Technological development of wind energy and compliance with the requirements for sustainable development

This article raises the issue of sustainable development in the context of technological advances in wind power. The authors focus mainly on identifying the risks which are inherent in the development of wind power and on the search for the answer to whether technological progress is conducive to reducing these risks. The evaluation of the impact of this progress is assessed in terms of: electric generator solutions, operational reliability, cost-effectiveness, site selection and optimal matching of generators to the environmental conditions. The community category is an additional non-technological category which is a deciding factor in democratic countries during investment decisions. The authors analysed a number of factors in this category, and concluded that only a responsible policy of providing information, fair treatment of the local community and a clearly defined distribution of profits contribute to long-term positive shaping of social attitudes.