How to use natural wind to generate electricity

Do wind turbines produce electricity?

The turbines do not actually produce wind energy, directly. The blades turn, convert the energy of wind into rotational energy, a form of mechanical energy, and this energy is in turn converted into electrical energy. Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) are the most familiar type of electricity-producing windmill.

How do scientists use wind energy to generate electricity?

Scientists and engineers are using energy from the wind to generate electricity. Wind energy, or wind power, is created using a wind turbine. As renewable energy technology continues to advance and grow in popularity, wind farms like this one have become an increasingly common sight along hills, fields, or even offshore in the ocean.

How is wind energy generated?

Wind power is usually generated using a wind turbine. Wind turbines are mechanical systems that convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. Kinetic energy is energy that comes from movement. Wind is the movement of air. There are wind turbines on land and in water. Shown is an animated GIF of a wind turbine rotating in blue sky.

How do you get power from wind energy?

There are several ways to get power from wind energy. Wind turbines can be built on land, on lakes or in the ocean, in remote wilderness far from the power grid, within cities, or across vast plains. One wind turbine can power an individual home or farm, but several built close together form a wind energy plant, or wind farm.

How does a wind turbine work?

Wind flows over the blades creating lift (similar to the effect on airplane wings), which causes the blades to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator, which produces (generates) electricity. Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy (public domain)

How do wind turbines convert kinetic energy into electrical energy?

Wind turbines are mechanical systems that convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. Kinetic energy is energy that comes from movement. Wind is the movement of air. There are wind turbines on land and in water. Shown is an animated GIF of a wind turbine rotating in blue sky. The camera looks up from the base of the turbine.