Wind Energy Update

by Wyatt


Renewable energy sources are trendy – there is agreement on that…
But there is an assumed lack of knowledge. Big wind parks follow studies that imply heavy investments out of the range of most citizens. In addition, most citizens have no clue of what they can do and how. However, interest is growing and the number of private users of renewable energy sources is gaining significance.
Mick Sagrillo and Ian Woofenden developed a simple but complete “Wind Turbine Buyer’s Guide” to harvest this opportunity and provide buyers with some basic knowledge that is not always available in the market or easy to reach. The article discusses small wind system components, wind turbine basics, and understanding the ratings. It also shows photos of the small wind turbines and lists several specifications for each.

Wind is simple air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun. Since the earth’s surface is made of very different types of land and water, it absorbs the sun’s heat at different rates.
During the day, the air above the land heats up more quickly than the air over water. The warm air over the land expands and rises, and the heavier, cooler air rushes in to take its place, creating winds. At night, the winds are reversed because the air cools more rapidly over land than over water.
In the same way, the large atmospheric winds that circle the earth are created because the land near the earth's equator is heated more by the sun than the land near the North and South Poles.
Today, wind energy is mainly used to generate electricity. Wind is called a renewable energy source because the wind will blow as long as the sun shines.