1. HOW WIND TURBINES WORK A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO WIND ENERGY

2. HOW IS WIND CREATED? Temperatures vary according to the amount of sun it gets Uneven heating of the Earth's atmosphere and surface Balance between warm and cool air is constantly changing, creating wind.

3. WHAT IS WIND POWER? Wind power is the conversion of kinetic energy in the wind to electrical energy. The wind turns the blades which are attached to a rotor. The rotor spins and that is mechanical energy. The shaft turns a generator which creates electricity. The electricity is then added to the grid.

4. HOW DOES A GENERATOR WORK?  Needed:  Conductor – loop of wire  Magnetic field – electromagnets  Conductor moves within the magnetic field  Conductor rotates through a magnetic field  Magnets move back and forth through a looped wire

5. PARTS OF A WIND TURBINE?

6.  Length  Width  Shape  Weight  Material  Pitch  Number  Distance from hub  Others? IMPORTANT BLADE CHARACTERISTICS

7. REAL BLADE DESIGNS

8. PAST BLADE DESIGNS

9. WHAT ARE THE SIZES OF TURBINES?

10. WHAT SIZE TURBINE GOES WHERE?

13. Oil independence Locally produced (jobs) No air pollution (or CO2) Uses no water Renewable Lower cost BUT… Bird and bat issues Aesthetic issues Intermittency WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS?