How is wind power produced?
It’s amazing how nature continuously sustains life for its inhabitants; it provides shelter, food, and all things we need to survive. Among all these graces is energy. Our most common source of energy is fossil fuel; however, solar energy users have rapidly grown through the years too. One of the growing trends in sustainable energy sources is wind energy. Have you ever wondered how this type of energy is produced? Let’s find out.
How Wind Turbines Work
Wind power is produced from converting wind energy using wind turbines. A wind turbine is composed of a tall tower and three propeller-like blades known as a rotor. These devices are specifically designed to be tall because wind is stronger higher from the ground.
As wind turbines spin when passed by wind, the movement of blades drives a generator that converts the energy. The movement of rotor in the turbine is called kinetic energy, which is converted into electricity.
Advantages of Wind Energy
- Wind energy is a clean and renewable technology, which do not release pollutants, emissions, and by products.
- Wind power is considered as cost-effective in the long run.
- Total output of energy produced over a set period of time varies minimally.
Disadvantages of Wind Energy
- Initial investment for transporting, and installing the turbines is costly.
- Require large areas of land, therefore the best locations for converting wind into electricity are far away from populated urban areas.
- Although annual wind and power output are predictable, daily output levels are constantly changing
Aside from wind energy, another form of renewable energy is solar energy. Know more about solar energy here.
498