Green Tech Investing - Wind Farms

Green Tech investing is heating up. As the climate change becomes more of a hot topic, investors look for profit in earth-friendly areas. Today, I'm going to briefly talk about one alternative energy source-wind farms.

You may have seen a wind farm before. If not, they're collections of wind turbines-looking quite majestic. Typically, you'll find wind farms where the air currents are best-California, Texas, Coppenhagen, etc.

It's a common misconception that wind farms need to be built on land terrains, such as hills. There are also offshore wind farms. The coastal areas are perfect because of the constant wind flow that is associated with the area.

As the wind cranks up the wind turbines, electricity is generated. The blades on the wind turbine spin the shaft, which is connected to a generator. That generator uses its magnetic field to convert the energy into the electricity, which is then transported to a transformer. From there, it's converted to the appropriate voltage and we all get to enjoy it.

Over the last couple of years investments in the Green Tech field have exploded by 500% and there's no sign of this slowing down. Wall Street has many stocks that you can invest in to take advantage of this growth. Perhaps one of the best things about Green Tech investing is being able to profit off of something that's help make the Earth a better place. If you're interested in learning more, I've attached a couple of links below. Check them out. Happy investing!

Don't stop here. Get the latest Green Tech investing news, information, tips and more by visiting GreenTechCapitalist.com. Green Tech is exploding.

Here's an article from CleanTechStocks.org about Clean Tech stocks. This site deals with Clean Tech stock analysis, commentary and other Clean Tech investing areas.

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Wind Farms In The Hawaiian Islands

The beauty of the Hawaiian Islands is undisputed. If you look closely at the lush green hills, you might just see wind farms producing energy for homes and business at the beach.

Wind Farms In The Hawaiian Islands

Wind power is an alternative energy source that has gained popularity over recent years. Although windmills have been used for centuries to power machines and to create other energy, it wasn't until recently that wind power has become a truly formidable energy source. Wind turbines have replaced the windmill, and these turbines are able to harness the wind's power and transform it into electricity that can be used by us all. This renewable, pollution-free, economical source of energy has the ability to change the world - and many countries are taking advantage of this free source of energy by building wind farms. As your might imagine, the Hawaiian Islands are a prime location for wind power and the state takes advantage of it.

A wind farm is a collection of large wind turbines, all of which are collecting wind energy and converting it into electricity. Hawaiian wind farm usage started in 1980, with the building of wind farm MOD-0A in Kahuku. Hawaiians have been using the power of the wind for centuries. While the Hawaiian wind farm built at Kahuku was the first wind farm here, the building didn't stop with just that one location. Over the next years, seven more wind farms were built on the Hawaiian Islands. The largest wind farm still in operation is at Lalamilo Wells. This wind farm, built in 1985, is still being run by the Hawaii Electric Light Company.

The Lalamilo Wells Hawaiian wind farm operates with 81 turbines running, and it produces power that is used by the general public. Other, smaller, wind farms are located on the other islands. Some have been shut down due to damage or disuse, but others are still used in limited capacity for personal and industrial needs. Wind is an excellent resource for power on the island as the trade winds, Moa'e, come through this area producing high wind speeds and allowing for better electricity generation.

While wind farms are a recent addition (within the last 30 years) to Hawaiian energy resources, they are sure to continue to grow. The interesting evolution being seen one the islands is, however, away from the large wind farm and to personal use. Perhaps it is the expensive nature of the land, but what is particularly interesting is the fact that so many are creating their own, personal wind farm in lieu of industrial versions.

Rick Chapo is with Solar Companies - Visit us to read more wind farm articles. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo

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Wind Farm Efficiency

Wind power is an incredibly clean renewable power source. To capture the energy in wind, wind farms are used. So, how about wind farm efficiency?

Wind Farm Efficiency

Wind power is the process by which wind is used to generate power or electricity. The power of the wind is actually a form of solar power – wind change and variability is caused by uneven heating of the ground by the sun. In order to fully use the power that the wind is capable of generating, many countries have set up wind farms. In a wind farm, many different wind turbines (a structure that uses a propeller-like blade to take in the wind's power) are set up in an area. With all the wind turbines working at the same time, it's thought that these farms are a great way to produce large amounts of electricity.

To determine the efficiency of wind farms, you need to know how a wind farm works. The wind turbines collect the power of the wind in two steps: the propeller blades are turned by the gusts of wind, and the propeller then turns a shaft. This turning shaft is connected to a generator. The spinning action cranks the generator, which then produces electricity. The process is exactly like hydropower, but with wind acting as the energy source instead of flowing water. Just one wind turbine set up in an area will not produce very much electricity, and is not very good for powering large areas - these small turbines are usually used to power just one farm or house or occasionally to pump water.

Wind farms, on the other hand, are more powerful because there is a large grouping of the wind turbines in one area, all working in unison to produce electricity. The energy can then be run to whole communities through existing utility grids or stored in battery-like storage cells. Wind turbines can be set up to face the wind or face away from the wind. Modern wind turbines can also turn to catch the wind as it gusts from different angles, a factor which makes them far more efficient than before. The larger the turbine's blades and the taller the turbine's height will increase the efficiency as well.

The exact efficiency of wind farms is nearly impossible to pinpoint. The problem is found in the factors that go into the analysis. The terrain, amount of wind, size of turbines and so on varies from wind farm to farm. There is no constant, which makes it difficult to nail down general efficiency ratings. In general, a single wind turbine will convert about 20 percent of the energy in wind to electricity. The most efficient production occurs between five and 20 miles an hour of wind speed. This general 20 percent efficiency rating is roughly seven to five percent more efficient than solar power, but sunlight is constant whereas wind is not.

While wind technology has not yet progressed to a point where no energy is lost while harnessing it, it is fair to say that the platform is favorable compared to other renewable sources. It may take a while for the whole world to catch on to using the power of the wind, but it's definitely fast becoming an important alternative energy source. Countries such as Germany are certainly investing a lot into the platform.

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com. Visit us for more wind farm articles.

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