Wind, as the primary energy source, costs nothing and can be used decentrally. There is no need for an extensive infrastructure such as that required for a power supply network or for the supply of oil or natural gas.

Wind Energy History. Around the year 700 AD, in what is Afghanistan today, the first wind machines rotating around a vertical axis were employed to grind grain. In the 14th century, the Dutch improved on the design that had spread throughout the Middle East and continued to use it for its primary purpose of pumping water in their land recovery quest. They did also major improvement on the techniques of grinding grain from their rich harvests. .....more.

ENERGY IN THE WIND. Wind energy is a form of solar energy produced by uneven heating of the Earth’s surface. The sun radiates 100,000,000,000,000 kilowatt hours of energy to the earth per hour.  In other words, the earth receives 10 to the 17th power of watts of power. About 1 to 2 per cent of the energy coming from the sun is converted  into wind energy. That is about 50 to 100 times more than the energy converted into biomass by all plants on earth. .....more.

TECHNOLOGY. Wind turbines are moved by the wind and convert this kinetic energy directly into electricity by spinning a generator. Usually they use blades like the wing of an plane to turn a central hub which is connected through a series of gears (transmission) to an electrical generator. The variety of machines that has been devised or proposed to harness wind energy is considerable and includes many unusual devices. .....more.

LARGE TURBINES. The development of wind turbines started with small units for small applications, but as the turbines grew in size, they became less and less attractive as a source of electricity for individual or household consumption. Because the additional expense is not an economically viable venture in the case of individual units, there has been an increasing tendency to install several plants in consolidated areas known as windfarms. The output of several turbines is combined and sold under contract to the utility company. .....more.

SMALL TURBINES. Small wind energy systems can be used in connection with an electricity transmission and distribution system (called grid-connected systems), or in stand-alone applications that are not connected to the utility grid. A grid-connected wind turbine can reduce consumption of utility-supplied electricity for lighting, appliances, and electric heat. When the wind system produces more electricity than the household requires, the excess can be sold to the utility. .....more.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. In many parts of the world, there are such a dearth of electricity generation that the public welcomes wind turbines with open arms. Where there are alternative choices, however, environmental impact is of major significance for development. Note that impacts may be judged as either beneficial or harmful. The impacts of wind turbines and the factors influencing these are: .....more.

GUIDELINES. Wind turbines have to compete with many other energy sources. It is therefore important that they be cost effective. They need to meet any load requirements and produce energy at a minimum cost . When you have decided that it is time to consider buying and installing a wind turbine you have to examine first two things: how much energy you require, and what is the average wind speed at the height of the wind turbine. .....more.

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