Understanding Wind Energy
How Wind is Produced
Like all forms of energy, wind is created as a result of the sun. The sun heats a land mass and the heat from the land is absorbed by the surrounding air. When the air reaches a certain temperature, it begins to rise quickly upwards. This results in a low pressure area at ground level and a higher pressure area above the land. Air naturally moves from high pressure zones to low pressure zones. This air movement creates wind.
Areas of the Earth that are close to the sun, such as the equator, become warmer more quickly than areas further away, such as the poles. As air moves over warm areas and rises, cooler air from surrounding areas rushes in to fill the space left by the rising air, thereby creating surface winds.
Due to elevation, topography, surface roughness, and location, some areas experience more wind than others. The faster the wind, the more energy can be produced. For this reason, it is important to place wind turbines at sites with high wind speeds. [next]