Wind power comes from converting part of the kinetic energy of wind motion into electric energy, which is achieved with a machine called an aerogenerator. It may be the most interesting of the new renewable energies in terms of its cost/production ratio and is growing around the world at a pace of 30% a year.

When the installation of a wind power plant is assessed, the most important characteristic to determine is wind speed given that the electric power is proportional to the cube of that speed. That means, for instance, that if average wind speed is doubled, the power the can be generated increases by a factor of 8. Clearly, even minor variations in actual speed are decisive in the cost effectiveness of the plant’s potential.

Once wind energy has been positively assessed, the engineering challenge focuses on how to intercept this resource and convert it into usable energy. Unlike old windmills, wind energy turbines are designed to produce high quality electric energy, at a frequency suitable for the grid, to function continuously and with a low maintenance cost for over 20 years or 120,000 hours of operation.

The rotors of modern turbines are generally three blades and are connected to an electric generator through a rotation multiplier. Today, the capacity of the turbines comes to 2 MW, and the first 3-4 MW machines are about to set on the market. The increase in turbine capacity and progress in their technology, along with the economies of large-scale productions, have significantly reduced the cost of plants that, in locations with good wind resources, produce energy at costs that competitive with traditional sources

Advantages of wind energy

• The energy source is inexpensive, unlimited and widely distributed
  
• The aerogenerators produce no toxic emissions
  
• Excellent ratio between the plant costs and generated power
  
• . Low maintenance costs