Wind power will be more important in the future with more wind farms and more powerful turbines. Tall buildings may be designed to catch wind energy and generate electricity. Wind power is also being used to create energy for cars.
These massive wind turbines are in the USA.
Wind turbines are getting bigger and more powerful every year. A typical 1.8 MW (megawatt) turbine will produce enough electricity in a year to meet the power needs of 1,000 homes. New wind turbines now being built are 5 MW or bigger and this means they will make an even bigger contribution to world energy supplies in the future.
This building would generate its own wind power.
Some architects have designed buildings that have wind turbines built into their design. These tall buildings could capture wind energy in towns and cities. They could produce at least 20 per cent of their own energy needs. Boat builders have also designed boats that are powered using wind turbines instead of sails.
In the future, wind energy may be used to pull cargo ships.
A German company called Sky Sails is developing an enormous ‘Kite’ that flies at 500 metres above the ship. If it is used to help pull cargo ships, it could massively reduce the amount of diesel consumed.