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