Cheap Energy Blog

Harnessing the Power of Wind

Wind is air in motion and is caused by the uneven heating of the earths surface. The suns rays are absorbed at different rates due to variations of land and water. Wind can be used as an alternative energy source by generating electricity and is one of the easiest alternative energy sources. As long as the wind is blowing there is an alternative source of energy. Civilization have been using the power of wind since ancient times. The earliest known windmills were found in Persia, which is now Iran. In the Americas, colonists used windmills to pump water, grind wheat and corn, cut wood and power sawmills. In the 1970’s oil shortages sparked an interest in renewable resources and alternative energy sources. This led to the reinventing of the windmill. Then in the 1980’s, California began to increase it’s production of wind power. State policies provided alternative energy incentives and funding for alternative energy. Wind energy as a solution for alternative energy sources has spread worldwide. In the U.S. wind power increased from 29,007 billion BTU’s in 1990 to 258,385 billion BTU’s in 2006. The U.S., Denmark, Spain and Germany are the top four countries using wind as an alternative energy source. Massachusetts current alternative energy sources include an offshore wind park that is planned for an area off the coast of Cape Cod.

To collect wind, windmills use blades. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns a generator to produce electricity. There have been recent technological advances in wind turbines such as using larger blades, which creates a higher output per turbine. The most efficient way to maximize wind energy is with the use of wind farms or wind power plants. Here many large turbines are grouped together and the wind farms provide power to an electrical grid. This can present the problem of residents not wanting to see, or live near the large farms with turbines as tall as a twenty story building and three blades spanning 200 feet. Another problem that can arise with the use of wind power is what to do when the wind is not blowing. It is very important to carefully plan the location of wind power plants. Wind speed increases with altitude and also over open areas. Optimal locations for wind power plants are the tops of smooth, rounded hills, open plains or shore lines and mountain gaps that produce wind funneling.