Green Building

Wind

Wind energy is a clean source of power that does not consume natural resources or produce emissions or greenhouse gases. It has positive economic impact in that it has the potential for owner revenue, provides the opportunity for revitalization of rural communities and reduces dependence on the power grid.

A wind turbine works by converting wind energy to drive a rotor, which turns a shaft that passes into a gearbox increasing the rotational speed. This transmission is attached to a high-speed output shaft, which is connected to an electrical generator.

There are a variety of sizes of wind turbines that can be applied for use depending on the planned use for the electricity. They can be used to charge batteries for buildings not connected to the utility grid or can supply all or part of the electricity used by a business or farm. Wind farms with multiple turbines are used on a large scale to feed power into the electrical grid. A study of wind speed and quality must be done in order to determine the feasibility of the application but generally, wind has one of the highest energy payback ratios of any power technology.