Wind Turbines - What are Wind Turbines?

There are many different types of renewable energy available and many different products that can be used to generate power naturally and sustainably using the earth’s renewable resources. These renewable energy products come in all shapes and sizes and are used privately, comercially and by governments in civil projects.

 In the UK, one of the most popular and effective forms of renewable energy is to harness the power of the wind through the use of wind turbines. The UK is a very windy set of islands and a massive 40% of Europe’s total wind blows through the UK. Therefore the use of both off-shore wind turbines and on-shore wind turbines makes the generation of renewable energy very effective.

Domestic or microgeneration wind turbines work by using large rotary blades that spin when they catch the wind; this in turn drives a turbine a generate pwer that usually charges a battery. If your wind turbin is connected to the national grid then there is an opportunity to sell energy back to the national grid. As mentioned previously, wind turbines come in many different sizes and varieties. Private homeowners and carvan owners often use small wind turbines to power things like lights and electrical appliances; this is know as ‘microwind’ generation, and is part of a wider group of microgeneration renewable energy products and methods that will be looked at in the future.

There are major civil wind turbine and wind turbine projects already built, being built and being commissioned. These type off wind farms are huge and  use hundreds of wind turbines 100m tall or higher. The most recent of these was opened by Scotland’s First Minister at Eagelsham Moor. It covers 55km square and is the largest wind farm in Europe, and is surely a sign of things to come.

Tags: Energy Saving, microgeneration, microwind, off shore wind farm, on shore wind farm, Renewable Energy, renewable energy products, wind farm, wind turbine, wind turbines