The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to wind energy:
Wind energy – the kinetic energy of air in motion, also called wind.
What type of thing is wind energy? Wind energy can be described as all of the following: Wind Energy - Sun heats up uneven surface of earth, which causes motion of air. Hot air and cold air interchanges their places lead to flow of air. As it has force with motion, It carries kinetic energy. This is called wind energy Energy – an indirectly observed quantity, often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems. Renewable energy – energy which comes from natural resources which are naturally replenished. Natural resource – materials and components (something that can be used) that can be found within the environment. Every man-made product is composed of natural resources (at its fundamental level). A natural resource may exist as a separate entity such as fresh water, and air, as well as a living organism such as a fish, or it may exist in an alternate form which must be processed to obtain the resource such as metal ores, oil, and most forms of energy. Renewable resource – natural resource with the ability to reproduce through biological or natural processes and are replenished with the passage of time.
Source of wind energy
Atmosphere – a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. Wind – the flow of gases on a large scale. Wind is composed of: Air – the gas found in the Earth's atmosphere. Air is mainly composed of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, which together constitute the major gases of the atmosphere. Gas – one of the three classical states of matter (the others being liquid and solid). Motion – change in position of an object (including particles) with respect to time. Motion is typically described in terms of velocity, acceleration, displacement and time. Flow is a type of motion.
History of wind energy
History of wind power – has been used as long as humans have put sails into the wind. Maritime history – The Ancient Egyptians had knowledge to some extent of sail construction. History of sails – The earliest known depictions of sails are from ancient Egypt around 3200 BCE, where reed boats sailed upstream against the River Nile's current. Age of Sail – the period in which international trade and naval warfare were dominated by sailing ships, lasting from the 16th to the mid 19th century.
Wind power
Wind power – conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy. Variable renewable energy – any source of renewable energy that is not continuously available due to some factor outside direct control. The variable source may be quite predictable, for example, tidal power, but cannot be dispatched to meet the demand of a power system. Environmental impact of wind power – relatively minor compared to the environmental impact of traditional energy sources. Wind power consumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution, unlike fossil fuel power sources. Wind power forecasting – estimating the expected production of wind farms. Wind resource assessment – the process by which wind power developers estimate the future energy production of a wind farm.
Types of wind power
Wind turbine – a turbine that converts wind energy into mechanical energy. Windmill – a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Windpump – a windmill used for pumping water, either as a source of fresh water from wells, or for draining low-lying areas of land. Sail – any type of surface intended to move a vessel, vehicle or rotor by being placed in a wind – in essence a propulsion wing
Wind power industry
Wind power industry – industry involved with the design, manufacture, construction, and maintenance of wind turbines. The modern wind power industry began in 1979 with the serial production of wind turbines by Danish manufacturers. The industry is currently undergoing a period of rapid globalization and consolidation. List of wind power consulting companies List of wind turbine manufacturers (shows the top 10 companies and an alphabetical listing) Wind energy software – application software programs to assist in the development and operation of wind farms. Wind farm management – overseeing the operation, maintenance, and administration of wind farms.