There are times that sun isn’t shinning but the wind is likely be blowing. The most alternative or supplement to solar power in generating electricity is the use of a wind turbine. Wind power is an excellent energy source that many home owners may benefit.

Early use of wind energy in some countries was mainly for pumping water. Right now, the government’s main thrust in many countries is the generation of electricity from wind. As with the other means of harnessing energy, this also relies on a turbine, a wind turbine.

The use of wind energy panel has several advantages. Wind power is one of the most environment friendly resources available and it is widely available in many countries. Wind turbine technology is mature and there are advanced systems that are both cheaper and more efficient that previous designs. Wind turbines can be installed in uninhabited areas such as mountains and hills or integrated with existing farm lands.
There are two main designs for wind turbines currently in use in many countries. The horizontal axis and the vertical axis wind turbines. Of the two, the horizontal axis wind turbine is more widely used and studied.
A horizontal axis wind turbines looks like a plane propeller and employs the same principle. Is usually having the following component:

- Blades: Harness the wind’s kinetic energy, transforming it into rotational kinetic energy.
- Gear Box: Contains the mechanical parts for increasing the rotational speed for turning the generator.
- Generator: Transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy.
- Directional Mechanism: Provides a means for swinging the blades into the wind for maximum efficiency.
- Protection Mechanism: The brake is activated when the conditions are not ideal.
- Tower: Raises the turbine well above the ground to avoid turbulent winds and to expose the blade to higher wind speed.

An alternative design is the vertical axis wind turbine, so called because it rotates about a vertical axis much like an eggbeater. Because the wind is perpendicular to the axis of rotation, this turbine ca utilizes wind blowing from any direction and does not require a directional mechanism. The generator of the gearbox can also be conveniently located at ground level so there is no need for a tower. To reduce stress, the blades are made from light weight but strong composite materials.

The horizontal axis wind turbines tend to be more efficient that the vertical axis design. Some designs can extract up to 45% of available energy from the wind. But since the blade and the generation have to be at the top of the tower, turbines with large capacities tend to be expensive.

A large turbine with the long blades can extract more energy from the wind than a small than a small turbine.

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