Science. 1979 Apr 6;204(4388):13-7. doi: 10.1126/science.204.4388.13.
As wind energy receives increasing attention it is important to understand the noneconomic factors limiting the total power that can be extracted from the wind. These factors are examined here with a macroscopic approach. An upper global limit of 1.3 x 10(14) watts is arrived at with a sublimit of 2 x 10(12) watts for the continental United States. Some general conclusions are also reached regarding the sites that would have to be utilized to achieve these levels. Even within these limits, wind energy is seen to offer a potential far larger than many other self-renewing energy sources.
随着风能受到越来越多的关注，了解限制从风中提取总功率的非经济因素变得尤为重要。在这里，我们采用宏观方法来研究这些因素。得出的全球上限为 1.3x10^14 瓦特，美国大陆的下限为 2x10^12 瓦特。还得出了一些关于要实现这些水平必须利用的地点的一般结论。即使在这些限制内，风能也被认为提供了比许多其他可再生能源更大的潜力。
