Wind Power Turbines

Wind power is an increasingly popular type of renewable energy. In 2009 it accounted for 2% of the total energy production in the world (340 TWh).

Energy is produced with wind power turbines. These are electric generators that utilize wind energy to produce clean power for communities, homes, farms, small businesses etc. Wind power turbines we normally see on wind farms and which produce power for commercial use typically have three blades and use computer-controlled motors. They are gray to blend in with the clouds and range from 66 ft to 130 ft, or even more. The tubular steel towers which the turbines are attached to range from 200 ft to 300 ft in height.

In a wind farm, the wind power turbines are interconnected with an average medium voltage of 34.5 kV, power collection system and communications network. At a substation, this medium-voltage electric current is increased in voltage with a transformer for connection to the high voltage electric power transmission system.

Wind power does not only come from large, commercial-scale wind farms, though. Small wind power turbines can be used to generate electricity to power one building or household. The U.S. is the world leader in the production of small wind turbines (with rated capacities of 100 kilowatts and less) and the market is expected to continue getting stronger over the next decade, according to the American Wind Energy Association. There are two types of small-scale wind power turbines. One is called �mast mounted�, which is free standing and erected in an exposed position of around 2.5kW and 6kW. The other one is �roof mounted� and can be installed on the roof of a home where there is enough wind to make it work properly. Typically these are 1kW and 2kW in size.