Wind power

Wind power is the use of wind to do useful work, mostly to make electricity. In the past, people used wind with sails, windmills, and windpumps. Today, we mainly use wind turbines. These turbines are often grouped together in places called wind farms and connected to the electricity grid.

Wind power is a clean and renewable energy source. It does not harm the environment like burning fossil fuels does. However, wind does not blow all the time, so wind power sometimes needs help from energy storage or other power sources to make sure we always have electricity. Wind farms on land can change the look of the landscape, but offshore wind farms, which are built out at sea, have less impact on what we see and can produce more power, even though they cost more.

Wind power is also one of the cheapest ways to make electricity. In many places, building new wind farms is cheaper than building new coal or gas plants. Areas far from the equator, in both the north and south, have the most wind, making them great for wind power. Wind power often works best at night and in winter, when solar power does not work well. Using both wind and solar power together is a good idea for many countries.

Wind energy resources

Wind is the movement of air in the Earth's atmosphere. The power from wind comes from how fast the air moves. The faster the wind blows, the more energy it can give us. If the wind speed doubles, the power it can give increases eight times!

The world has a lot of wind energy. Scientists have found that there is more than enough wind energy to give us all the power we need. Experts study wind patterns and use special tools to predict how much energy wind turbines can make in different places. This helps us choose the best spots for building wind farms.

Wind farms

Main articles: Wind farm and List of onshore wind farms

A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in one place. Big wind farms can have hundreds of turbines spread out over a large area. The land between the turbines can still be used for farming or other things. Wind farms can also be built out at sea. Most big wind turbines look the same — they have three blades on a tall tower.

In a wind farm, the turbines are connected with wires and systems. These help send the electricity. The electricity is made stronger at a special building so it can travel far to where people need it.

Main articles: Offshore wind power and List of offshore wind farms

Offshore wind farms are built in large bodies of water, usually the sea. They can use stronger and more regular winds and do not change the look of the land as much. But building and fixing them costs more money.

As of November 2021, the Hornsea Wind Farm in the United Kingdom is the largest offshore wind farm in the world at 1,218 MW.

Wind power capacity and production

In 2024, wind made more than 2,494 TWh of electricity, which was 8.1% of the world's electricity.

Renewable energy, like solar photovoltaic and wind power, is growing and adding more power. To help limit climate change, experts say wind power needs to grow faster than it is now — by over 1% of electricity each year. But this growth is slowed by fossil fuel subsidies.

The amount of electricity wind can make depends on the nameplate capacity and the capacity factor, which changes with the equipment and place. These factors usually range from 35% to 44%.

Wind energy's share of the world's electricity in 2021 was almost 7%, up from 3.5% in 2015. How much wind power can be used depends on the existing power plants, pricing, storage ability, and other things. Studies show that up to 20% of a place's electricity can come from wind with little trouble. This works best when wind farms are spread out, there is some flexible power like hydropower, and the grid is big enough to share power when needed.

Wind power can change a lot, especially when there is little wind. But power grids already handle changes in demand and plant outages. Balancing wind power with other sources, storage, and smart demand can help keep the power grid stable.

Wind power can change a lot in just a few hours, days, or seasons. Because electricity supply and demand must match exactly, adding lots of wind power can be tricky. Ways to help include better forecasting, storing energy, and linking grids across far distances.

Solar power and wind power often balance each other out. Solar is strongest when it’s sunny and calm, while wind is often stronger when it’s cloudy and stormy. Wind and solar together can make a more steady power supply.

For any wind farm, there is an 80% chance that power output will change less than 10% in an hour, and a 40% chance it will change 10% or more in 5 hours. When many turbines are spread over large areas, their average output becomes more steady and easier to predict. Weather forecasting helps power grids get ready for these changes.

Main article: Grid energy storage

See also: List of energy storage projects

When wind is strong, nearby hydroelectric dams can hold back water and later release it to make up for low wind. Where there are no dams, other storage methods like pumped-storage hydroelectricity or compressed air energy storage can save wind energy for later use. This stored energy can be used during busy times, making wind power more valuable.

The time it takes for a wind farm to pay back the energy used to build it is usually about a year.

Economics

Wind power from land is a cheap way to make electricity. It costs less than using coal or new gas plants. In some parts of Europe and the United States, wind power became as cheap as regular power in the mid-2000s. Prices keep going down, making wind power even more affordable.

Some places, like parts of Europe, Canada, the northern United States, and Patagonia in Argentina, are great for wind power. In other areas, solar power or a mix of wind and solar might be cheaper.

Wind power needs a lot of money to build, but it doesn’t need to buy fuel, unlike coal or gas. This makes the price of wind power more stable. The cost includes building turbines and power lines, and it can take more than 20 years to see all the benefits.

Having wind power helps save money for people who use electricity. It can lower prices and reduce the need for expensive power plants that only work when there is very high demand.

As technology improves, wind turbines get better and cheaper to build and maintain.

Wind power can also help businesses show they care about the environment. Companies sometimes pay extra for wind power to support new wind farms. This helps create jobs and brings money to rural areas where the turbines are built.

