Wind Power

Wind turbines convert Kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy which is then used to drive a generator to convert this energy into electricity.

There are two types of wind turbines - horizontal axis and vertical axis. The horizontal axis wind turbines are the ‘traditional’ machines which we are all familiar with seeing. These are the vertical blade “windmill” type with blades set on a horizontal axis and the turbine is rotated on the vertical tower to face into the direction of the wind.

Vertical axis wind turbines do not need to be rotated into the direction of the wind. There vertical blades rotate around a vertical axis.

Small scale wind turbines are particularly suited to applications where they are required to produce electricity from less than 100 watts up to 50 kilowatts. When considering a wind turbine it is important to consider the available wind resource at the site and the location of the turbine. For maximum efficiency turbines require smooth constant speed of air over the rotary blades.