IMPLEMENTATION OF WIND ENERGY IN COLOMBIA

As we all know, the hydropower covers most of Colombia’s electric power,

covering around 60% of the total amount. The other way of generating electric
energy is the thermal generation, but those ways, currently, are not the only ones
which can generate an amount that could cover our big demand. Besides,
Colombia has a lot of biodiversity and resources that other countries don't have,
like powerful winds. Our winds are classified as seven; we have the best-classified
winds in south America, together with the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina,
also, la Guajira has the perfect conditions for investors interested in wind energy
production.
¿HOW WE CLASSIFY WINDS?
We classify them with the Beaufort scale, and it’s an empirical measure that
relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is
the Beaufort wind force scale.
(MUESTRO EL CUADRO)

JEPIRACHI EOLIC PARK

(escrito)
HOW IT WORKS

Wind turbines operate on a simple principle. The energy in the wind turns two or three

propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft,
which spins a generator to create electricity.

If you saw a real windmill, you will see that they spin really slow, so the asps of the
windmill are connected to a gear assembly that has a lower diameter so it spins
 4 times faster than the asps of the windmill, moreover this system is connected
to an electric generator and this makes the electricity

ADVANTAGES

. It's a clean fuel source. Wind energy doesn't pollute the air like power
plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas

It's sustainable. Wind is actually a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by
the heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the rotation of the Earth, and
the Earth's surface irregularities

Wind turbines can be built on existing farms or ranches. This greatly

benefits the economy in rural areas, where most of the best wind
sites are found. Farmers and ranchers can continue to work the land
because the wind turbines use only a fraction of the land.

Wind Energy Can Provide Power For Remote Locations

DISADVANTAGES

The Wind Fluctuates

Wind energy has a similar drawback to solar energy in that it is not constant.
Although wind energy is sustainable and will never run out, the wind isn’t always
blowing.

Installation is Expensive
Although costs are reducing over time, wind turbines are still expensive. First, an
engineer must carry out a site survey. This may involve having to erect a sample
turbine to measure wind speeds over a period of time. If deemed adequate, a wind
turbine then needs to be manufactred, transported and erected on top of a pre-
built foundation.

Wind Turbines Pose A Threat to Wildlife

We often hear that wind turbines pose a threat to wildlife – primarily birds and bats.
However, researchers now believe that they pose less of a threat to wildlife than
other manmade structures.

Consequently, there is an installed eolic park in La Guajira, called

Jepirachi eolic park. Besides all the news that indicated it was
going to change our mechanism of generating electricity, EPM
and other organizations said it only was a chance to learn for
other bigger projects in the future.

In spite that eolic parks bring a lot of acknowledging to our country,

there was a lot of conflict with the natives that lived there. When
you install a windmill, the soil starts to erosion and this makes
impossible farming, also the windmills could affect the migrating
birds.

Even so, the Jepirachi eolic park was an opportunity to investigate,

furthermore, these eolic parks are not that invasive like other
energy systems (like nuclear) and it provides independence in
some areas that are so far away from the cities.