What is wind energy?

Wind on our planet is the movement of air caused by the unequal heating of large zones of Earth’s surface by the sun. What is wind energy? It is the ability of air movement to do work. Today, wind energy turbines are used mainly for production of electricity. It is a clean and renewable energy source that can produce enough electricity to power huge areas.

The simplest way to think about the process of producing electricity from the movement of air is to imagine that a wind turbine works in exactly the opposite way to a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, turbines use the wind to make electricity.

The generator is a machine that produces electrical energy from mechanical energy.

Wind energy turbines

Today’s wind turbines could be put into two main categories based on the direction of the axis. The most common type of wind turbines used today are the horizontal-axis wind turbines. Horizontal-axis wind turbines have turbine blades that look like airplane propellers, while vertical–axis wind turbines have blades that go from top to bottom. A small percentage of wind turbines used today are vertical-axis wind turbines but they are constantly increasing popularity as they are very suitable for small-scale installations..

Size and capacity of Wind Turbines

The size of wind turbine differs widely. Small turbines are used to provide power to a single home or business and the capacity of these small wind turbines are less than 100 kilowatts. Larger commercial sized wind turbines can have a capacity of 5 megawatts. These larger turbines are frequently grouped together into wind farms providing power to the electricity grid. Wind farm normally has dozens of wind turbines that are scattered over a large area. They are lined in a way that allows the utilization of the windflow.

History of wind energy

The wind energy was the natural power that allowed the humans to exploit the surface of the planet. Sails of the ships were the wind-catchers used for transportation of men and goods over a large water areas. The windmill blades converted the wind power into physical for different purposes. One of the first electricity generating systems was constructed of 144 blades made out of cedarwood. It functioned for 20 years and charged the batteries in the basement of its inventor. During WWII, a Danish company began manufacturing bi and tri-blade aerogenerators and in the 50´s, the first alternating current turbines were developed. The first oil crisis generated a real interest in wind energy.

Large Wind Turbine Manufacturers

Small and Vertical axes wind generators

Renewable solar energy

The Sun produces a lot of light every second and it has been doing that for billions of years. Energy from the sun is called solar energy. Renewable solar energy is a resource that is inexhaustible and readily available, unlike fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. It is a clean energy source that can be used pollution free and allows for local energy independence.

People have used this power for thousands of years. Houses have windows so that sunlight can get inside and provide heat and light. The sun’s energy can also be used to heat water and even food. If you own a magnifying glass, your parents have probably warned you about leaving it in the sun. Solar energy can actually make the magnifying glass burn objects underneath it, causing a fire. This type of energy from the sun in the form of heat is called solar thermal energy. We can also turn the sun’s light into electricity. This is done with solar panels. Solar panels are made up of a material called silicon. The silicon is heated and formed into very thin wafers. When the sunlight hits the solar panel, the electrons (tiny particles) in the silicon move and flow through wires built into the panel.

Types of solar energy

Solar power is used a number of different ways, of course. There are two very basic kinds by the type of energy it is converted into:

– Solar thermal energy collects the sun’s warmth through one of two means: in water or in an anti-freeze (glycol) mixture.

– Photovoltaic solar power – converting solar energy into electricity using photovoltaic cells.

Solar equipment manufacturers – PV modules

Solar heaters manufacturers

Inverters and related products manufacturers

History of solar power

The Romans took their knowledge of the sun being a source of energy as they were the first people to use glass windows to trap the warmth of the sun in their homes. They were so serious about the preservation of this solar energy that they erected glass houses to create the right conditions to grow plants and seeds.

While many people were benefiting from solar power it wasn’t until 1776 that the first solar collector was built. This collector was built by a man named Horace de Saussare. His collector was cone shaped and would boil ammonia that would then perform like refrigeration and locomotion. This first solar power collector attracted much interest in the scientific community through the 19th century.