Wind power is emerging as an increasingly popular source of renewable energy around the world. This completely renewable energy technology has been used by governments, utility companies, and large businesses, and lately individuals, families, and small businesses as well are realizing the advantages of harnessing the power of the winds.
How Wind Turbines Work
Wind energy is produced using a fairly simple principle. The essence of a wind turbine is a generator or alternator connected to the turbine blades by a shaft connected to a gearbox to maximize output. This produces essentially the same effect as a person manually turning a generator to produce electricity, except in this case the power is provided by the rotation of the wind turbine.
According to altestore.com, wind energy systems can exist autonomously or tied into an existing utility-provided energy grid, but the setup and components of the systems are very much alike. Energy from the generator or alternator is conducted to a battery bank via a control box that regulates the flow of electricity into the bank, since the varying speeds of the wind cause wind turbines to generate electricity at varying intensities.
A system that is tied into an existing energy grid can boost energy efficiency and lower total system cost by choosing not to use a battery bank. Electricity from the battery bank (or directly from the control box) is routed through an inverter, which converts the direct current (DC) electricity into the type of alternating current (AC) required by home outlets and utility grid systems. At this point, the electricity is either routed solely to the home or business, or additionally routed into the utility-provided energy grid through a meter that records the amounts of energy provided to the grid.
Wind Turbine Installation
Wind turbines are most effective at heights of thirty meters (100 feet) or higher, due to the increased speed and consistency and the wind at higher altitudes. Wind energy systems work best in a wide open area of at least one acre. Turbine blades can be positioned either upwind or downwind, depending on the type. According to eere.energy.gov, typical two-or-three blade horizontal axis type wind turbines must be located upwind, and contain a yaw motor at the base of the generator housing to allow the turbines to change directions with the wind.
Wind Power Benefits
Wind turbines are less sensitive to limiting factors such as time of day or season than other alternative energy sources, since wind can be present any time of day or year. A wind energy system can be used most efficiently when paired with a solar energy system which produces electricity on calm, sunny days when the wind may not be blowing intensely.
Drawbacks of Wind Energy
Wind power is currently a somewhat prohibitively expensive renewable energy option, and can be quite difficult for the non-professional to install and maintain. Due to the size of wind turbines, transportation to end-user sites can also be logistically challenging.
Dave Ingram - David Ingram has spent several years writing case studies on all aspects of international business, specializing in marketing and ...
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