When we talk about renewable energy, we will normally relate it to the energy of the sun, or better known as solar energy. But, in addition to the sun, the wind is another source for generating renewable energy. Let’s explore how wind power works in generating power that can be used to replace non-renewable fossil fuel power.
Going back to basics, wind power is actually a form of solar power because wind is generated due to the heating effect of the sun. When the sun heats the earth’s surfaces at different rates over sand, water, stone, and various types of soil, these surfaces absorb and release heat at different rates, creating different temperatures. At a certain temperature, warmer air begins to rise from surfaces very quickly because it is lighter than the same volume of colder air. As a result, the warm air rises and lowers the atmospheric pressure near the earth’s surface, drawing in cool air to fill the space left by the warm air. This action causes the movement of air or is known as Wind.
According to physical theory, when air moves, it generates kinetic energy, a type of energy created by the movement of mass. With energy conversion technology, we can capture and convert kinetic energy into other forms of energy, such as electricity. Wind energy is a renewable energy that can be generated endlessly. It has become the future trend as one of the main sources of power generation other than solar energy. The world is putting a lot of effort into making wind power a long-term energy strategy for producing electricity, mainly because wind power generation is clean and, most importantly, renewable and environmentally friendly, a stark contrast to traditional power plants that rely on fossil fuels.
A wind power system consists of a wind turbine, which is made up of a tower, blades and a nacelle, a control gear system. The wind power generated by a wind turbine is largely determined by the length and design of the blades. The design of the blades creates a pressure difference in the wind, high pressure on one side and low pressure on the other side. The pressure difference between the sides of the blades rotates the blades. The rotation of the blades generates kinetic energy, and when converted to electrical energy, it is converted into electricity through a transformer.
With improved technology leading to better generation techniques, the cost of generating electricity from wind power has been greatly reduced, making it a viable renewable energy solution to be used as the primary source of electricity in the future. In fact, there are many home wind power system building guides available that provide guidance for people interested in implementing a home renewable energy system to make a home wind power system to generate electricity for home use. Renewable energy generated from wind has started to become an alternative energy source from today, and it will definitely be the main source for the future, replacing finite fossil fuels as the source of power generation.
Summary
Wind power works to generate electricity by converting the kinetic energy captured from the wind turbine into electrical energy through a transformer. Wind power is a clean and renewable energy that will become the long-term energy strategy for the world.
