What are the Several Uses of Wind Energy?

How we can use wind energy in our life?

Wind energy is a technology that captures natural resources, i.e., wind in the environment, and converts it into mechanical energy. Usually, we use air motion to generate electricity.

The wind is a natural resource, and it varies from region to region based on factors like topography, geography, season, etc. That is why some locations on the Earth experience excellent wind speed that is perfectly suitable for the usage of wind power, whereas; some other regions are little poor in terms of wind energy.

For example – the area near the coasts and offshores is ideal for wind energy as these areas have very few obstacles to slow down the wind speed.

The mechanism used to convert wind motion into mechanical energy is termed as a turbine. It is a huge structure having large spinning blades. The turbines look like giant fans installed in an open field.  Further, the blades of the turbines are connected to an electromagnetic generator. When the wind motion spins the blades of turbines, it creates mechanical energy, i.e., electricity.

Wind energy is an eco-friendly and clean renewable energy resource that does not cause pollution. Wind energy has played an essential role in our development. It is harmless, pollution-free, and uses renewable energy resources. Well, wind energy can also be used in other ways, apart from generating electricity. Some of the uses of wind energy, along with examples, are given below.

How Do We Use Wind Energy?

Since wind is a sustainable energy source so we can use it for a variety of purposes, the kinetic energy of the wind can be used in multiple ways. Some of the uses of wind energy include-

To generate electricity

This is the primary use of wind energy. The wind turbines are installed in wind farms to convert wind power into energy. The world’s first wind turbine was built by Scottish academic James Blyth in 1887 to provide electricity for his own holiday home’s lighting.

Today we use the same technology to power many homes and buildings by installing large scale wind turbines.

For transportation purposes

Wind energy has been used for transportation purposes in the form of sailboats. In recent times, we must have seen that we are using wind power for sailing both small and large ships without any difficulty.

Many shipping companies of the modern era are preparing to use wind energy once again by installing large kites to some vessels and giant cargo ships. Further, it is an eco-friendly initiative that will help to protect the environment by minimizing fuel consumption (up to 30% inadequate conditions).

Wind energy for wind sports

We can also use wind energy for fun purposes, along with power generation and other economic benefits. Wind energy is used for different sports and fun activities that rely on wind power to perform. Some examples of wind sports are-

Sailing

This is one of the most traditional ways of using wind energy. There is nothing new in the use of wind energy for sailing purposes, but to use it for sports and fun activities is something quite interesting. Even we can use wind energy in sailing sports activities where individuals or teams will race to reach the finish line first.

Windsurfing

This is one of the most amazing wind sports full of amusement. Many people love to do windsurfing. Windsurfing is a water surface sport that uses a mast, and a sail remains in attachment with a surfboat. A person stands on the surfboat while operating the sail and enjoys windsurfing moments with the help of wind energy.

Land sailing

This is a similar sport to sailing, but it is performed on the land. There is a small vehicle having wheels and a sail attached to it.

Land sailing is also familiar as sand yachting or land yachting or dirt boarding. It is a wonderful fun sport that involves racing on a wheeled sail powered by wind energy.

Kitesurfing

Kitesurfing is another challenging water sport performed using wind energy. It is becoming a trendy water-sport across the globe. Even you will find many kitesurfing learning centers in different cities in different countries.

As the name suggests, there is a huge kite, having the shape of a crescent moon, fly along the coastlines. In kitesurfing, people ride both the water waves and wind power.

Parasailing

We can call Parasailing as parakiting. It is a similar kind of activity to kitesurfing where a motorboat pulls a person behind. Here the person utilizes beautifully designed, colorful canopy wings that look like a parachute.

Further, you must have seen a lot of people parasailing above the ocean surface hanging in parachute-like sailing wings. They float through the air using wind energy and enjoy the beautiful moments in the air.

Kiteboarding

Similar to kitesurfing, kiteboarding is a fun sport we can perform on the land. In kiteboarding, we employ a small wheeled board instead of a surfboard.

Kite Buggying

This is another sport that uses wind energy. It is similar to kiteboarding. The only difference in kite buggying sport is that here we use a buggy rather than a board. The person who performs kite buggying has to sit in the buggy instead of standing on the board.

Wind energy in food production

This is the traditional use of wind energy. Before the industrial revolution, people were using wind energy for food production. Windmills were used for milling grains so that it could be used for food production like bread.

Now in the advanced world, we are not using these kinds of structures anymore. Now we are using electricity and modern equipment. As a result, factories have become more involved in the production of food items like flour.

Wind power for pumping water

A windpump is another traditional way of using wind energy. Wind pumps look more or less similar to the traditional windmills. However, there is a small difference between windmills and wind pumps. People have been using windmills for milling grains, whereas wind pumps for pumping water.

Traditionally people were using wind pumps to drain the land. However, in modern times, the electric motors have replaced these water pumps to increase the efficiency of pumping water.

Moreover, we can use wind energy in various fields, from generating electricity to enjoyment. It is a brilliant alternative for fossil fuels that not only prevent the environment from pollution but also harmless for our health.

We should focus more on wind energy examples to make new inventions to create a pollution-free environment to maintain sustainability in nature.