on video Wind Power Plant Working

 How is wind power converted into electrical energy? You've probably seen sometime a wind farm: several wind turbines, like the old windmills that move their blades when the air blows. It is a simple process at first glance, but maybe you don't know what happens inside a turbine to convert wind power into electricity. 

How do wind turbines work?

Wind turbine blades rotate when hit by the wind. And this doesn’t have to be a strong wind, either: the blades of most turbines will start turning at a wind speed of 3-5 meters per second, which is a gentle breeze.  

It’s this spinning motion that turns a shaft in the nacelle – which is the box-like structure at the top of a wind turbine. A generator built into the nacelle then converts the kinetic energy of the turning shaft into electrical energy. This then passes through a transformer, which steps up the voltage so it can be transported on the National Grid or used by a local site.

From a micro wind turbine for home energy generation right up to enormous, off-shore windfarms, all wind turbines use the same mechanics to generate electricity.

How much power does a wind turbine produce?

Most onshore wind turbines have a capacity of 2-3 megawatts (MW), which can produce over 6 million kilowatt hours (kwh) of electricity every year. That’s enough to meet the electricity demand of around 1,500 average households.

Up to a certain level, the faster the wind blows, the more electricity is generated. In fact, when the wind speed doubles, up to eight times more electricity is generated. But if the wind is too strong, turbines will shut themselves down to prevent being damaged.

 How is wind power converted into electrical energy? You've probably seen sometime a wind farm: several wind turbines, like the old windmills that move their blades when the air blows. It is a simple process at first glance, but maybe you don't know what happens inside a turbine to convert wind power into electricity. 

How do wind turbines work?

Wind turbine blades rotate when hit by the wind. And this doesn’t have to be a strong wind, either: the blades of most turbines will start turning at a wind speed of 3-5 meters per second, which is a gentle breeze.  

It’s this spinning motion that turns a shaft in the nacelle – which is the box-like structure at the top of a wind turbine. A generator built into the nacelle then converts the kinetic energy of the turning shaft into electrical energy. This then passes through a transformer, which steps up the voltage so it can be transported on the National Grid or used by a local site.

From a micro wind turbine for home energy generation right up to enormous, off-shore windfarms, all wind turbines use the same mechanics to generate electricity.

How much power does a wind turbine produce?

Most onshore wind turbines have a capacity of 2-3 megawatts (MW), which can produce over 6 million kilowatt hours (kwh) of electricity every year. That’s enough to meet the electricity demand of around 1,500 average households.

Up to a certain level, the faster the wind blows, the more electricity is generated. In fact, when the wind speed doubles, up to eight times more electricity is generated. But if the wind is too strong, turbines will shut themselves down to prevent being damaged.