Home › Types of Renewable Energy › Wind

Wind

Print

Wind is one of the oldest sources of renewable energy. Long before the first wind farm was built, wind was used to pump water or to grind grains in mills.

Today, wind is harnessed on both large and small-scale bases to generate electricity. Most large wind farms are found in areas where the wind blows without nearby structures, such as offshore or in some coastal areas.


Important factors when considering wind power projects include:

  • the availability and speed of wind at the proposed site
  • the size of the turbine and the height of the tower
  • the proximity to transmission or distribution lines.


The diagram below explains how a horizontal axis turbine works. This is the type of turbine typically found in Canada. Click here to use this interactive tool.


Rotor Propeller-like blades (usually three of them) turn on a central shaft.
Gearbox The shaft of the rotor turns the rotor shaft, either directly or through a gearbox, which connects to the generator.
Generator The generator uses coils and magnets to convert the movement of the rotor to electricity.
Nacelle This is the box that houses the gearbox and generator. It rotates to capture wind from any direction.
Tower The rotor and nacelle are supported on top of a tall tower. It should be at least 30 meters high, so that it can capture the strongest and most consistent wind.
Foundation This supports the wind turbine system, sometimes with the help of guy wires.