Wind is simply air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun.
Since ancient times, people have harnessed the wind’s energy. Over 5,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians used wind to sail ships on the Nile River and later in Iran the first windmills were built to grind wheat and other grains. These early windmills looked like large paddle wheels. Centuries later, the people of Holland improved the basic design of their windmills giving them propeller-type blades made with sails.
Today’s wind turbines use blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy by slowing down the speed of the wind. The wind flows over the airfoil shaped blades creating lift, like the effect on aeroplane wings, and causing them to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce electricity.
Wind power is the fastest growing of the renewable energy technologies, although it currently provides less than 0.5% of global energy. Larger turbines are often grouped together into wind farms that provide power to the electrical grid. Areas where winds are strong and more constant, such as offshore and at high altitudes are good locations.
Some of the advantages of wind energy are that it is ample and renewable. It is also widely distributed around the world, cheap, and helps to reduce toxic gas emissions. Wind Energy becoming increasingly cost effective to produce and generates no pollution, and because wind is generated by the sun, it will exist for roughly another four billion years.
However, although the costs of creating wind energy are decreasing as new technologies create more efficient turbines, a large number of wind turbines must still be used to generate sufficient wind energy. The turbines can create a lot of noise, which indirectly contributes to noise pollution. Furthermore, wind can never be predicted, and therefore it can be an unreliable source of energy other than in areas where wind is almost always constant.
Since ancient times, people have harnessed the wind’s energy. Over 5,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians used wind to sail ships on the Nile River and later in Iran the first windmills were built to grind wheat and other grains. These early windmills looked like large paddle wheels. Centuries later, the people of Holland improved the basic design of their windmills giving them propeller-type blades made with sails.
Today’s wind turbines use blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy by slowing down the speed of the wind. The wind flows over the airfoil shaped blades creating lift, like the effect on aeroplane wings, and causing them to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce electricity.
Wind power is the fastest growing of the renewable energy technologies, although it currently provides less than 0.5% of global energy. Larger turbines are often grouped together into wind farms that provide power to the electrical grid. Areas where winds are strong and more constant, such as offshore and at high altitudes are good locations.
Some of the advantages of wind energy are that it is ample and renewable. It is also widely distributed around the world, cheap, and helps to reduce toxic gas emissions. Wind Energy becoming increasingly cost effective to produce and generates no pollution, and because wind is generated by the sun, it will exist for roughly another four billion years.
However, although the costs of creating wind energy are decreasing as new technologies create more efficient turbines, a large number of wind turbines must still be used to generate sufficient wind energy. The turbines can create a lot of noise, which indirectly contributes to noise pollution. Furthermore, wind can never be predicted, and therefore it can be an unreliable source of energy other than in areas where wind is almost always constant.