HOW WIND FARMS WORK
This technology uses turbines to convert great gusts into electricity
WORDS AILSA HARVEY
Burbo Bank Wind Farm in Liverpool Bay covers 15.4 square miles
O naparticularly windy day, you may be taken aback by the force at which Earth’s air can push against you. This energy is kinetic, but with the help of technology it can be converted into electrical energy. Wind farms are areas of land or sea that are covered with an array of turbines that look like giant windmills.
When the wind blows through the farm, the turbine blades turn, spinning a series of huge magnets. This converts the kinetic energy into electrons, which are carried into an electrical circuit. As this happens, electricity is formed. You can think of wind turbines as the opposite of an electric fan: a fan uses electricity to turn blades and generate a breeze, while turbines reverse this process.