WIND ENERGY
Wind Energy Articles
- Wind Energy - The Basics
- History of Wind Energy
- Wind Power FAQ's
- Offshore Wind Farms - Wave of the Future in Wind Energy?
- Wind Power in Europe
- UK Leads the Race in Offshore Wind Farms
- All About Wind Turbines
- Wind Turbine Blade Recycling
- Small Wind Turbines
- Potential Disadvantages of Wind Power Generation
- Greening the Power Grid with Wind Energy
- Harnessing Wind Energy for Today and Tomorrow
- Glossary of Terms Relating to Wind Energy
Wind energy is simply a converted form of solar energy. The radiation generated from the sun heats different parts of the earth unevenly, particularly during the day and night. Winds are caused by this uneven heating phenomenon, as well as inconsistencies in the topography of the surface of the earth and effect of the earth's rotational pattern. Simplistically, hot air rises, reducing the atmospheric pressure at the earth's surface, and cooler air is drawn in to replace it - and the result is wind.
Like solar and other forms of clean, renewable energy, wind energy has been utilized by humankind for thousands of years. The popularity of utilizing energy produced by wind has generally been related to the price of fossil fuels, which has fluctuated widely over the years. When fuel prices fell after World War II, interest in wind turbines was greatly reduced. But when the price of oil skyrocketed in the 1970s, there was a significant increase in efforts to develop and produce wind turbine generators.
The technical terms wind power or wind energy refer to the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. Modern wind turbines fall into two basic groups: the horizontal-axis variety and the vertical-axis design. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy that is contained in the wind into mechanical power, which may either be converted to electricity using a generator, or utilized directly to perform specific tasks.
The wind supply worldwide is abundant. It is a clean, unlimited renewable energy source, which does not pollute the air like power plants that consume greenhouse gas producing fossil fuels. Wind energy, along with other forms of clean, renewable energy, are the future of the planet Earth.