Small-scale wind power

Main article: Small wind turbine

Further information: Microgeneration

Small-scale wind power uses wind to make electricity, up to 50,000 watts. These systems help places far from power lines, like remote villages, that usually use diesel generators. People can also buy them to save money or cut down on pollution.

In cities like New York City, some buildings have wind turbines on their roofs. They don’t make a lot of energy, but they show the buildings are trying to be more eco-friendly. Some of these projects get help from local energy authorities.

Homes connected to power lines can store extra energy in batteries or sell it back to the electricity company. People living off the grid can use batteries, solar panels, or diesel systems to keep the power on. Small wind turbines can also power things like parking meters, traffic signs, street lights, or even wireless internet, sometimes with solar panels. In areas with big storms like hurricanes, special wind turbines that can be taken down easily, such as kite-shaped ones, can be used.

Impact on environment and landscape

Wind power makes electricity without dirtying the air, which helps our planet. But, building wind farms can change how natural places look and might affect animals and their homes. We need to think carefully about using wind energy while also taking care of nature.

Politics

Central government

Wind turbines with fixed bases are a common technology, and new ones usually don’t need extra money from the government. However, floating wind turbines are newer, and some governments help them with money so they can be used in deeper waters.

Some governments still give money to fossil fuels, which slows down the growth of cleaner energy like wind.

Getting permission to build wind farms can take a long time, and some governments are working to make this faster. The wind industry says this will help fight climate change and make energy more secure. Sometimes, groups like fishers don’t want wind farms, but governments say they will still protect nature.

Public opinion

Surveys in Europe and many other countries show that most people support wind power. However, some people don’t want wind turbines near them because they worry about stress or other problems.

Even though many people like wind power, some are worried about how it looks, makes noise, or affects tourism, especially in special areas.

In some places, people own parts of wind farms. For example, many people in Germany have invested in smaller wind farms.

A poll in 2010 showed strong support for wind power in Germany, other European countries, and the United States.

Support for wind power in the United States went down from 75% in 2020 to 62% in 2021. The Democratic Party supports wind energy more than the Republican Party. President Biden signed an order to start building large wind farms.

In China, some city people don’t want wind turbines in cities because they are afraid of radiation, even though this isn’t true. Like people in other countries, Chinese people also care about cost and protecting wildlife. Telling people more about wind turbines can help reduce these worries.

Community

See also: Community debate about wind farms

Many wind power companies talk with local communities to address concerns about the environment and other issues. Sometimes, people in the community even own parts of wind farm projects. Good planning and approval processes help protect the environment. Even though some people still object to wind farms, many believe the benefits of clean energy and healthier air are important.

In the US, wind power projects help local taxes, which supports schools, roads, and hospitals. They also help rural areas by giving steady income to farmers and landowners.

In the UK, groups like the National Trust and the Campaign to Protect Rural England have worries about where wind turbines are placed and how they look in the countryside.

Some wind farms become places to visit. The Whitelee Wind Farm Visitor Centre in Glasgow has an exhibition room, a learning area, a café with a viewing deck, and a shop. It is run by the Glasgow Science Centre.

In Denmark, people can ask for money if a wind turbine lowers the value of their home by at least 1%.

Even though many people support wind power, some still object to it locally. They worry about how it looks, noise, and whether it lowers home values. A study of home sales near wind turbines didn’t show that prices went down.

While some people like how wind farms look and what they mean for energy independence, others form groups to stop wind farms for different reasons.

Some opposition to wind farms is thought to be just because people don’t want it near them, but studies show this isn’t always the case.

Geopolitics

Wind energy can’t be turned off like oil and gas, so it helps make energy more secure.

Turbine design

Main articles: Wind turbine and Wind turbine design

See also: Wind-turbine aerodynamics

Wind turbines are machines that change wind into electricity. Over time, people have made windmills better, and now we build wind turbines in many sizes. Small ones can help power a home or charge batteries, and the extra power goes back to the electricity grid. Very large groups of turbines, called wind farms, give clean energy to many countries, helping them use less fossil fuels.

Designing a wind turbine means choosing how it will catch the wind, spin, and turn that spin into electricity. A turbine needs parts to catch the wind, point in the right direction, spin, and change that spin into power. In 1919, a scientist named Albert Betz found that no machine can catch more than about 59% of the wind’s energy. Today’s turbines come close to this limit. Making turbine blades work well is hard because the wind changes when it hits the blades, which can affect other turbines nearby. Designers must also think about the whole system, including the tower, generator, and controls.

History

Main article: History of wind power

See also: Renewable energy commercialization § Wind power

People have used wind power for a very long time. Early uses included sails on ships and machines to grind grain or pump water, called windmills and wind pumps. These were first made around the 9th century in places we now call Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Wind power was special because it did not need rivers or fuel.

The first wind turbine to make electricity was built in Scotland in 1887 by a teacher named Prof James Blyth. His turbine provided electricity to light his holiday home. Later, in Cleveland, Ohio, another inventor named Charles F. Brush built an even bigger turbine that could power lights and motors in his lab.

When oil became hard to get in 1973, countries like Denmark and the United States started building bigger wind turbines. By 2023, wind power had grown a lot all over the world.