Renewable energy is naturally replenished energy which is extracted from natural sources such as wind, light, heat, and ocean waves... Currently, 16% of global energy consumption comes from renewable energy. Renewable energy can replace conventional fuels in some distinct areas: electricity generation, heating, and motor fuels. For the purpose of this blog, I would like to focus on wind energy only even though other types of renewable energy are much more interesting.
Wind power is the conversion of the wind energy into another form of energy such as electricity. It is plentiful, clean, and widely distributed. People have been using wind power since the ancient times such as sailing boats and windmills. By the end of the 19th century, wind was used to produce electricity.
The picture below is the inside structure of a horizontal wind turbine.
A wind farm is a combination of wind turbines in a same area to produce electricity. It can be on-shore or off-shore. By 2000's, many large-scale wind farms are constructed and located in Europe, US, and China. The components of a wind farm include hundreds of wind turbines, a power transmission system, control and maintenance facilities, and a substation that connects the wind farm with the power grids.
This is the picture of the Altamont Pass wind farm located near Livermore, CA
This is a picture of the first off-shore wind farm in the world located in Denmark.
The link below is a fun quiz about Wind Energy.
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