Wind Turbine Power - Where To Find and How To Use It

Contemporary wind power industry, along with the help of wind turbines, started in 1979 when Danish manufacturers Nordtank, Kuriant, Bonus, Vestas and a few others began producing turbines for harnessing wind power that generated electricity. Though their initial rated capacity was as low as 20 to 30 kW each at the beginning, it did not take them long to reach much higher capacities within the next couple of years. Besides, other countries also went into the business with wind; as a result of which the global wind turbine power has touched 73,904 MW today. By 2007, the countries that had boasted of fairly high installed capacity included Germany, the United States, Spain, India and of course, China and by 2010, this figure is expected (globally) to reach 160 GW (according to the World Wind Energy Association). Mind you, the achievements are primarily linked to wind turbine power alone.

Interestingly enough, though Germany had originally led the way to wind turbine power generated electricity, it had apparent lost interest in it during later years, while the United States that had first experimented with this alternate source of electricity in California in a small way has now plunged headlong into it. US wind power capacity had grown by almost 45% by 2007 reaching 16.8 GW. Surpassing California by leaps and bounds, Texas has become the largest wind turbine power producing state in the country which is still growing everyday. Even Minnesota and Iowa are likely to produce 1GW each at an early date. As a matter of fact, the US Department of Energy is so confident about the fast progress of the country in the sphere of wind turbine power based electricity that it has already predicted that wind harvested in Kansas, N.Dakota and Texas along with power generated by offshore wind farms will soon power the entire nation.

As for wind turbine power generated electricity in Europe, Denmark surely is leading the way (fifth in the world in total power generation). So much so, that the Danes are positive about producing half the country’s power by wind alone very soon. They are also considered as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of wind turbines.

Wind turbine power has also touched the heart of many Indians, India being ranked as 4^th world wind power generated electricity producer. An additional fillip has come in the form of encouragements from recently held World Wind Energy Conference in New Delhi on the issue. Wind Farms using world famous Danish wind turbines that include Vestas, Micon and a few others, a village in the Tamil Nadu state in southern India is already harnessing wind power successfully while newer farms are scheduled to be set up there soon.

Since almost every country has now appreciated the need for clean renewable energy for the production of electricity, they are all attempting to utilize wind turbine power for harnessing the same. The La Venta II Wind Power Project recently inaugurated in Mexico is undoubtedly the country’s first effort in reducing dependence on fossil fuel generated electricity. Starting with a mere 88 MW targeted capacity, the power project will eventually be rated to 3500 MW by 2012. 

Nor is Brazil lacking behind in utilizing wind turbine power generated electricity in the country. The Federal Brazilian Government has recently declared an incentive scheme called the Proinfa to create production capacity targeted at 3300 MW for renewable energy for 2008-09 of which 1422 MW has been earmarked for wind energy.

The Peoples Republic of China is going to build a 1000 MW wind farm in Hebei, scheduled to be completed by 2020, adding that local wind power could generate up to 253,000 MW of wind electricity.

Reviewing the world scenario that is fast losing dependence on fossil fuel generated electricity and changing over to renewable energy sources which includes wind turbine power for the same purpose, it may be rightly predicted that in the not too distant foreseeable future, humanity can once again, be able to breath free air that had been its birth right. And all this can be accounted to our ability to leverage the power of the wind to make clear eco-friendly electricity. Wind turbine power will surely show us the way.