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The future vision of renewable wind energy is split in two directions; that of a centralized
energy source like Deep Water Wind and that of a decentralized source like the one described
during Rob Baxter’s presentation. Centralized energy is defined as energy that is produced at one
large location (such as one large wind turbine) and is then transported to the consumer. On the
other hand, decentralized energy is energy that is produced close to where it will be used, such as
on the top of building to power that same building. Both forms of producing energy have
To begin, this source would help to produce a considerable amount of energy for the
energy grid. As a result, the energy grid would have a higher percentage of clean energy and
would thus be generally more environmentally friendly. In addition to this, there would be only
one location to manage instead of many locations (from individual use). While one location
would mean a larger number of buildings affected if the location were damaged, it also means
that the problem could be fixed faster as the focus would be on one place. Moreover, a
nationwide “supergrid” could move renewable energy such as wind energy from places where it
is cheaper to areas where renewable energy is more expensive or where there are limited
On the other hand, centralized energy sources do take up a lot of land, which many
landowners may dislike. The object, a wind turbine perhaps, can be invasive and in that location
long term. To add on to this, the centralized system has become outdated, and is much less
efficient than a newer, decentralized system. To explain, a little bit of energy is lost every time it
is transported from one location to the consumer. This is because as energy transformations
occur, such as from mechanical energy to heat energy, some of the energy is transformed into
another form, possibly radiant energy, which is not used. Further, certain aspects of a larger
system can cause those living or working nearby to object. To clarify, shadow flicker, or when
the moving blades of a wind turbine cast repetitive shadows on the ground and immobile objects,
can cause headaches and extreme stress. In some scenarios, the flicker can scare cattle as well.
Clearly, this would upset people and put them off from wanting to use this form of renewable
energy.
At the same time, decentralized energy sources provide a less invasive and futuristic
option for renewable energy. In addition, these small systems power all of the energy needs of
one household and do not put power into the energy grid. A home or business owner has
complete control over their energy consumption, helpful for those who want to lessen their
carbon footprint. Even more so, decentralized systems are much smaller, and less visible. That is
to say that issues such as shadow flicker would be greatly decreased with this system. Unlike the
centralized system, this energy source system decreases wide spread power outages, a positive
for the populace. The individual aspect to this type of system has economic benefits for the
homeowner as they can save vast amounts of money in the long run by using this instead of a
centralized system. Furthermore, our expert speaker, Rob Baxter, explained how his
decentralized system was ahead of its time, as it had only been used more frequently in the past
few years and provides a new way to look at renewable energy sources. Most importantly,
expensive to install this form initially compared to a centralized energy source. Unfortunately,
not every family in the country would be able to pay that initial price, creating a massive road
block for progression of this energy source. Additionally, if there were to be an issue with
multiple decentralized sources it would take longer to resolve the issue for all homes or
businesses than if there was only one large location to fix. Moreover, our current system of
energy is a centralized energy system. As a result it would take many years of hard labor to
convert an entire country to this new system. In the meantime, the country would be in a state of
“limbo” with part of the country dependant on a decentralized system and the other on a
centralized system. Overall, there are not many disadvantages to a decentralized energy source as
many scientists agree this system would be better for a country powered on renewable energy.
To conclude, the debate on which energy source should be used around the world is still
continuing, and is hard to find a definitive answer. Both have ample positives and negatives to
their use. We as a nation must decide how the future of renewable energy will be, based on the
information gathered and observed. Either way, we must make the change to renewable energy
soon, before global warming creates greater consequences the world cannot overcome.
Bibliography:
Mandelkorn, Aaron. "Colorado Central Magazine - The Monthly Magazine for Moonlit Winter
Nights - Centralized vs. Distributed Solar Energy." Colorado Central Magazine. 2015 Colorado
Central Publishing, 28 Feb. 2010. Web. 24 Jan. 2016.
<http://cozine.com/2010-march/centralized-vs-distributed-solar-energy/>.
Lounsbury, Deepa. "Weighing the Advantages of Distributed and Centralized Energy Storage."
Weighing the Advantages of Distributed and Centralized Energy Storage. Renewable Energy
World Magazine, 1 Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.
<http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2015/04/weighing-the-advantages-of-distribute
d-energy-storage-and-centralized-energy-storage.html>.
Farrell, John. "Centralized v. Decentralized Clean Energy - We May Have to Choose." Institute
for Local SelfReliance. Institute for Local Self-Reliance, 7 Apr. 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.
<https://ilsr.org/centralized-v-decentralized-clean-energy-we-may-have-choose/>.
Gray, Louise. "Shadow Flicker: Rotating Blades Can Cause Headaches." The Telegraph.
Telegraph Media Group, 17 Mar. 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2016.
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/8386273/Shadow-flicker-rotating-blades-can
-cause-headaches.html>.