| Wind powered generators are one of the most | | | | there are no greenhouse pollutants generated, and no |
| ancient kinds of alternative power sources on the | | | | need to store, process, or to deal with toxic wastes. |
| planet. They are made to manufacture energy by | | | | On the low end of the spectrum, turbines can be as |
| transforming the kinetic energy of the wind into | | | | small as five feet in diameter and might be capable of |
| mechanical energy, which is then either tapped directly | | | | only a few hundred watts. At the high end of the |
| (in the case of windmills, for example, which were | | | | scale, turbines can be as huge as 200 feet in diameter |
| used to make flour from grain, or to pump water for | | | | and may be capable of generating 2 to four |
| irrigation) or coupled directly to an electrical generator | | | | megawatts of power. Like with photovoltaic solar |
| that creates a DC electrical output that can be used in | | | | electricity generation, there may be incentives available |
| a more general sense. In this publication I will be talking | | | | for construction, and energy in excess of that which |
| about the type of wind generators that produce | | | | we are using can be sold back to the power |
| electrical power, as this is the most useful to us in our | | | | company. Wind speed is impacted by the local |
| daily lives. Wind turbines are basically large windmills, | | | | topography and increases with height above the |
| with gigantic blades that turn as a result of the wind | | | | ground, so wind turbines are generally installed on large |
| and create energy from the conversion of the winds | | | | towers. For a typical installation, the wind turbine sits on |
| energy. Wind turbines are manufactured using | | | | top of a tall tower and generates low voltage DC that |
| fiberglass, copper, steel along with many other space | | | | is used to charge a battery store - this stored |
| age materials. Wind turbines have many negative | | | | electricity is harnessed by passing it through an inverter |
| impacts on the environment. They are obviously very | | | | which transforms the low voltage direct current power |
| visible, and very ugly since they must be located in | | | | into higher voltage AC energy for use in household |
| close proximity to windy, fairly open terrain to be useful | | | | applications. By concentrating numerous turbines into |
| - recent attempts to position them offshore have been | | | | wind farms a substantial amount of power can be |
| greeted with great success. They also require energy | | | | stored and utilized, perhaps for a whole city or town. |
| in their production, energy which is fossil-based, and | | | | Due to the fact that the wind doesnt blow all the time |
| therefore it takes substantial time before they are | | | | in most areas, wind turbines are used in hybrid |
| beneficial in terms of greenhouse gas emissions - this | | | | systems with many different technologies like |
| timeframe can be anywhere from three to six years. | | | | photovoltaic solar panels, batteries, and diesel |
| They are often linked to the mauling of birds that can | | | | generators to provide a consistent source of electricity. |
| be shredded as they pass between the turbine blades | | | | Contrary to fossil-fuel power stations, wind turbines |
| during transitory passages although this issue is heavily | | | | are clean - they do not manufacture the CO2 |
| debated. With all of the negatives aside, wind turbines | | | | emissions that are thought to be causing greenhouse |
| should be a choice when talking about a broad | | | | gases or the sulfur dioxide emissions that cause acid |
| strategy for green energy, in those areas that are well | | | | rain. Modern day wind turbines are divided into 2 major |
| suited to them. Once up and running, wind turbines are | | | | categories, namely horizontal axis turbines and vertica |
| very efficient in a larger sense - they produce | | | | axis turbines. Modern horizontal axis wind turbines are |
| electricity from a natural, sustainable renewable | | | | actually better at capturing the wind than vertical axis |
| resource, without the hidden social or environmental | | | | machines given the same amount of swept area (i.e. |
| costs that we incur with the burning of fossil fuels - | | | | the diameter of the circle traced by the outside tip of |
| there is no need to mine the fuel or to transport it - | | | | the blades). |