Wind Power Generators - Low cost energy from mother nature. Why we should implement it as part of our alternative energy strategy

Wind powered generators are one of the oldest forms of renewable power sources on the planet. Wind powered generators are used to create energy by converting the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy, which is then either tapped directly (in the case of windmills, for example, which were used to transform corn into flour, or to pump water for farming) or coupled directly to a generator that generates a DC electrical output that can be used in a more general sense. In this article I will be discussing the type of wind generators that output electric power, as this is more useful to us in our daily lives.

Wind turbines are basically large windmills, with large blades that spin as a result of the wind and generate energy from the conversion of the winds power. Wind turbines are constructed of plastic, copper, steel and numerous other space age materials.

Wind turbines can have several negative impacts on the environment. They are obviously very visible, and quite unsightly since they must be put in proximity to windy, open terrain to be economical - recent attempts to locate them off the coast have been met with incredible success. They require a lot of energy in their production, energy which is fossil-based, and therefore it takes considerable time before they are net-negative in terms of total carbon emissions - this period can be anywhere from 4 to six years. Turbines are associated with the mauling of birds that can be killed as they pass through the turbine blades during transitory passages although this issue is heavily debated.

With all of the downsides aside, wind turbines should be a choice when talking about a broad plan for renewable energy, in those areas that are well suited to them. Once up and running, wind turbines are very efficient in a larger sense - they generate energy from a natural, eco-friendly renewable resource, without the social or environmental impacts that we incur with the consumption of fossil fuels - there is no need to mine for the fuel or to transport it - there are no greenhouse byproducts generated, and no need to store, process, or to deal with toxic wastes.

At the low side of the scale, turbines can be as small as 4 feet in diameter and might be capable of only a few hundred watts. On the large end of the spectrum, turbines can be as huge as 200 feet in diameter and are capable of generating 3 to 5 megawatts of power.

Similar to photovoltaic solar energy generation, there may well be rebates available for construction, and excess power can be sold back to the power company.

Wind velocity is impacted by topography and increases with height above the ground, so wind turbines are usually installed on tall towers. For a typical installation, the wind turbine sits atop a tall tower and generates low voltage direct current that is used to charge batteries - this stored electricity is harnessed by passing it through an inverter which changes the low voltage DC power into utility voltage alternating current power for use in household applications. By positioning a lot of turbines into wind farms a vast amount of electricity can be stored and harnessed, perhaps for a whole city or town.

Due to the fact that the wind does not blow all the time in most areas, wind turbines are used as adjuncts in hybrid configurations with many different technologies like photovoltaic panels, and diesel generators to provide a constant source of energy.

Contrary to coal power stations, wind generators are clean and green - they do not create the CO2 emissions that are causing global warming or the SO2 emissions that cause acid rain.

Modern day wind turbines are divided into 2 categories, namely horizontal turbines and vertica turbines. Todays horizontal axis wind turbines are actually far superior at capturing the wind than vertical axis machines given the same amount of swept blade area (i.e. the size of the circle traced by the tip of the blades).

Peter is a contributing copywriter to Fuzing.com. This article is brought to you via trade leads from the Wind Turbines area of our Business to Business Website.

Please Rate this Article...                  5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5  Not yet Rated

More Articles From - Home | Business | Ethics

• Kinds of Company Thefts and How to Avoid Them - By : Lissane Villadsen
  
• Rewards for “Good” Business Ethics - By : Deniel Gregg
  
• Good Growth and Good Profit - By : Oswald J. Eppers
  
• Characteristics of Home Working - Home Business Scams - By : Andrew Davies
  
• Guard Against Securities Fraud - By : Patricia Woloch
  
• Care About Your Customer's Needs - By : Lynne Saarte
  
• Take office cleaning seriously with Sloane Cleaning - By : David Tymon
  
• Defective Products Can Cause Serious Injury - By : Patricia Woloch
  
• Working less and earning more is the mantra of bigplanners - By : Gagan Kainth
  
• The Importance of Recognition in Business - By : Bruce Munro