Wind energy is energy extracted from the kinetic energy of the wind through the rotation of wind turbines to produce electrical energy, and it is considered a type of electromechanical energy. Wind energy is a type of renewable energy that has been widely used as an alternative to fossil fuels. It is abundant and renewable energy, but its availability varies from one location to another.
It is clean, renewable energy that does not produce emissions such as greenhouse gases (greenhouse gases) during operation, and it requires varying areas depending on the size of the station and the type of towers used.
It is not recommended to place wind turbines in urban areas due to the presence of obstacles that prevent good wind speeds, but they are feasible in rural areas due to the large spaces and small buildings. Its impact on the environment is usually less problematic than other energy sources. Despite its abundant production in areas with high wind speeds, one of its drawbacks on the utility scale is that its peak production does not usually coincide with peak consumption, which does not contribute to reducing the burden on traditional electricity production plants during peak consumption.
As for homes, their biggest drawback is that the production from wind turbines is not sustainable, and to avoid this, the production can be benefited by connecting them directly to the public electricity grid or installing batteries to store that energy and benefit from it throughout the day.
Usually, in off-grid electrical systems on a household scale, wind energy is not used alone without the presence of other sources of renewable energy, such as photovoltaic energy, for example, so that both support each other and increase the reliability of electricity production.
Large wind farms consist of hundreds of individual wind turbines connected to a grid to transmit electrical energy. Onshore wind energy is an inexpensive and competitive resource; It is cheaper than coal, gas or fossil fuel plants.
As for offshore winds, they are more stable and stronger than onshore winds, but offshore wind farms have higher construction and maintenance costs than regular farms. Small onshore wind farms can provide electricity to isolated locations outside the electrical grid.
According to 2013 statistics, Denmark is the country that most uses wind energy in the world, as it generates more than a third of its electricity needs from wind. Also, 83 countries around the world use wind energy to enhance their electricity grids.
Wind power capacity expanded rapidly to 336 GW in June 2014, so wind power production accounted for about 4% of the total electricity consumption worldwide, and this proportion is constantly increasing.
Historical overview
The first windmill used to produce electricity was built in Scotland in July 1887 by Professor James Blyth of Anderson College in Glasgow. He installed the turbine at a height of 10 meters in the garden of his holiday home in Marykerke, and used it to charge batteries developed by Frenchman Camille Alphonse Faure, to power the lighting in the hut, making it the first house in the world to be lit with electricity supplied by wind power.
Blythe offered surplus electricity to the residents of Marykirk to light the main street, but they rejected the offer because they believed that electricity was "the work of the devil." Although wind turbines were later built to provide emergency power in local asylum situations and to serve clinics and dispensaries; However, his invention did not work widely, especially since it was economically expensive.
In Cleveland, Ohio, USA, a much larger machine was designed, engineered and built in the winter of 1887-1888 by Charles Brush, who was built by his home engineering firm and operated between 1886 and 1900.
The rotating wind turbine was 17 meters (56 ft) in diameter and mounted on a tower 18 meters (60 ft) high. Although large by today's standards, it only produced 12 kilowatts. An associated dynamo was used either to direct power to batteries or to operate up to 100 incandescent lamps, three arc lamps, and various engines in Charles Brush's laboratory.
With the development of electric power, wind energy has found new applications in lighting buildings far from central power plants. Throughout the 20th century small wind farms developed parallel paths suitable for farms or residences, and wind generators that became more useful could be connected to electricity grids for remote use.
Wind generators today operate in several forms, from small-sized stations to charge batteries in isolated residences, to the first stations that produce gigawatts, such as offshore wind farms that provide electricity to local electricity networks.
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in one location used to produce electricity. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines distributed over an extended area, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other purposes. Almost all large wind turbines have the same design: the wind turbine has a horizontal rotating axis with three blades oriented against the direction of the wind, attached to a motor frame atop a long tubular tower.
Offshore wind energy
Offshore wind energy refers to the construction of wind farms in the middle of large bodies of water to generate electricity. These facilities can take advantage of the more frequent winds and stronger winds that are available in these locations. Despite its benefits, it incurs high costs in construction and maintenance.