Wind is created when energy from the Sun heats up the air around you. Of all the Sun’s energy that reaches the Earth, around one or two percent is changed into wind energy. This is an enormous amount of energy. For us to use it, it must be captured and turned into power.
The Sun creates wind energy that turns rotor blades.
Wind power uses the energy of the wind to turn rotor blades. The rotor blades are connected to a generator that produces electricity. The electricity is carried along wires to our homes and schools and to shops and offices.
Rotor blades catch the wind’s energy as it blows through them.
Wind turbines use giant rotor blades to catch the wind’s energy. The turbine is located at the top of a tower behind the rotor blades. Gears increase the energy delivered by the blades and transfer it to a generator. The generator produces electricity.
Rotor blades are many times bigger than an average person.
The power produced by a wind turbine depends on the size of the rotor blades and on the wind speed. The bigger the rotor blades and the stronger the wind, the more power the turbine will generate. The design of wind turbines and their locations are therefore very important. At the moment, less than one percent of the world’s electricity comes from wind power.