How does wind energy work?

Like a child's pinwheel, the movement of wind past the blades of a turbine causes them to spin. This spinning motion is translated to the generator in the turbine's main body (called a nacelle), which uses magnetic fields to convert the spinning energy into electricity, in much the same way that traditional steam turbines produce electricity.

The electricity can be used on site or sold to the electrical utility, which distributes the power throughout the nearby neighbourhood. If more electricity is produced by the turbine(s) than is used locally, it may be transmitted further afield and even sold to neighbouring jurisdictions.

• Why Wind Energy-A Clear Future
• Why Wind Energy-Cost Benefits
• Why Wind Energy-Local Benefits
• Harnessing Wind Energy-Past, Present and Future
• Harnessing Wind Energy-Considering Your Environment
• Planning a Wind Farm-Environmental Assessment

Why wind?

It's clean. The operation of a wind turbine releases no greenhouse gases, sulphur or nitrogen oxides, or fine particulates, and therefore does not contribute to poor air quality and associated health effects, acid rain and global climate change. The development of wind energy resources in Canada can help to meet emissions reduction targets like those outlined in the Kyoto Protocol.

It's renewable. Wind is generated by differential heating of the Earth's surface. Different surface features (e.g. sand, water, vegetation) heat the air above them at different rates. Air that is comparatively warmer rises and cooler air moves in to fill the void, creating the lateral air movement that we know as wind. As long as the Sun continues to shine on the Earth, wind will be created.

It's versatile. Unlike large, centralized electrical generation facilities, wind turbines require very little land area - allowing for the continued use of surrounding lands for traditional activities like agriculture. In most cases, crop cultivation and livestock grazing can occur right up to the base of a turbine tower. Furthermore, as demand for electricity increases, it is much simpler to add wind turbines than it is to build large, conventional power generation facilities.

It's competitive. Fossil fuels and uranium are finite resources whose prices are expected to rise as the resources become scarcer and less accessible. Wind energy does not require any fuel, so it is not susceptible to fluctuations in commodity prices. Furthermore, improvements in wind energy technology over the last three decades have caused wind energy costs to decline from 30 to 5 US cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).