Wind power is the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. Wind farms are where many large wind turbines have been grouped together, the turbines collect the power of the wind and produce electricity or power in a sustainable way, there are 17 wind farms currently operating in various areas all around New Zealand,these ranging from a single wind turbine located in Southbridge to the largest wind farm in New Zealand which is located at Tarua this specific wind farm takes up 700 hectares of private farming land and holds 134 turbines with a combined capacity of 161 megawatts. [Source 1].
Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy that’s in the wind into mechanical power, a generator can convert the mechanical power into electricity that we use in our daily lives as power. Here is a diagram below to show how wind power is converted into electricity, First the wind starts to blow, as the blades of the wind turbine start to turn from the pressure of the wind, this spins generators to create electricity, the transformer increases the potential to send energy to distribution, then the distribution line will reduce the amount of voltage depending on what the energy is specifically used for.[Source 4]
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Hydroelectricity is another reliable energy source that doesn’t give off any greenhouse gasses, hydropower converts kinetic energy from moving water into electricity. Hydropower is one of the oldest ways of which renewable energy has been harnessed. In New Zealand there are about 60 operating Hydropower stations, this is where the conversion of hydropower into electricity takes place. One of the major developments of power stations included the 540 mw Benmore Power Station which was built in 1966, the 700 mw Manapouri power station and Waitaki river scheme. Hydropower is a energy source that is very commonly used in New Zealand. [Source 5]
The way hydropower is converted into electricity is when the potential energy from the force of the vertically falling water is stored in a body of water, a specific amount of height between the water and the turbine creates pressure this is used to spin the turbine then create electricity, the amount of energy present in the water is determined by the force in the in fall of the water or the flow of the water, this is then converted into kinetic energy, this energy helps move the water through the turbine and as the turbine starts to turn electricity is created. Down below is a diagram of how the processes the water goes through to result in hydroelectricity. The reservoir creates the head of water to begin the process, the water moves downwards through pipes and builds pressure inside the penstock, the water is released down to the generator, this causes the turbine to turn, when the turbine turn it shifts the kinetic energy produced to the generator, from here the generator converts the kinetic energy into electricity, when the generator reaches a specific amount of speed, then from here electricity flows to the transformer and from the transformer to power lines, and from power lines the electricity is transferred into homes. [Source 6]
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Wind power is supplied to about 6% of New Zealand during the period of a whole year, this being the amount of about 300,000 homes in New Zealand using energy produced by wind power. New Zealand wind energy association have a vision that by the year 2035 wind power will contribute to 20% of our electricity consumption. [Source 1]
In New Zealand we produce over half of our electricity from hydropower, hydroelectric power makes up 11% of the energy that is found in raw fuels, for the last decade electricity provided by hydropower to areas all around New Zealand has been between 50 – 60%[Source 9]. Although the usage of hydroelectricity seems to be debatable because of certain environmental issues caused by hydropower, the usage of this renewable energy still continues to develop.
There is a wide range of opinions over wind power, whether it’s something we should just forget about or whether it’s something we should carry on to developing and constructing. To begin with the cons, wind power doesn’t constantly produce energy, sometimes even none if no wind is present at a certain time in the day. There are some members of the public who oppose to the idea of wind farms, this due to the loud noise created by the turning blades of the turbines, the appearance of the wind turbines and the environmental effects, in 2008 a petition was launched asking for stricter policies over wind farms, including a specific amount of distance from houses, maximum oxygen levels and protection from frequently visited areas by tourists [Source 3]. Wind power also has many advantages that come with them, things like the energy are clean where there is no need of anything to be drilled underground or burnt to produce energy, wind power is renewable and sustainable meaning it will not run out, can be used for almost everything that needs electricity.
Hydropower is a very controversial type of reliable energy source, hydropower too has many of its own pros and cons. The cons to this energy source is that building large dams to hold in the capacity of large amounts of water on rivers, and blocking them could lead to major environmental effects such as, sudden episodes of flash floods, increasing the chances of earthquakes to occur, or even blocking the passage ways for moving fish and sea creatures. To equally disprove the cons are the pros to the usage and development of this source of energy, some of the pros being, hydropower is a renewable source of energy, it’s a clean form of energy meaning it won’t be any harm to the planet, disregarding its cost, the usage of hydropower is considered ‘strategic investments’, [Source 8] this being able to support future generations.
In my opinion I prefer the energy source of wind power over hydropower, wind power is one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources out there due to its low costs, low maintenance levels and effective way of providing electricity to us the public who use power on a daily basis. I choose wind power over hydropower because hydropower requires equipment and electronic devices that are very expensive and they will eventually wear out. Wind power has a less impact on the wildlife of our planet and although wind farms take up large amounts of land but because the turbines are tall, the ground below is still available for use, this being helpful for farming aspects.