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You ever see those large windmills out on the countryside or on television, then sit there and wonder how they work? The easiest way to explain it is that they have blades which are connected to a shaft. Once the shaft is able to turn the generator, then the power gets produced. Obviously it’s not as easy as it sounds, but we’ll help you understand it a little better.

Here’s a better example. Do you remember those little windmills you could stick in the front yard? Wind turbines work the same way. Obviously the technology is extremely better then those things we remember as kids, but the concept is to use wind and turn it into energy. While windmills are common, there are other terminologies used when electricity is generated. Whether it’s a wind power unit, a wind energy converter, or wind generator, they’re all the same.

One type of turbine is the HAWT which just stands for Horizontal-axis wind turbine. They are composed of the rotor shaft plus a generator which are both located on top of the tower, these are positioned to face into what wind there is. Larger turbines normally utilize a sensor along with what is called a servo motor. These usually contain a gearbox, and this helps the slow-speed rotating blades go faster which is more effective for powering the electric generator.

Because the towers create a certain amount of turbulence behind them, the turbines are pointing unwind from the tower. The blades of the turbines are made from sturdy material that is strong enough to keep them from them collapsing and hitting the tower in high winds. These blades are also installed at a good distance from the tower and in the front. They can be tilted upwards a bit in some circumstances.

If you don’t have access to a HAWT, then the vertical-axis version (VAWTs) will be used. These are set up so the rotor shaft is in a vertical position. The benefit around this option is that the turbines don’t have to be situated against the wind in order to be efficient. Most people utilize this option when the wind tends to come from various directions throughout the day.

It is quite hard for get these vertical-axis turbines to be mounted onto the towers. This means that they are most of the times installed more toward the base of where they sit, as in a roof of a building or the ground.

This is a huge benefit whenever maintenance needs to be done, because it’s a safe distance from the ground. The only problem is you won’t find nearly as much wind at the lower levels. This is the main reason why towers are built to be at least 100 feet high.

If you want to truly do your part and take advantage of a renewable resource, try combining it with solar power as well. It will allow you to reduce your energy costs, help keep the environment cleaner, and let everyone around you breathe cleaner air.