Residential Solar Panel Installations

Wind turbines are used on a small scale to provide supplemental power, similar to residential solar panel installations. This is especially prevalent on farms and other rural-industrial establishments in flat areas where consistent wind is plentiful. Much larger installations of wind turbines, called wind farms, are also becoming popular.

The largest onshore wind farm in the world is located in Rosco, TX. The site boasts 627 wind turbines, generating enough power for 250,000 households. It was built in four phases between 2008 and 2009, and the total cost of the installation was over $1 billion.

The largest offshore wind farm in the world is in the UK. This installation rests about 7 miles off the coast of Thanet district in Kent, England and covers an area of approximately 13.5 square miles. Although it was beset by financial challenges during its development, with ownership of the project changing hands multiple times, it was completed in September 2010 at a cost of approximately $1.4 billion. It now produces 300 MW of power, which runs underwater to a power facility in Kent.

Wind power generation is not without criticism, especially when it comes to large-scale projects. One common criticism is that, while wind is all around us, it is also unreliable, and a high average wind velocity is a must for efficient production of wind power. Another criticism is that wind production is rarely cost-effective without government subsidies.

Ironically, wind production is also sometimes criticized for being environmentally unfriendly. This is because large-scale wind farms take up an enormous amount of space. Rural areas with high average wind velocities are often home to birds, who can be killed in the spinning blades. Recently, an Oregon company's application to kill golden eagles to make way for a massive wind farm has drawn strong criticism from animal rights activists.

However, a high quality wind generator in the right location does hold the promise of producing energy for a long time. As a result, it stands to reason that large-scale wind farms will continue to proliferate and that those who care about the environment - or about their own independence from the energy grid - will continue to look at wind as a source of private energy production as well.

Wind is one of the most widely available sources of renewable, sustainable energy on the planet. Wind is everywhere, and small scale wind power generation causes little environmental damage. The main obstacle to widespread proliferation of wind power as a considerable part of our overall power production is the cause associated with collecting it. A good wind generator is the key to successfully using wind power.

Generating power from wind is a simple process. The wind turns a propeller, mounted high enough to be above other obstacles. That propeller turns a turbine, which drives a generator. A good windmill can produce about 2,300 kiliwatt-hours of electricity per year.