destroying our environment. Keeping safe our environment in order to create a clear, healthy future for our children is a great challenge. Wind power has a great role in all energy-plans regarding the future, as one of the most dynamically improving and competitive renewable energy sources.
Sometimes the most obvious solutions are the hardest to exploit. In Hungary we have the adequate quantity of reliable wind. In Western-Europe the experience on economical renewable sources, their advantages for the environment and public opinion are quite favorable.
As a demonstration of this, forecasts of the European Renewable Energy Council claim that by 2020, one fifth of the energy demand of Europe will be produced from these sources, and according to calculations of the European Wind Energy Association, 86 million inhabitants will be provided energy coming from wind power by 2010, the near future.
Benefits of wind energy:
On the one hand, it is one of the most environmentally friendly source, with a fast return. During operation it does not emit any hazardous gas, moreover, a smaller wind power plant of 600 KW spares the environment from 1700 tons of CO2 emission a year.
Additionally it plays a great role in the decentralization of energy production, which is an important procedure with the objective of using existing local sources for local consumption. The advantages from the aspects of national economy and security are inestimable. Therefore wind energy means a serious alternative compared to other renewable sources (geothermal, solar, hydropower, biomass).
The cost of producing wind power becomes less and less with innovations in its technology. Although the wind power plant is assembled with the highest quality standards, still its structure is quite simple. The tower, the engine-house and the generator can be manufactured by local companies as well.
Wind power is the fastest growing energy source, used in more than 45 countries worldwide. Currently there are more than 55 000 operating wind turbines. At a global level the whole industry employs around 100 000 people, with a value of 5 billion USD a year, and this value is increasing by 40% every year. Although 70% of this capacity concerns Europe, other regions of the world are becoming real markets as well.
These days wind energy supplies 14 million households, meaning more than 35 million people. By the end of 2002 altogether more than 31.000 MW of power has been installed in 50 countries, 74% of which within the European Union. Forecasts see this value increase to 75.000 MW by 2010 within the Union. Wind power has great potentials for solving one great problem of Europe, unemployment.
Numbers indicate that Denmark has 25.000 employees, Germany has 35.000 working for this sector. Compared to the 5000 people in Europe in 1991, the rapid change is illustrated quite well. If this tendency continues, half million people will be provided a job in the wind power industry in Europe.
According to forecasts, 1.475 million jobs will be created for services such as manufacturing, operation, maintenance and other supporting services for the wind power industry by 2020 worldwide. The boom in the wind power industry roused the attention of the banking and investment sector, since new players such as huge oil companies have entered the market.
Companies investing in renewable energy prefer wind power. This possibility for investment is more popular amongst european companies at the moment, than american ones.