-Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electrical power, windmills for mechanical power, wind pumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships.(1)
-Wind is the movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. In fact, wind exists because the sun unevenly heats the surface of the Earth. As hot air rises, cooler air moves in to fill the void. As long as the sun shines, the wind will blow. And as long as the wind blows, people will harness it to power their lives.(2)
-Wind is a clean source of renewable energy that produces no air or water pollution. And since the wind is free, operational costs are nearly zero once a turbine is erected. Mass production and technology advances are making turbines cheaper, and many governments offer tax incentives to spur wind-energy development.(2)
-The European Union's 2007 roadmap for renewable energy sources estimates that wind energy could account for 13% of the electricity consumed in the EU by 2020. A third of this electricity will probably be produced by offshore facilities (at sea, where the wind is stronger and more reliable). Various techniques are envisaged and in some cases testing is underway. These include artificial islands, wind turbines on floating foundations anchored at depths of up to 60m, similar to oil rigs.(3)
-Some future devices for wind energy can be found at http://www.treehugger.com/wind-technology/future-wind-power-9-cool-innovations.html.
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
2 http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/wind-power-profile/
3 http://www.planete-energies.com/en/the-energy-of-tomorrow/the-future-for-current-energy-sources/renewable-energy/the-future-of-wind-energy-276.html
-Wind is the movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. In fact, wind exists because the sun unevenly heats the surface of the Earth. As hot air rises, cooler air moves in to fill the void. As long as the sun shines, the wind will blow. And as long as the wind blows, people will harness it to power their lives.(2)
-Wind is a clean source of renewable energy that produces no air or water pollution. And since the wind is free, operational costs are nearly zero once a turbine is erected. Mass production and technology advances are making turbines cheaper, and many governments offer tax incentives to spur wind-energy development.(2)
-The European Union's 2007 roadmap for renewable energy sources estimates that wind energy could account for 13% of the electricity consumed in the EU by 2020. A third of this electricity will probably be produced by offshore facilities (at sea, where the wind is stronger and more reliable). Various techniques are envisaged and in some cases testing is underway. These include artificial islands, wind turbines on floating foundations anchored at depths of up to 60m, similar to oil rigs.(3)
-Some future devices for wind energy can be found at http://www.treehugger.com/wind-technology/future-wind-power-9-cool-innovations.html.
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
2 http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/wind-power-profile/
3 http://www.planete-energies.com/en/the-energy-of-tomorrow/the-future-for-current-energy-sources/renewable-energy/the-future-of-wind-energy-276.html