Article by Meryl Plyth

Changing wind power into electricity is normally the purpose of wind turbines. A traditional wind turbine is a tall tower that has blades connected to a rotor. Electricity is made by the generator, housed within the turbine casing, any time the rotor is rotated by the wind. The generator is a typical design composed of magnets and copper cables. It is a somewhat simple technique.

Wind turbines, as the name shows, require wind to work. The explanation as to why turbines are built so tall is to take advantage of the more potent winds found at more significant altitudes. This height allows the rotor to obtain more exposure to the wind and therefore create a lot more electricity. Obviously there needs to be enough wind to produce electricity in the first place. This is precisely why extensive research is conducted on areas for potential wind turbines to make sure that there’s enough wind to generate energy. Many coastal areas are ideal thanks to steady high winds. Although wind speed is the most crucial variable to measure, wind direction may even have an impact on the performance of the installation. Nevertheless the design is incredibly clever and they are built so that the rotor turns towards the wind, enabling them to pick up the wind from any direction.

Because of their efficient design, turbines can generate a lot of power that can be used for domestic or commercial applications. You can also place the electricity into batteries for times when there is no wind. As a result of the high initial investment, which will demand decades to recover, wind turbines require a long-term perspective. Unlike some other green energy methods, wind turbines will consistently work 24/7, providing there is wind. Solar panels can’t function in the dark whereas wind turbines can. Turbines are extremely clean to run, removing fears about pollution. This suggests that wind turbines do not contribute towards the effects of global warming because there are no fuels being burned and no emissions being released into the atmosphere. Harnessing the power of the wind is utilizing a truly environmentally friendly resource. This indicates that turbines will invariably be able to produce electrical power if they are located in high wind areas.

While they have a lot going for them, there are some drawbacks to consider. Many men and women don’t want to be viewing a tall tower with a propeller on the top outside their window. Many government authorities choose to put wind turbines on coast areas and out to sea because of the large amounts of wind in these types of areas, but many people grumble saying that they blight the surroundings. Noise pollution is another complaint as a result of the friction of the rotor on the shaft when it spins. Wildlife enthusiasts complain that birds and bats are destroyed by them. Bats particularly are susceptible, because their sonar system is disturbed by the rapid movement in the air. There are no figures on how often this happens, nevertheless.

Wind turbines definitely seem to be a good source of energy, but obviously there are disadvantages like with anything. With appropriate planning they can be very useful and beneficial.

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by ali_pk

Question by Southerngirl29: What companies hire to build wind turbines?

My husband wants to find companies who hire for building wind turbines. We realize that the best people to talk to are subcontractors, but I have searched all over the internet, and I can’t find any jobs. I know that Iowa has a project going on now, but we can’t find who is hiring. Also, my husband has been in many phases of construction, but he has zero experience in this area. He would like to learn, however, so who would he talk to?

Best answer:

Answer by billrussell42
here are lists of companies that are active in this area. Check their web pages and look for a personal page or a human resource page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wind_turbine_manufacturers

http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byP/wRP/lwindturbine/byB/mfg/mfg.shtml

http://www.awea.org/smallwind/smsyslst.html

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