| Wind turbine generators are much less harmful to | | | | pollutants created, and no need to store, process, |
| the environment than burning fossil fuels, but they | | | | or to dispose of toxic wastes. |
| do require average wind speeds of at least 21 km | | | | At the small side of the scale, turbines can be as |
| h (13 mph). The largest of these windmills stands | | | | tiny as 5 feet in diameter and are capable of only |
| 150 feet tall with blades half the legend of a | | | | a few hundred watts. On the high end of the |
| football field. Wind turbine generators are site | | | | spectrum, turbines can be as huge as three |
| specific. They require a sustained wind speed of | | | | hundred feet in diameter and are capable of |
| 20 km/hour. | | | | generating two to five megawatts of power. |
| Wind generators are one of the most reliable | | | | Similar to photovoltaic solar power generation, |
| forms of alternative power sources on the planet. | | | | there might be rebates available for construction, |
| They are made to manufacture power by | | | | and excess energy can be sold back to the |
| transforming the kinetic energy of the wind into | | | | power company. |
| mechanical energy, which is then either harnessed | | | | Wind velocity is impacted by topography and |
| directly (in the case of windmills, for example, | | | | increases with height above the ground, so wind |
| which were used to change wheat into flour, or | | | | turbines are generally installed on top of large |
| to pump water for farming) or coupled to a | | | | towers. In a typical application, the wind turbine |
| generator that creates a DC output that can be | | | | sits on top of a tall tower and generates low |
| used in a more general sense. | | | | voltage DC which is used to charge a battery |
| Wind turbines are basically large windmills, with | | | | store - this stored potential energy is ultimately |
| gigantic blades that rotate in the wind and produce | | | | utilized by routing it through an inverter that |
| power from the conversion of the winds force, | | | | changes the low voltage direct current power into |
| they are manufactured from plastic, aluminium, | | | | utility voltage alternating current electricity that |
| steel and numerous other space age metals. | | | | can be used in household applications. By |
| Wind turbines have a few negative impacts on | | | | concentrating a lot of turbines into wind farms a |
| the environment. They are very visible, and quite | | | | substantial amount of electricity can be stored |
| unsightly since they must be put in proximity to | | | | and utilized, perhaps for a whole city or town. |
| windy, open terrain to be useful - attempts to | | | | Because the wind doesnt blow all of the time in |
| locate them off the coast have been met with | | | | many areas, wind turbines are used as adjuncts in |
| great success. They require a great deal of | | | | hybrid configurations with many different |
| energy in their manufacture, energy which is | | | | technologies like photovoltaic panels, and diesel |
| typically fossil-based, and therefore it can take a | | | | generators to provide a consistent source of |
| considerable amount of time before they are | | | | electricity. |
| positive in terms of total carbon emissions - this | | | | Dissimilar to fossil-fuel stations, wind turbines are |
| time can be anywhere from 2 to 5 years. | | | | clean and green - they dont create the carbon |
| With all of the downsides aside, wind turbines | | | | dioxide emissions that are causing greenhouse |
| should be a choice when talking about a broad | | | | gases or the SO2 emissions that cause acid rain. |
| plan for renewable energy. Once erected, wind | | | | Todays turbines are divided into 2 categories, |
| turbines are amazingly efficient in a larger sense - | | | | namely horizontal turbines and vertica turbines. |
| they generate power from a natural, eco-friendly | | | | Todays horizontal axis wind turbines are actually |
| renewable resource, without the hidden social or | | | | far better at capturing the wind than vertical axis |
| environmental penalties that we incur with the use | | | | turbines given the same amount of swept area |
| of fossil fuels - theres no need to mine for fuel or | | | | (which is the diameter of the circle traced by the |
| to transport it - there are no global warming | | | | outside tip of the rotor blades). |