14 Interesting Wind Energy Facts

Wind Energy Facts

Wind energy is one of the most prominent alternative energy sources available out there in the world. A considerable percentage of people are relying on wind energy. Here are some useful and interesting facts about wind energy. Some of these facts would change the perception that you had on wind energy as well.

1. Wind energy is widely harnessed through wind turbines. These wind turbines are massive structures, which are built as high as 20 storied buildings. In a typical wind turbine, you can find three blades. Each blade is around 60m long.

These blades are designed to spin by the wind. Then the motion will be transferred to a generator, which can produce electricity.

2. Wind energy can be considered as an underutilised source of energy. Therefore, it can provide a massive potential for the future. People are aware of this fact as well and they are engaged in the process of manufacturing more and more wind turbines.

According to a recent experiment, it was also identified that the total number of wind turbines that exist out there in the world increased by around 25% during the past decades. But still, wind energy only contributes to a small percentage of energy demand in the world.

3. People have been using windmills for thousands of years. In fact, the very first windmills out there in the world were developed in China and Persia, during 2000 BC. Back in the day, the mariners were able to sail using the power of wind.

Likewise, the farmers used wind energy in order to pump water. In today’s world, wind energy is widely being used to produce electricity.

4. Wind power is made by transforming wind energy into electricity. Several methods are available to harness it. The windmills play a major role.

5. It is possible to go ahead and construct wind farms in offshore locations. In fact, the winds are stronger and steadier on the offshore locations. However, the infrastructure setup can be expensive. But still, it is possible to get positive results out of the initiative.

6. In today’s world, wind energy can be considered as the fastest growing electricity production method that is available out there in the world. Back in the year 2012, around $25 billion was invested on the production of wind energy.

The wind turbines that you can find out there in the world are efficient as well. In fact, they are in a position to produce 15 times more electricity when compared to the wind turbines that existed in 1990.

7. The overall wind energy generation industry is going through leaps and bounds. Back in the year 2012, around 70,000 mega watts of wind energy was generated out there in the world. A single mega watt is enough to power up around 250 homes. The biggest wind energy production facilities were installed in Spain and Germany.

China and United States are catching up as well. As of now, it is possible for us to see a sustainable growth in the production of energy through wind turbines. If this continues, we will be able to see how the wind energy caters to 1/3^rd of the energy requirements of the world by 2050.

8. People have been criticising wind turbines for several reasons. Most of them say that the wind turbines are in a position to create noise and disturb the surrounding residents.

On the other hand, the wind turbine fans, which move slowly are in a position to cause harm to the bird populations and harm the bats. Some people also debate on the variable nature that is associated with the wind energy.

9. Wind energy can be considered as one of the cleanest sources of energy. That’s because wind energy causes minimal pollution to the world. The operational expenses that are linked with producing energy out of wind is minimal as well. The advances in technology has further contributed towards the cleanliness of wind energy.

On the other hand, mass production of wind turbines and wind mills have improved the efficiency. It has been identified that many farms around the country are now making a rental income through the wind farms.

10. Wind turbines can be found in every corner of the world. When you take a look at United States, you will notice that wind turbines are installed in 38 different states. These wind turbines are grouped together to create wind farms. They are currently operating with the utility grade installations.

11. High installation cost can be considered as the biggest drawback associated with wind energy. It will take a considerable amount of time to receive the return out of the investment. On the other hand, the changes in wind speed can also be considered as one of the biggest challenges that we will have to face with the production of energy out of wind.

That’s the main reason why the wind energy production is not recommended in most of the areas.

12. In some of the countries, wind energy is being produced in mass scale. If you take a look at the countries such as Portugal and Denmark, you will notice that over 20% of the total energy production is done through wind energy.

13. It is possible to go ahead and install wind turbines on floating surfaces as well. Therefore, it is possible to find wind turbines being installed on the ships. These wind turbines generate electricity and carry that to the land through undersea cables.

14. Wind energy is identified as one of the best alternatives for fossil fuels. Many countries are in a mission to reduce the usage of fossil fuels. They are heavily investing on wind turbine installation as well.

Now you have a clear understanding about some interesting facts on wind energy. With that in mind, you can also make the switch to the production of wind energy.