WIND ENERGY

Wind energy is a form of solar energy. Wind energy (or wind power) describes the
process by which wind is used to generate electricity. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in
the wind into mechanical power. A generator can convert mechanical power into electricity.
Mechanical power can also be utilized directly for specific tasks such as pumping water.

Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, variations in the earth's
surface, and rotation of the earth. Mountains, bodies of water, and vegetation all influence wind
flow patterns. Wind turbines convert the energy in wind to electricity by rotating propeller-like
blades around a rotor. The rotor turns the drive shaft, which turns an electric generator. Three
key factors affect the amount of energy a turbine can harness from the wind: wind speed, air
density, and swept area.

Wind power is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy technologies. Usage is on the
rise worldwide, in part because costs are falling. Global installed wind-generation capacity
onshore and offshore has increased by a factor of almost 75 in the past two decades, jumping
from 7.5 gigawatts (GW) in 1997 to some 564 GW by 2018. Production of wind electricity
doubled between 2009 and 2013, and in 2016 wind energy accounted for 16% of the electricity
generated by renewables. Many parts of the world have strong wind speeds, but the best
locations for generating wind power are sometimes remote ones. Offshore wind power offers
tremendous potential.
Wind turbines first emerged more than a century ago. Following the invention of the electric
generator in the 1830s, engineers started attempting to harness wind energy to produce
electricity. Wind power generation took place in the United Kingdom and the United States in
1887 and 1888, but modern wind power is considered to have been first developed in Denmark,
where horizontal-axis wind turbines were built in 1891 and a 22.8-metre wind turbine began
operation in 1897.
Wind is used to produce electricity using the kinetic energy created by air in motion. This
is transformed into electrical energy using wind turbines or wind energy conversion systems.
Wind first hits a turbine’s blades, causing them to rotate and turn the turbine connected to them.
That changes the kinetic energy to rotational energy, by moving a shaft which is connected to a
generator, and thereby producing electrical energy through [Link] amount of

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power that can be harvested from wind depends on the size of the turbine and the length of its
blades. The output is proportional to the dimensions of the rotor and to the cube of the wind
speed. Theoretically, when wind speed doubles, wind power potential increases by a factor of
eight. Wind-turbine capacity has increased over time. In 1985, typical turbines had a rated
capacity of 0.05 megawatts (MW) and a rotor diameter of 15 metres. Today’s new wind power
projects have turbine capacities of about 2 MW onshore and 3–5 MW offshore. Commercially
available wind turbines have reached 8 MW capacity, with rotor diameters of up to 164 metres.
The average capacity of wind turbines increased from 1.6 MW in 2009 to 2 MW in 2014.

Wind energy offers many advantages, which explains why it's one of the fastest-growing
energy sources in the world. Research efforts are aimed at addressing the challenges to greater
use of wind energy. Read on to learn more about the benefits of wind power and some of the
challenges it is working to overcome.

Advantages of Wind Power

 Wind power is cost-effective. Land-based utility-scale wind is one of the lowest-priced

energy sources available today, costing 1–2 cents per kilowatt-hour after the production
tax credit. Because the electricity from wind farms is sold at a fixed price over a long
period of time (e.g. 20+ years) and its fuel is free, wind energy mitigates the price
uncertainty that fuel costs add to traditional sources of energy.
 Wind creates jobs. The U.S. wind sector employs more than 100,000 workers, and wind
turbine technician is one of the fastest growing American jobs. Wind power has the
potential to support more than 600,000 jobs in manufacturing, installation, maintenance,
and supporting services by 2050.
 It's a clean fuel source. Wind energy doesn't pollute the air like power plants that rely on
combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, which emit particulate matter,
nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide—causing human health problems and economic
damages. Wind turbines don't produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain, smog,
or greenhouse gases.
 It's sustainable. Wind is actually a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by the
heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the rotation of the Earth, and the Earth's surface

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 irregularities. For as long as the sun shines and the wind blows, the energy produced can
be harnessed to send power across the grid.
 Wind turbines can be built on existing farms or ranches. This greatly benefits the
economy in rural areas, where most of the best wind sites are found. Farmers and
ranchers can continue to work the land because the wind turbines use only a fraction of
the land. Wind power plant owners make rent payments to the farmer or rancher for the
use of the land, providing landowners with additional income.

CHALLENGES OF WIND POWER

 Wind power must still compete with conventional generation sources on a cost
basis. Even though the cost of wind power has decreased dramatically in the past several
decades, wind projects must be able to compete economically with the lowest-cost source
of electricity, and some locations may not be windy enough to be cost competitive.
 Good land-based wind sites are often located in remote locations, far from cities
where the electricity is needed. Transmission lines must be built to bring the electricity
from the wind farm to the city. However, building just a few already-proposed
transmission lines could significantly reduce the costs of expanding wind energy.
 Wind resource development might not be the most profitable use of the land. Land
suitable for wind-turbine installation must compete with alternative uses for the land,
which might be more highly valued than electricity generation.
 Turbines might cause noise and aesthetic pollution. Although wind power plants have
relatively little impact on the environment compared to conventional power plants,
concern exists over the noise produced by the turbine blades and visual impacts to the
landscape.
 Wind plants can impact local wildlife. Birds have been killed by flying into spinning
turbine blades. Most of these problems have been resolved or greatly reduced through
technology development or by properly siting wind plants. Bats have also been killed by
turbine blades, and research is ongoing to develop and improve solutions to reduce the
impact of wind turbines on these species. Like all energy sources, wind projects can alter
the habitat on which they are built, which may alter the suitability of that habitat for
certain species.

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