Wind has long been harnessed by people for various purposes. The potential energy of the wind can be converted to other forms of energy. In wind mills, wind energy is converted to mechanical energy which is used to crush grains and other purposes. Wind pumps also use the energy of the wind to pump water. One of the simplest and oldest means of harnessing wind energy is through the use of sails on a sail boat. At present, the most well-known use of wind energy is for the generation of electricity, often referred to as wind power.
Wind generation is one of the fastest-growing energy sources. It is currently used by homes and businesses all over the United States. Wind is very abundant; it is everywhere. It does not get depleted, making it ideal as a solution for meeting America’s high demand for energy. Also, generating electricity from the wind has no ill effects to the environment which makes it very appropriate to our situation today: climate change has become very evident.
In 2008, wind power made up 1.5% of the world’s total power production. Although that figure is very small, it is already twice that of the wind power produced in the years prior. This only shows that wind generation is starting to become a popular option as an alternative source of energy. Some European countries like Denmark, Portugal, Spain and Germany use wind power as one of the major sources of electricity. Around 80 countries around the world are now using wind power commercially.
Electricity is generated from wind energy on wind farms, which function in the same manner as power plants. Wind farms are large areas where wind is very abundant. The farms contain large wind turbines, which are capable of converting wind energy into electricity. The power generated by the turbines is sent to utility grids which use transformers to stabilize the flow of power. The power is then distributed to the consumers.
Since the speed of the wind is not always constant, it is hard to predict the exact amount of power a wind farm can produce. Power companies therefore use statistics to approximate these amounts. Another disadvantage of a wind farm is that it is very expensive to setup even for large corporations. Also, the installation of the large wind turbines can have negative effects to the environment. The areas where they would be installed have to be cleared first. Sometimes, trees, plants and animals inhabit those areas. The animals are therefore driven away and the plants and trees may be killed. The main advantage of wind generation is that once a wind farm is setup, the farm would continually produce power since the raw material—wind—is inexhaustible. And wind generation does not produce greenhouse gases like the fossil fuels.
Wind farms are not the only ones capable of harnessing wind energy. The energy of the wind can also be harnessed in household settings. There are companies which offer wind generation packages. The packages are like miniature versions of wind farms. Home wind generators, however, are usually not enough to power whole houses. The electricity generated is mainly used to supplement the sometimes insufficient power supplied by the grids. They are also used to save money. In some places, if the home wind generators produce excess power, that excess power is bought by the utility companies. These devices are great for offsetting the cost of energy.
