| With energy issues becoming a daily subject in the | | | | rates. As each surface heats up, the air rises and |
| news, wind energy is gaining notoriety. Here is an | | | | cooler air rushes in to replace it. Thus, we have wind. |
| overview of wind farms and their potential.A wind | | | | Given this situation, ideal locations for wind farms are |
| farm is simply a collection of wind turbines in a location | | | | often along shorelines or in valleys funneling winds |
| used to produce electricity. Wind farms can be found | | | | from the shore.Many people are under the impression |
| in the United States, but are far more prevalent in | | | | that wind farms are located only in areas of land |
| Europe. China is also beginning to invest large amounts | | | | where winds are howling through valleys and over hills. |
| of resources in wind farms as its energy needs | | | | While this is certainly true, the current trend is to build |
| grow.The fundamentals of electricity production | | | | wind farms off the shorelines of countries.The |
| through wind farms are pretty simple. Highly efficient | | | | advantage of offshore wind farms has to do with the |
| wind turbines are placed in locations where they will | | | | frequency and generation of winds. Shorelines |
| receive the maximum amount of wind energy. These | | | | represent fertile wind generation areas. On top of this, |
| turbines can be traditional horizontal windmills or vertical | | | | the open space of the ocean allows winds generated |
| eggbeater windmills.Regardless, the wind turns the | | | | from remote locations to move towards shorelines. If |
| blades as it passes, which turns a generator within the | | | | you have ever spent time going sailing, you have an |
| turbine. The turning motion converts the wind energy | | | | understanding of how strong these winds can be. On |
| into electricity when the generator cranks, which is | | | | top of all of this, placing wind farms in the ocean |
| then sent into a utility company power grid or stored in | | | | avoids the cost of buying pricey space on land.Wind |
| batteries. This process is similar to hydropower with | | | | farms are up and functioning in most first world |
| wind being used instead of water.The stereotypical | | | | countries. The bigger issue is getting them to produce |
| wind farm is an exercise in topography. The goal is to | | | | enough energy at as low a price as possible to make |
| find locations where wind exists as frequently as | | | | them a viable energy production platform.Rick Chapo |
| possible. Put in practical terms, ideal spots are in areas | | | | is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solar |
| where ground variation occurs as wind is produced | | | | energy companies. Visit us to read more wind farm |
| when different surface areas heat up at different | | | | articles. |