Wind Turbines
Wind is produced from the uneven heating of the atmosphere and irregularities in
the earth’s surface. The air movement between these areas is what we refer to as
wind. Just as we can use flowing water to turn turbines, we can harness the
power of the wind with wind turbines to create electricity.
Wind turbines have been in use since the 1920s. Their earliest use was to
provide electricity in remote areas that didn’t have access to a large utility
company. Today there are fewer areas that are “off the grid” but wind power can
now be used to supplement traditional power sources.
Wind turbines can be used individually to provide power for a household, or they
can be used in arrays to provide electricity on a large scale. These arrays of
industrial sized turbines are called “wind farms” and are usually situated in
areas that receive consistent strong winds. Coastal areas, hilltops, and
mountain passes are common areas for wind farms.
Thanks to advances in wind turbine technology we are now able to use the wind as
an affordable alternative to fossil fuel for producing power. New technologies
make turbines more efficient and modern production techniques bring the cost of
turbines down.
When used as a supplement for residential electricity, wind turbines are
connected to the breaker box provided by the power company. The power produced
is available for immediate consumption, and if the wind turbine produces more
electricity than is needed the excess is fed back into the utility grid for a
credit on the homeowners power bill. This is called
net-metering and it depends on the
area you live in and the policy of your utility company if and on what
conditions it's available
For those interested in living “off the grid” wind power can be used in
conjunction with other alternative energy sources such as solar power. These two
methods of producing electricity complement each other – when the sun is strong,
the wind may be low, and the wind may be stronger on cloudy days.
Also, since solar power is not produced at night, a wind turbine can provide the
electricity at this time.
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