Wind Energy

Wind is basically air that is moving through the landscape. The uneven temperatures of the earth's surface are what cause air to move, thus becoming wind. Before knowing how is wind energy used, you must first understand how wind is generated. Due to the various types of surface of the earth, specifically land and water, the sun's heat is absorbed at a much different rate, where water heats up or cools down much longer compared to land because of their varying physical characteristics. This fact is what causes air to move, thus creating wind energy.

The best circumstance for the creation of wind is areas where land meets water, which is why the beach always seems so windy. Because the air above land heats up more quickly compared to the air above water, the hot air above land expands and becomes denser and slowly rises, while the heavier and denser cool air above water moves toward the land to take the place of the rising hot air, consequently producing wind. In a similar manner, the atmospheric winds that surround the earth are generated because the land close to the equator is heated more quickly by the sun's energy compared to the land in the South and North Pole area.

Now that we know how wind is created, let us focus on how is wind energy used. In recent history, as well as today, people have been using wind energy to generate electricity to power barns, mills, water pumps, and recently, homes and other electronic devices. Wind is considered a good renewable source of energy because it will continue to blow for as long as the sun keeps on shining and the temperature of the earth continues to vary. With today's almost uncontrollable rise of conventional energy prices, people are trying to find innovative ways to lessen the cost of electricity; and wind energy is a very viable alternative.

When it comes to wind direction, a wind vane, otherwise known as weather vane, is utilized to show the direction of the wind. Wind vanes, or weather vanes, point toward the source of the wind and not to where it is headed. A north wind, for example, refers to the wind coming from the north not towards it. This is a common misconception. Wind speed, on the other hand, is measured by using an anemometer or a wind gauge. It is essential to measure wind speeds, especially during hurricanes, or if you wish to install a wind turbine for your home, you need to know the average wind speed in your area. There is a particular type of anemometer that has three arms that spins on top of a shaft as the wind blows. These arms have cups on each end responsible for catching the wind. The harder the wind blows, the faster the shaft spins, which calculates the spins per minute and then converts it into kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles per hour (mp/h).

A long time ago, the ancient Egyptians have already learned to harness the wind's energy to maneuver their ships in the Nile River. As technology advanced, people started using wind energy to grind wheat, corn, and other types of grains using windmills. Now, an increasing number of individuals are using wind energy to generate electricity to power homes and other electronic devices. We can only imagine what other uses of wind energy we can come up with in the future. You asked, how is wind energy used? Now that you know some of its uses, why not make one for yourself?