Difference Between Wind Power and Tidal Power
written by Adeel AbbasWind power and tidal power are two types of renewable energy sources. The main difference between wind power and tidal power is that tidal power is generated from the movement of water against a body of water while wind power is obtained from wind turbines.
In tidal power the force of gravity causes the water to move back and forth, creating a flow of kinetic energy. This type of energy has been harnessed since ancient times. In modern times, tidal power is being developed around the world, especially in Europe and Asia.
Wind power uses wind turbines to convert kinetic energy into electricity. These devices consist of large blades attached to a central hub. As the wind blows through the blades, they spin rapidly, converting the kinetic energy into electrical power.
What is Wind Power?
The use of wind turbines to generate electricity is the main form of wind power. Wind power has a much smaller impact on the environment than burning fossil fuels and is a popular, sustainable renewable energy source. Historically, wind power has been used in sails, windmills, and windpumps but today it is mostly used to generate electricity.
What is Tidal power?
Tidal power is the form of energy produced by tides. Although not widely used, tidal energy has the potential to be used for electricity generation. The sun and wind are not as predictable as the tides are. Due to the high cost and limited availability of sites with high tidal ranges, tidal energy has traditionally suffered from being less available than other renewable energy sources.
Dynamic tidal power, tidal lagoons, and turbine technology are some of the recent technological developments and improvements. Economic and environmental costs may be brought down to competitive levels if the total availability of tidal power is much higher than was previously assumed.
Difference Between Wind Power and Tidal Power
| Tidal power | Wind power |
|---|---|
| Tidal power is more reliable. | Wind power is less reliable. |
| Tidal power generation cost is high. | Wind power generation cost is low. |
| It is predictable. | It is not predictable due to unstable weather conditions. |
| It produces more power as compared to wind power. | As the air density is less than water so it produces less power. |
| Water turbines produce less noise. | Wind turbine produces more noise. |
| Water turbines are mostly found in dams to generate electric power from water potential energy. | Wind turbines can be built on land or offshore. |
Frequently Asked Questions-FAQs
Why don’t we use tidal power?
The main disadvantages of tidal power are that there are limited installation sites, it is expensive, and the power produced does not always match up with peak energy demand.
Why wind power is less than tidal power?
As the air density is less than water so it produces less power.
Is tidal energy better than wind?
tidal energy is more powerful than wind due to the fact that water is hundreds of times denser than air.
It is more efficient than wind or solar energy due to its relative density and produces no greenhouse gases or other waste, which makes it an attractive renewable energy source to pursue.
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