Is wind Northern Ireland’s Is wind Northern Ireland’s alternative resource? alternative resource?

By Michael O’ Hara Michael Ward

Connaire HendersonLiam Cullen

Our energy resource is wind because it is a good source of energy and are teacher gave us wind as our source.

Wind power works by blowing against a wind turbine and creating electricity. The wind blows and turns the blade. The blade turns a shaft, the shaft goes into a gearbox which increases the speed for the generator which uses magnetic fields to convert the rotational energy into electrical energy.

There are many advantages of wind power such as the fact that they are free once you have built them

They work 24/7 which also means day and night Produces no waste or greenhouse gases Land beneath can be used for farming Fantastic source of energy for remote areas

There is one main disadvantage about wind farms which is they make the mountains and hills look ugly and also have a drone type of sound

For example in Altahullion wind farm which is between Gortnaghey and Drum in County Derry residents are complaining of a loud droning noise coming off the turbines

Also they make the mountains look ugly and sometimes people protest because of it.

Wind is a better choice than fossil fuels because it is cleaner than all of the fossil fuels and will not run out in our lifetime. It is an alternative resource for Ireland because Ireland is usually windy.

While we worked as a team we found out our facts and now we know Northern Ireland has one of the best wind resources in Europe and, as a result, installing a wind turbine here has the potential to provide a good return on investment. This is especially true in light of recent improvements in the financial incentives offered for renewables installation. Wind power is the best alternative resource for Northern Ireland.