What is Wind Energy? | Types, Definition, Structure, Function & Facts

What is Wind Power?

Wind power is energy, such as electricity, that is generated directly from the wind. It is considered a renewable energy source because there is always wind on Earth and we do not use wind when we get energy from it. Wind energy is also non-polluting.

Wind Turbines and Wind Farms

To generate electricity from wind, energy companies use large wind turbines called wind turbines. They are so called because they use turbine generators to produce electricity.

To generate more energy capable of powering thousands of homes, energy companies build large wind farms with multiple wind turbines. They usually build them in places where there is frequent wind. Several companies are building wind farms on the ocean. These are called offshore wind farms.

How tall are Wind Turbines?

Wind turbines are very large structures. The tower is usually between 200 and 300 feet tall. When you add the height of the propellers, some turbines are 400 feet tall! The blades are also quite large. There are usually three blades on a wind turbine. Each blade is typically 115 to 148 feet long.

How does a Wind Turbine work?

Wind turbines operate opposite the fan. Instead of using electricity to spin a propeller to generate wind, it uses wind to spin a propeller to generate electricity.

As the wind rotates the blades, the blades rotate an axis inside the turbine. This tree is tall, but rotates slowly. However, the shaft is connected to several gears, causing a smaller shaft to rotate much faster. This smaller tree drives a generator that generates electricity that can be used by homes and businesses.

What if there isn’t any Wind?

Without wind, wind turbines would not generate power. However, engineers do a lot of measurements and calculations to determine the best location to place the wind turbine. The wind won’t blow all the time, but what matters is how much the wind blows on average.

History of Windmills

Windmills have been used since the Middle Ages to harness wind energy. They were originally used to pump water or grind flour. They are still used in many parts of the world today to pump water. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, windmills were first used to generate electricity.

What are the drawbacks to Wind Power?

A major problem some people have with wind energy is how wind turbines damage the view or landscape. Other downsides include large bird-killing propellers and noise pollution from turbines. Most people agree that the advantages of a clean and renewable source of energy completely outweigh the disadvantages.

Fun Facts about Wind Power

For a wind turbine to make money, it must be located where the average annual wind speed is 15 miles per hour.

In 2011, the top wind producing state in the United States was Texas. Following Texas are Iowa, California, Minnesota and Illinois.

About 3% of electricity in the United States in 2011 was provided by wind energy. That’s enough to power about 10 million homes.

Tax breaks and new technologies have allowed wind energy production to grow significantly over the past 10 years.

The largest wind farm in the United States is the Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Texas. It has 421 wind turbines.