| Wind power is an incredibly clean renewable power | | | | in one area, all working in unison to produce electricity. |
| source. To capture the energy in wind, wind farms are | | | | The energy can then be run to whole communities |
| used. So, how about wind farm efficiency? | | | | through existing utility grids or stored in battery-like |
| Wind Farm Efficiency | | | | storage cells. Wind turbines can be set up to face the |
| Wind power is the process by which wind is used to | | | | wind or face away from the wind. Modern wind |
| generate power or electricity. The power of the wind | | | | turbines can also turn to catch the wind as it gusts |
| is actually a form of solar power - wind change and | | | | from different angles, a factor which makes them far |
| variability is caused by uneven heating of the ground | | | | more efficient than before. The larger the turbine's |
| by the sun. In order to fully use the power that the | | | | blades and the taller the turbine's height will increase |
| wind is capable of generating, many countries have | | | | the efficiency as well. |
| set up wind farms. In a wind farm, many different wind | | | | The exact efficiency of wind farms is nearly |
| turbines (a structure that uses a propeller-like blade to | | | | impossible to pinpoint. The problem is found in the |
| take in the wind's power) are set up in an area. With all | | | | factors that go into the analysis. The terrain, amount of |
| the wind turbines working at the same time, it's thought | | | | wind, size of turbines and so on varies from wind farm |
| that these farms are a great way to produce large | | | | to farm. There is no constant, which makes it difficult |
| amounts of electricity. | | | | to nail down general efficiency ratings. In general, a |
| To determine the efficiency of wind farms, you need | | | | single wind turbine will convert about 20 percent of the |
| to know how a wind farm works. The wind turbines | | | | energy in wind to electricity. The most efficient |
| collect the power of the wind in two steps: the | | | | production occurs between five and 20 miles an hour |
| propeller blades are turned by the gusts of wind, and | | | | of wind speed. This general 20 percent efficiency |
| the propeller then turns a shaft. This turning shaft is | | | | rating is roughly seven to five percent more efficient |
| connected to a generator. The spinning action cranks | | | | than solar power, but sunlight is constant whereas |
| the generator, which then produces electricity. The | | | | wind is not. |
| process is exactly like hydropower, but with wind | | | | While wind technology has not yet progressed to a |
| acting as the energy source instead of flowing water. | | | | point where no energy is lost while harnessing it, it is |
| Just one wind turbine set up in an area will not produce | | | | fair to say that the platform is favorable compared to |
| very much electricity, and is not very good for | | | | other renewable sources. It may take a while for the |
| powering large areas - these small turbines are usually | | | | whole world to catch on to using the power of the |
| used to power just one farm or house or occasionally | | | | wind, but it's definitely fast becoming an important |
| to pump water. | | | | alternative energy source. Countries such as Germany |
| Wind farms, on the other hand, are more powerful | | | | are certainly investing a lot into the platform. |
| because there is a large grouping of the wind turbines | | | | |