Where is wind power used successfully

Wind is the movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. In fact, wind exists because the sun unevenly heats the surface of the Earth. As hot air rises, cooler air moves in to fill the void. As long as the sun shines, the wind will blow. And wind has long served as a power source to humans. Ancient mariners used sails to capture the wind.

Farmers once used windmills to grind their grains and pump water. Today, more and more wind turbines wring electricity from the breeze. Over the past decade, wind turbine use has increased more than 25 percent per year.

Still, it only provides a small fraction of the world's energy. Most wind energy comes from turbines that can be as tall as a story building and have three foot meter -long blades. The wind spins the blades, which turn a shaft connected to a generator that produces electricity. The biggest wind turbines generate enough electricity in a year about 12 megawatt-hours to supply about U.

Wind farms have tens and sometimes hundreds of these turbines lined up together in particularly windy spots. Smaller turbines erected in a backyard can produce enough electricity for a single home or small business.

From offshore China to onshore Spain, wind power capacity is growing rapidly around the world as the clean energy transition accelerates. Wind energy capacity is growing rapidly around the world as countries transition away from fossil fuels in favour of low-carbon alternatives, in an effort to reduce emissions and limit global warming.

The technology can be deployed either onshore — which is by far the largest market — or offshore, using either fixed-bottom turbines anchored to the sea floor or, on a much smaller scale, floating structures that can be based in deeper waters.

That is enough to avoid more than 1. But wind markets are continuing to grow as the industry matures and costs of deployment come down, and GWEC says current growth rates will need to triple worldwide by in order to set the right course to meet mid-century climate targets.

Here, we profile the top five countries that have installed the most wind energy capacity, as of The size of this offshore wind sector puts China second only to the UK in terms of the global offshore market.

As the country targets carbon neutrality by , wind as well as other renewable sources are likely to grow even further as coal plants are gradually retired to meet decarbonisation goals. In , 16 countries generated a total of about 3. In , countries generated about billion kWh, and in , countries generated about 1, billion kWh of wind electricity.

The waters off the coasts of the United States have significant potential for electricity generation from wind energy.

The U. Several other wind projects off the U. East Coast are in the planning stages. Twelve European countries had operating offshore wind energy projects as of the end of Wind explained Where wind power is harnessed. What is energy? Units and calculators. Use of energy. Energy and the environment. Also in What is energy? Forms of energy Sources of energy Laws of energy. Also in Units and calculators explained Units and calculators Energy conversion calculators British thermal units Btu Degree days.

Also in U. Home of the windy city, Illinois generates 3, MW. The first wind project in Illinois was built as late as , but Illinois has developed its wind energy utilities over the last ten years, becoming a national leader. Colorado has a wind energy capacity of 3, MW, and the state is home to several large wind projects, including the Rush Creek Wind Project.

In ninth place is Oregon, its estimated capacity being 3, MW. The third-largest wind farm in the US is located in Oregon. North Dakota has 1, turbines, which produce a total of 3, MW of energy. Wind power is a clean, sustainable, and accessible source of energy, and the sooner we transition away from relying on fossil fuels to wind power, the better. At Inspire, we are a renewable energy company that wants to help you discover an energy source that works for you.

To learn more about how you can make the switch and receive energy from clean wind power, click here. Ready to make the switch to clean energy? Get started You may also like. Looking to replace your old appliances? Consider energy-efficient ones that are better for the environment.