WIND POWER

Wind power means the simple conversion of wind energy into electricity, using wind turbines. In windmills, wind energy is directly employed to crush grain or to pump water. In 2006, worldwide capacity of wind-powered generators was 73.9 gigawatts. Although wind currently produces a mere over 1% of world-wide electricity use, it accounts for approximately 20% of electricity production in Denmark, 9% in Spain, and 7% in Germany. Globally, wind power generation more than quadrupled between 2000 and 2006.Wind power is produced in large scale wind farms connected to electrical grids, and in individual turbines for providing electricity to remote isolated locations. Wind energy is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions when it displaces fossil-fuel-derived electricity. The intermittency of wind seldom creates insurmountable problems when using wind power to supply up to roughly 10% of total electrical demand (low to moderate penetration), but it presents challenges that are not yet fully solved when wind is to be used for a larger fraction of demand. There are many thousands of wind turbines operating, with a total capacity of 73,904 MW of which wind power in Europe accounts for 65% (2006). The average output of one megawatt of wind power is equivalent to the average electricity consumption of about 250 American households. Wind power was the most rapidly-growing means of alternative electricity generation at the turn of the 20th century. World wind generation capacity more than quadrupled between 2000 and 2006. In some countries (Spain and Denmark) wind supplies 10% or more of the nation's electricity. 81% of wind power installations are in the US and Europe, but the share of the top five countries in terms of new installations fell from 71% in 2004 to 55% in 2005.By 2010, the World Wind Energy Association expects 160GW of capacity to be installed worldwide, up from 73.9GW at the end of 2006, implying an anticipated net growth rate of more than 21% per year. India ranks 4th in the world with a total wind power capacity of 6,270 MW in 2006, or 3% of all electricity produced in India. The World Wind Energy Conference in New Delhi in November 2006 has given additional impetus to the Indian wind industry. The windfarm near Muppandal, Tamil Nadu, India, provides an impoverished village with energy for work. India-based Suzlon Energy is one of the world's largest wind turbine manufacturers.