As
air moves, giving rise to wind, it develops kinetic
energy like any other mass that gets into motion. With
the help of appropriate technology, this kinetic energy
of wind can be harnessed and converted to different
forms of energy that include mechanical and electrical
power. This is what is referred to as wind power.
Wind power is also a variation of solar power since it
is primarily caused due to the solar heat warming the
earth’s surface. As the rays of the sun hit the earth,
all the regions are heated up (unequally) that include
different parts of the terrain as well as the oceans.
When one particular region gets more heated than its
neighboring location, the air above it becomes lighter
and goes up, creating a temporary low pressure area
there. As a result, the surrounding cool air rushes in
to fill up the void. Known as Thermal, this is
how storm conditions are brewed and the wind develops
its power.
This
power of the wind was known to us since the earliest
days when we utilized it to propel sailing boats first
and then large seagoing sailing vessels that roamed
freely all over the oceans. In fact, veteran sailors
were so enamored of the wind’s driving power that some
seasonal winds were given colloquial names like the Trade Wind,
Continental Wind, Roaring Forties, etc. The great
explorer, Christopher Columbus was so sure of wind power that
he sailed confidentially for more than a month at a
stretch before his men could locate
land.
Wind
power was also utilized by our ancestors in the form of
windmills for grinding corn and drawing water. Instances
of such crude mechanical mills were abundant in
However,
wind power
was first utilized for generating electricity by Prof.
James Blyth of
The
scenario however, started changing sometime later when
The New York
Times ran an article entitled “Homespun Electricity,
From the Wind” in which the writer profiled several
success stories in praise of residential wind energy for
generation of electricity. It contained, among others,
accounts of how Rena Wilson and her husband had taken
advantage of the gusts of wind blowing through their
estate near
Today,
wind energy is labeled as a safe and clean energy and it
is utilized by many Americans to generate electricity
for home use while large wind parks have started
providing power to the national grid. It certainly seems
like wind
power is the future. Personal
wind power is great news because on the one hand it is
clean and good for the environment, and on the other, it
saves you on your power bills. But cheap wind power is
even better. It is the right move to install such a
system because of the tremendous advantages. But before
you can gain from cheap wind power, you need to know a
few things such as where
to buy cheap parts from, safety precautions, choosing
the best location and wiring the system.
