The growing energy demand and the desire for a cleaner environment have led to significant investments in renewable energy sources such as wind turbines all over the world.
Fremont, CA: Wind turbines operate on a simple principle: instead of using electricity to generate wind, they use the wind to generate electricity. The wind turns a turbine's propeller-like blades around a rotor, which spins a generator that provides power. The wind is a type of solar energy that is produced by a combination of three events: the sun unevenly heating the atmosphere, imperfections on the earth's surface, and the earth's rotation.
Some of the applications of wind turbines:
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Land-based wind turbines
Wind turbines on the land range in size from 100 kilowatts to several megawatts. Larger and more cost-effective wind turbines are combined to build wind plants, which provide bulk power to the electrical grid.
Offshore wind turbines
Offshore wind turbines are often huge, towering over the Statue of Liberty. Because the big components can be delivered on ships rather than on highways, they do not have the same transportation issues as land-based wind systems. These turbines can capture strong ocean winds and produce massive amounts of energy.
Distributed wind turbines
Distributed wind refers to wind turbines of any size that are installed on the customer side of the electric meter or at or near the location where the energy they create will be used. Small wind turbines are commonly employed in scattered applications. Small wind turbines with a capacity of 100 kilowatts or less are commonly employed in residential, agricultural, small commercial, and industrial applications.
Small turbines can be combined with other distributed energy resources, such as diesel generators, batteries, and photovoltaics, to create hybrid energy systems. Hybrid wind systems are traditionally employed in distant, off-grid settings, although they are increasingly being used in grid-connected applications for resiliency.