Global Wind Day is celebrated all over the world and it is marked as a day of discovering the possibilities of wind power and the prospectsmarna it holds to reshape energy systems.
In more than 75 countries around the world, wind farms are in operation, generating energy from a clean and renewable source.
Wind energy harnesses the kinetic energy of moving air by using large wind turbines located on land (onshore) or in sea- or freshwater (offshore). Wind energy has been used for millennia, but onshore and offshore wind energy technologies have evolved over the last few years to maximise the electricity produced, with taller turbines and larger rotor diameters.
Though average wind speeds vary considerably by location, the world’s technical potential for wind energy exceeds global electricity production, and ample potential exists in most regions of the world to enable significant wind energy deployment.
Many parts of the world have strong wind speeds, but the best locations for generating wind power are sometimes remote ones. Offshore wind power offers tremendous potential.
For thousands of years people have used windmills and the energy derived from wind to pump water and to grind corn. After a breakthrough by scientists, wind can now also be used to generate electricity. Wind energy, like solar energy, is a free renewable energy source and will never run out.
The amount of energy that can be extracted from the wind depends on its speed. The higher the wind speed, the more energy can be harnessed to generate electricity on a large scale.
Wind energy offers many advantages, which explains why it's one of the fastest growing energy sources in the world. Research efforts are aimed at addressing the challenges to greater use of wind energy.
Advantages of wind energy
Wind energy is cost effective
Land-based utility scale wind is one of the lowest priced energy sources available.
Wind is a clean fuel source
Wind energy does not pollute the air like power plants that rely on combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, which emit particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide, causing human health problems and economic damages. Wind turbines don't produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain, smog, or greenhouse gases.
Wind energy is sustainable
Wind is a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by the heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the rotation of the earth, and the earth's surface irregularities. For as long as the sun shines and the wind blows, the energy produced can be harnessed to send power across the grid.
Wind turbines can be built on existing farms
This benefits the economy in rural areas, where most of the best wind sites are found. Farmers can continue to work on the land because the wind turbines use only a fraction of the land. Wind energy plant owners make rent payments to the farmer for the use of the land, providing landowners with additional income.
With the threat of global warming, it's more important than ever to make optimal use of energy sources like wind.
