wind power

wind power, form of energy conversion in which turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be used for power. Together with solar power and hydroelectric power, wind power is one of the most widely utilized forms of renewable energy. Virtually nonpolluting and abundantly—albeit sometimes inconsistently—available in many places, wind power stands in stark contrast to the combustion of fossil fuels (namely coal, petroleum, and natural gas) that are driving global warming and has become increasingly attractive to individuals, businesses, and governments on the path to sustainability.

Historically, wind power in the form of windmills has been used for centuries for such tasks as grinding grain and pumping water. One of the earliest known wind turbines for electricity generation was built in Scotland in 1887, and remarkable development of the technology took place throughout the 20th century.

Wind power potential and use around the world

Wind resources are calculated based on the average wind speed and the distribution of wind speed values occurring within a particular area. Areas are grouped into wind power classes that range from 1 to 7. A wind power class of 3 or above (equivalent to a wind power density of 150–200 watts per square meter, or a mean wind of 5.1–5.6 meters per second [11.4–12.5 miles per hour]) is suitable for utility-scale wind power generation, although some suitable sites may also be found in areas of classes 1 and 2. In the United States there are substantial wind resources in the Great Plains region as well as in some offshore locations.

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By 2022 wind was contributing more than 7 percent of the world’s total electricity and accounted for more than 10 percent of the total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation. Electricity generation by wind has been increasing dramatically because of concerns over the cost of petroleum and the effects of fossil fuel combustion on the climate and environment (see also global warming). From 2007 to 2016, for example, total installed wind power capacity quintupled from 95 gigawatts to 487 gigawatts worldwide. China and the United States possessed the greatest amount of installed wind capacity in 2021 (with nearly 329 gigawatts and almost 133 gigawatts, respectively), and that same year Denmark generated the largest percentage of its electricity from wind (more than 43 percent). Various estimates put the cost of wind energy as low as 2–6 cents per kilowatt-hour, depending on the location. This is comparable to the cost of coal, natural gas, and other forms of fossil energy, which ranges between 5 and 17 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Wind farms are areas where a number of wind turbines are grouped together, providing a larger total energy source. As of 2018 the largest wind farm in the world was the Jiuquan Wind Power Base, an array of more than 7,000 wind turbines in China’s Gansu province that produces more than 6,000 megawatts of power. The London Array, one of the world’s largest offshore active wind farms when it came online in 2013, spans an area of 122 square km (about 47 square miles) in the outer approaches of the Thames estuary and produces up to 630 megawatts of power. It has since been surpassed by a number of other wind farms along Great Britain’s coast, including Triton Knoll (857 megawatts capacity), Moray East (950 megawatts capacity), and Seagreen (1,075 megawatts capacity). The Hornsea Wind Farm project near England’s Yorkshire coast is planned to have up to 6,000 megawatts of capacity. The first arm of the project, Hornsea One, went online in 2019 and spans an area of 407 square km (about 157 square miles); it produces about 1,200 megawatts of power. By comparison, a typical new coal-fired generating plant averages about 550 megawatts.

Wind turbines

Modern commercial wind turbines produce electricity by using rotational energy to drive an electrical generator. They are made up of one or more blades attached to a rotor and an enclosure called a nacelle that contains a drive train atop a tall tower. There are two primary types of wind turbines: the common horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and the more experimental vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs). Each HAWT turbine possesses two or three blades, much like an airplane propeller, or a disk containing many blades (multiblade type) attached to each turbine. The largest of these turbines can produce 4.8–9.5 megawatts of power, have a rotor diameter that may extend more than 162 meters (about 531 feet), and are attached to towers approaching 240 meters (787 feet) tall. The most common designs (which produce up to 1.8 megawatts) are much smaller; they have a blade length of approximately 40 meters (about 130 feet) and are attached to towers roughly 80 meters (about 260 feet) tall. Smaller HAWT units can be used to provide power to individual homes.

VAWT designs vary in shape and method of harnessing wind energy. Most are able to harness wind blowing from any direction and are usually made with blades that rotate around a vertical pole. The Darrieus VAWT, which uses curved blades in a curved arch design, is the most common VAWT in the early 21st century. Most VAWTs are not economically competitive with HAWTs, but there is continuing interest in research and development of VAWTs, particularly for building integrated wind energy systems.

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Challenges and disadvantages

Challenges to the large-scale implementation of wind energy include siting requirements such as wind availability, aesthetic and environmental concerns, and land availability. Wind farms are most cost-effective in areas with consistent strong winds; however, these areas are not necessarily near large population centers. Thus, power lines and other components of electrical distribution systems must have the capacity to transmit this electricity to consumers. In addition, since wind is an intermittent and inconsistent power source, storing power may be necessary.

A major concern of wind farms relates to negative environmental impacts associated with noise, visual disturbance, and impacts on wildlife. Two kinds of noise associated with turbines are mechanical noise, which is produced by its equipment such as its gearbox, and aerodynamic noise, which is produced from the movement of air over the blades. Mechanical noise may be dampened by altering mechanical components of turbines. Aerodynamic noise, often described as a “swishing” sound, is a factor of types of blades and speed of rotation. Wind turbine noise in decibels, however, has been found to be no louder than that experienced by traveling in a moving car and is often comparable to nighttime rural background noise. Other concerns involve flicker zones, where light may be reflected off the spinning blades, and pockets of electromagnetic interference that affect television and radio signals within proximity to turbines.

Public advocacy groups have raised concerns about the potential disruptions that wind farms may have on wildlife and overall aesthetics. Although wind generators have been blamed for injuring and killing birds, experts have shown that modern turbines have a small effect on bird populations. The National Audubon Society, a large environmental group based in the United States and focused on the conservation of birds and other wildlife, is strongly in favor of wind power, provided that wind farms are appropriately sited to minimize the impacts on migrating bird populations and important wildlife habitat. Notably, a much higher number of bats are reported to have been killed by wind turbines than birds. While the exact cause of those fatalities is unknown, the migration and mating behaviors of migratory tree bats are widely discussed and are currently being researched by biologists.