KISH>Grassroots>Electricity
Wind Power

Description

This website explains how wind power works. It also tells you advantages and disadvantages of using wind power. Wind power is one of the oldest forms of power. It is obtained by moving air. It results from the heating and cooling of the Earth thus making it an indirect form of Solar Energy. Wind is changed into energy by hitting a surface such as the blades of a windmill. The wind mill blades turn a generator which produces electricity.

The Production of Power from Wind Energy

Step One: First an architect must find a flat area of land to build the power plant.
Step Two: Construction begins.
Step Three: Wind hits the windmill blades causing it them to turn.
Step Four: The blades turn the wind shaft connected to them.
Step Five: The shaft connected to the windmill blades turn the a generator located in the windmill.
Step Six: The generator produces electricity and sends it through wires that are connected to the homes using wind power.



Advantages of WIND POWER.

Disadvantages of WIND POWER.
  • Wind power is very cheap.
  • Wind is very unpredictable and you can not control when it is going to be windy.
  • Wind power does not pollute the earth with harmful chemicals unlike other power sources.
    		•
  • You can only have them in flat areas so mountains or hills can't block the wind.
  • We will never run out of wind unlike other power sources such as coal or natural gas.
  • Some wind power plants can only take a certain amount of wind at the same time or the generator will over heat.
  • The generators can't withstand a large amount of wind at the same time or they will overheat.
    		•


    There are many wind power plants in Canada. Some active wind power plants today are: North Cape, Prince Edward Island Matane, Quebec Cap Chat, Quebec Tiverton, Ontario Pickering, Ontario Gull Lake, Saskatchewan Pincher Creek, Alberta.

    Source:

    (author not given). "Wind Turbines." Available at http://www.afm.dtu.dk/wind/turbines/gallery.htm
    J.A.C. Kentfield. "Wind Energy." The Canadian Encyclopedia Plus.CD-ROM. (not given),1996.