In some ways wind power has advantages over solar photovoltaic generation. Wind blows day or night, sunny or cloudy, and often it can be at its strongest potential during the coldest and darkest nights of the winter when it is needed the most. Wind is created when the sun heats certain areas of the Earth's surface more than others. This is called differential heating, and it induced both vertical and horizontal air currents. The patterns of these currents are modified by the Earth's rotation and the contours of the land. Wind is captured and converted into energy with the use of a wind turbine such as the one shown in the diagram below. As the wind passes the blades of the tower the rotor will be forced to turn. It is this motion that will turn a generator, thus producing electricity.
Sample Diagram of Wind Turbine Photo Courtesy of Vestas
In today’s market, there are many turbines available, which vary in size and height. These turbines can be used in small scale applications such as farms or houses that consume large amount of energy or even large scale applications such as the turbines providing power in Atlantic City. Although our Anemometer Loan Program is currently attempting to collect a variation of data across the state, a projection of the average wind speeds across New Jersey is currently available from the U.S. Department of Energy as wind resource maps. A sample listing of some turbine manufacturers is also available on this site.
