Friday, July 31, 2009

The Basics of Wind Energy


By Dale Green

We've been using wind energy in this world for hundreds of years. You've seen windmills in images from Holland, along farmlands in the United States, and various other parts of the world. They are used to help pump water, grind grain, and help the economy continue to grow. Unfortunately, it took a huge energy crisis for us to start taking notice of all the benefits.

Similar to windmills the wind turbine get attached to a tower, so it can capture the right amount of the wind's energy. A good elevation for these turbines to be the most effective is about 100 feet or higher. This way they can draw energy from the fastest winds that are not as turbulent as they are on the surface.

Turbines with their blades that are similar to propellers catch the energy from the wind. There are normally about 2 to 3 blades attached to a shaft which in turns forms what is a called a rotor. The blades turning in the wind create lift and drag. Drag happens when the wind hits the front of the blade. Lift happens as a wind pocket occurs on the backside of the blade. By combing the two forces it makes the rotor turn similar to an airplane propeller. And the shaft is turning a generator and this is what creates electricity.

Most of the time you simply come across the larger versions out there. While this may be true in most cases, the world is beginning to understand the importance of wind energy. Knowing this, manufacturers have come out with smaller versions in order to help people pump water, lower their monthly electric bills, and do it while living in the city or on the outskirts.

But for a larger application the turbine can be used in groups or combined with solar power applications. These larger projects can be part of an utility grid power system. In this size of operation your would have to have many turbines working together in a wind plant of sorts. Many of the providers of electricity today do just that to supply the needs of their particular customers. Some of the power companies are now buying excess energy from their customers who have wind energy.

It's safe to say that we are depleting the fossil fuels out there at an astonishing rate. This is why you need to find alternative power, which in this case is wind energy. If it's not wind energy, then it's solar energy. In fact, you can even use the two of them together for more savings in businesses and homes.

Wind energy is 100% renewable an causes no harm to the environment. This is the type of energy that you need to be using these days worldwide. You could ultimately save 100% on your energy costs, through using this power along with other forms of renewable energies. You will also being doing something good for your environment.

So do you what you can and think about your family's future. If that means using wind energy to cut cost on bills and help the environment, then so be it. Twenty years from now you'll want to know your children aren't being hurt by the same issues we're experiencing today.

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