A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual turbines and cover an area of many square miles.
Wind farms can be found in many countries around the world. The largest wind farm in the world is located in China. Other large wind farms are located in the United States, India, Germany, and Spain.
The first commercial wind farm was built in 1981 in California. Since then, the use of wind energy has grown rapidly. Wind energy now supplies about 4% of the world’s electricity needs.
There are two main types of wind turbines: horizontal-axis and vertical-axis. Horizontal-axis turbines have blades that spin on a horizontal axis, like a propeller. Vertical-axis turbines have blades that spin on a vertical axis, like a helicopter rotor.
Most modern commercial turbines are horizontal-axis machines with three blades (known as “3-bladed”). These types of turbine are more efficient than older designs and can capture more energy from the passing winds.
The size of today’s commercial turbines has also increased significantly over time. The average turbine installed today is about 80 meters (260 feet) tall and has a rotor diameter of about 100 meters (330 feet). Some newer designs are even larger, with rotors up to 160 meters (525 feet) in diameter!
How do Wind Turbines Work?
Wind turns the blades which rotate a shaft connected to a generator inside the nacelle (the housing at the top of the tower where all mechanical and electrical components are located). The generator produces electricity that is sent through transmission lines to substations where it is transformed into high voltage for long distance power lines or lower voltage for local distribution power lines leading directly to homes and businesses—or stored until needed using various methods such as batteries or pumped hydro storage systems..