Back to Basics: Wind Energy – What Is It Really, and How Does it Work?

How can we advocate something unless we have a true understanding of what it is and how it works? Lets try to answer the question, “what exactly, is wind energy and how does it work?”

In it’s simplest terms, wind energy is a type of “Solar Energy.”

The sun heats and cools the atmosphere and the earth and this heating and cooling causes wind. So the next time someone mentions “Solar Power” you can ask “Which kind?”

Wind energy, and specifically, windmills date back to Persia as early as 200 B.C. and were introduced to the Roman Empire by 250 A.D. However, the first practical windmills were built in Sistan, Iran, from the 7th century.

Wind Turbines (like the one in the picture above) use blades to gather wind that flows over it. Just like an airplane uses wings for lift, wind turbines use their blades for lift as well. The turbines are connected to a rotor which is  connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity.

Large scale wind farms are typically connected to the local electric power transmission network, (or Grid) with smaller turbines being used to provide electricity to isolated locations like individual businesses or homes.

Why do I like Wind Energy?

• Well, its a viable alternative to fossil fuels that are used for electricity.
• There is  a lot of wind out there.
• The wind may slow down, but as long as there is a sun, it will never stop blowing.
• You’ll never have to worry about a “wind spill.”
• The only greenhouse gasses that it produces are in the creation and installation of the actual wind turbine, which are offset after about 9 months of operation.
• They can be placed in areas such as farmland or cattle and sheep grazing areas.

Sounds great right? Well, in the spirit of transparency, lets take a look at what some of the detractors are saying.

• Danger to birds and bats is often the main complaint against the installation of a wind turbine. (However, studies show that the number of birds killed by wind turbines is negligible compared to the number that die as a result of fossil fuel spills)
• Aesthetics have also been a concern. (This is the N.I.M.B.Y. response. Not In My Back Yard) Most of the cases of aesthetic complaints arise from people who live or vacation in rural areas. What these people fail to realize is that energy storage devices (be it a wind turbine or coal fired power plant) have to be “somewhere.” NIMBY for sure.

Of course, there have been volumes of books written on the subject, for for our purpose, it can be summed up like this. “Sun heats the earth and causes wind which rotates turbine blades, creating electricity.” It’s really pretty simple. And Clean.

Photo Source: Wayfinder 73 via Flickr Creative Commons

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