WHAT IS WIND ENERGY?
The wind is a clean, free, and readily available renewable energy source. Each day, around the world, wind turbines are capturing the wind’s power and converting it to electricity. Wind power generation plays an increasingly important role in the way we power our world – in a clean, sustainable manner.
What are the advantages of wind power?
But how is wind energy created? Wind turbines allow us to harness the power of the wind and turn it into energy. When the wind blows, the turbine's blades spin clockwise, capturing energy. This triggers the main shaft of the wind turbine, connected to a gearbox within the nacelle, to spin. The gearbox sends that wind energy to the generator, converting it to electricity. Electricity then travels to a transformer, where voltage levels are adjusted to match with the grid.
Wind power is one of the fastest-growing energy sources in the world because of its many advantages. Wind power also presents inherent challenges in some regions of the world, which are being addressed through research and development (R&D) projects around the globe. Wind power is cost-effective in many regions. In others, wind power needs to compete with other energy sources, but global R&D efforts are working on solutions to reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of both onshore and offshore wind power.
