With the cost of fuel nowadays, there is much talk about alternative energy. One such alternative energy source is wind power, the promise of which when harnessed in bulk, as on wind farms, is being looked into. Wind has the advantage of being a really clean and limitless source of energy. Solar energy is the genuine source of wind power, because wind is caused by variations in ground temperature and the ground is heated by the sun. Harnessing the wind thus creates electricity.

Numerous countries are now using wind farms as a way to fully use what power can be generated by the wind. Similar to the propellers on an airplane, the blades of wind turbines, set up in large numbers in one location, are used to capture the power of the wind. These farms are able to create electricity in great amounts, when the wind turbines work together. Being familiar with how the wind farms work will demonstrate to you how efficient they might be. The manner in which wind turbines function is, the propeller turns a shaft as the gusts of wind turn the propeller blades. The shaft that is turning is connected to a power source, which is cranked by the spinning action, producing electricity. Hydropower is just the same, except for utilizing water instead of wind as the source of energy.

One turbine by itself will not make energy for more than a home or farm, so it takes more than one to produce energy for a large area. When there is a big grouping of wind turbines, such as a wind farm, working in concert, much electricity can be produced. Whole residential areas can be run by the energy that is stored in battery-like storage cells, or existing utility grids. Modern-day wind turbines are much more efficient than the earlier ones, because they can face the wind, face away from the wind, or even catch gusts from different angles.

The efficiency is enhanced too when the turbines are taller, or if they have larger blades. As there are a number of factors that need to be analyzed, it is difficult to determine the exact efficiency of wind turbines. There is no constant, when it concerns wind farms, as they vary so much in terrain, size of turbines, and the amount of wind. In general, the amount one turbine will convert the energy in wind to electrical energy is about 20 percent. When the wind is blowing between 5 and 20 mph, that is when the output is the most efficient.

Wind power with an efficiency rating of 20{9d1f0b33d0dfecc7a532185a91e80dc02994fcd6e1d2f71ba6b569dea4e7d0d7} is higher than solar by five to seven percent, but solar is much more constant than wind. Wind technology is advancing, and in comparison with other renewable sources, it is favorable. It is becoming a crucial alternative energy source, but it might take a while for the whole world to jump on board. One nation that’s investing a lot is Germany.