Wind Turbines: The Wave of the Future?

Although relatively new in the world of energy production, the concept behind wind turbines actually goes back centuries to the use of water-run turbines in mills, and then more recently to hydroelectric power generation. The main difference between those types of turbines and wind turbines is that the latter are turned by the earth's fluid atmosphere rather than water power, much like windmills.

How They Work
These turbines work just the opposite of ordinary fans. As fans use electricity to generate movement of the blades resulting in wind, these new devices use wind to turn their blades to generate electricity. As the blades turn, they turn a shaft which, when connected to a generator, generates power.

These electric generating devices come in different shapes and sizes. There are large utility scale turbines which provide 1.5 to 2 megawatts of electricity for bulk power generation, to medium size industrial scales which provide 50 to 250 kilowatts, down to the 400 watt to 50 kilowatt residential size, although there are smaller ones available, for instance, on boats. They also come in various shapes, such as the more traditional fan-blade-shaped ones, mounted either vertically or horizontally, to the up-and-coming shape-shifting devices that promise to increase their efficiency in capturing the earth's elemental power.

Residential Devices
Interestingly enough, if all the power of the earth’s winds could be harnessed, about 72 terawatts of electricity would be produced, which is four times more than the entire world is presently consuming in electric power. Since consistent flow cannot be counted on in most areas of the world, an individual home wind turbine would not suffice to satisfy that home’s energy needs. For homeowners who want to rely solely on the power of the wind to generate their electricity, they could hook up a series of them that could divert the excess energy to batteries for storage. When the winds are not cooperating, the batteries could be utilized to pick up the slack.

Even though just one of these can reduce a home’s reliance on the grid, one in conjunction with other clean energy sources such as solar power could reduce to zero, a home’s reliance on the grid. Although wind turbines are still somewhat costly, prices have been falling.

Conclusion
Wind turbines are increasingly in the forefront of energy production because of their adaptability and efficiency in generating “free” electricity. From small boat-sized devices to the huge blades that span a football field in size, they meet the needs of more and more people.

Author writes about a variety of topics. If you would like to learn more about wind turbines, visit http://www.windturbineplanet.com/.