Some may find strong wind annoying, but when it comes to saving money while utilizing a clean (and free) source of energy, that feeling can change quickly! Typically found on large wind farms, these huge wind turbines are also manufactured in a scaled-down version (micro-wind turbines) for power generation on farms, ranches, residential acreages and even certain semi-urban home sites.

Here is how it all works. A variety of styles of rotor blades, or turbines, are designed to capture kinetic energy from passing wind. As these curved blades rotate, an internal gearbox is activated which converts the relatively slow speed of the spinning blades into higher speed rotary motion, which then turns a drive-shaft quickly enough for a generator to

take the kinetic energy from the drive-shaft and convert it to electrical energy. The electric current produced by the generator then flows through a cable inside the tower. A “step-up” transformer then converts the electricity to a higher voltage so it can be more efficiently transmitted to an inverter inside a home, garage, barn or workshop. As with solar electric, this inverter converts the direct current (DC) electricity produced into alternating current (AC) power that can be utilized in a standard electrical system.

Power generated by wind turbines can also (again, as with solar electric) be stored in a battery back-up system, or be fed onto the electric company’s power “grid”.