Natural wind
power is the
conversion of energy of the wind
into some useful form of energy. For example, using wind turbines to drive
machines or to make electricity. Wind was often used for windmills (mechanical
power), wind pumps, for drainage or water pumping (or sails to
propel sea ships).
The overall amount of economically extractable available wind power is
considerably more than present the power humanity uses from all sources.
At the end of 2011, worldwide wind nameplate
capacity of all wind-powered generators was about 240-250 gigawatts (GW),
growing by 42-43 GW over the preceding year.
Natural
wind power (in 2010) had
the capacity to generate 435 TWh annually. It’s about 2.5 percent of worldwide
usage of electricity.
Just over the past five years (2010
data) the annual average growth in all new installations has reached 28 %. Natural wind power market penetration was
expected to reach 3.35 % by 2013 and 8 % - by 2018.
Several countries have already
achieved rather high levels of useful
wind power penetration. So:
1) 21 percent of stationary
electricity production reached in Denmark;
2) 9% in Germany;
3) 18 percent - in Portugal;
4) 16% - in Spain;
5) 14% in Ireland (in 2010th).
As of 2011, 83 countries in the
world were using eco wind power on a commercial basis.
A big wind farm may consist of several hundred wind turbines. They
are connected to the electrical power
grid.
Offshore wind power also can harness much better wind speeds. So offshore wind power’s
contribution in terms of electricity generation is much higher.
Small onshore wind facilities are
often used to provide electricity for isolated locations. So utility companies
increasingly buy back this surplus electricity, which is produced by small
domestic wind turbines. Although a variable power source, the intermittency of wind seldom creates problems
when using natural wind power to
supply up to 20 percent of overall
total electricity demand, but as the proportion rises, increased costs,
a need to use storage such as pumped-storage hydroelectricity, upgrade the
electrical grid, or a lowered ability to supplant conventional production may
occur.
Power management techniques such as
excess capacity, storage, dispatchable backing supply (which is usually natural
gas), importing and exporting
power to neighboring areas or reducing demand when wind production is low, can strongly
mitigate these problems.
Useful wind power, as good alternative to fossil
fuels, is renewable, plentiful, clean, widely distributed.
It produces no greenhouse gases during
operation. Also wind power uses little land.
In operation, the total overall cost per unit of energy
produced is very similar to the
cost for new natural gas or coal
installations.
The construction of large wind farms isn't widely welcomed. But any effects
on the environment from the use of wind
power are generally much less problematic than those of any other source of power.
Humans have been using wind power energy for at least 6000
years (often - to propel sailboats and sailing ships).
Windmills were used for irrigation
water pumping and for milling grain. These applications of wind power were in
wide use since the 7th century AD in what's
now India, Afghanistan,
Pakistan and Iran.
In the US, the development of the
"water-pumping windmill" was the major factor in allowing the farming
and ranching of vast areas otherwise devoid of readily accessible water.
Wind pumps contributed to the expansion of
rail transport systems throughout the whole world, by pumping water for the
steam locomotives from water wells. The simple multi-bladed wind turbine atop a
lattice tower made of steel or wood was, for many decades, a fixture of the
landscape throughout rural areas of America. When fitted with battery
banks and generators, even small wind machines provided nice amount of electricity
for isolated farms.
And, traditionally, nice video:
