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Modern commercial wind turbines produce electricity by using rotational energy to drive an electrical generator. They are made up of one or more blades attached to a rotor and an enclosure called a nacelle that contains a drive train atop a tall tower. There are two primary types of wind turbines: the common horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and the more experimental vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs). Each HAWT turbine possesses two or three blades, much like an airplane propeller, or a disk containing many blades (multiblade type) attached to each turbine. The largest of these turbines can produce 4.8–9.5 megawatts of power, have a rotor diameter that may extend more than 162 meters (about 531 feet), and are attached to towers approaching 240 meters (787 feet) tall. The most common designs (which produce up to 1.8 megawatts) are much smaller; they have a blade length of approximately 40 meters (about 130 feet) and are attached to towers roughly 80 meters (about 260 feet) tall. Smaller HAWT units can be used to provide power to individual homes.

wind power, form of energy conversion in which turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be used for power. Together with solar power and hydroelectric power, wind power is one of the most widely utilized forms of renewable energy. Virtually nonpolluting and abundantly albeit sometimes inconsistently available in many places, wind power stands in stark contrast to the combustion of fossil fuels (namely coal, petroleum, and natural gas) that are driving global warming and has become increasingly attractive to individuals, businesses, and governments on the path to sustainability.
Historically, wind power in the form of windmills has been used for centuries for such tasks as grinding grain and pumping water. One of the earliest known wind turbines for electricity generation was built in Scotland in 1887, and remarkable development of the technology took place throughout the 20th century.

Wind resources are calculated based on the average wind speed and the distribution of wind speed values occurring within a particular area. Areas are grouped into wind power classes that range from 1 to 7. A wind power class of 3 or above (equivalent to a wind power density of 150–200 watts per square meter, or a mean wind of 5.1–5.6 meters per second [11.4–12.5 miles per hour]) is suitable for utility-scale wind power generation, although some suitable sites may also be found in areas of classes 1 and 2. In the United States there are substantial wind resources in the Great Plains region as well as in some offshore locations.

The transition to renewable energy explained by Phil the Fixer The transition to renewable energy explained by Phil the Fixer Learn more about climate change and the transition to renewable energy in this interview with Phil the Fixer. See all videos for this article By 2022 wind was contributing more than 7 percent of the world’s total electricity and accounted for more than 10 percent of the total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation. Electricity generation by wind has been increasing dramatically because of concerns over the cost of petroleum and the effects of fossil fuel combustion on the climate and environment (see also global warming). From 2007 to 2016, for example, total installed wind power capacity quintupled from 95 gigawatts to 487 gigawatts worldwide. China and the United States possessed the greatest amount of installed wind capacity in 2021 (with nearly 329 gigawatts and almost 133 gigawatts, respectively), and that same year Denmark generated the largest percentage of its electricity from wind (more than 43 percent). Various estimates put the cost of wind energy as low as 2–6 cents per kilowatt-hour, depending on the location. This is comparable to the cost of coal, natural gas, and other forms of fossil energy, which ranges between 5 and 17 cents per kilowatt-hour.

WIND POWER