Wind energy

Wind power is a renewable energy source which is used to generate electricity.

In this article you can learn about:

• Where wind comes from
• What happens inside a wind turbine
• What the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy are

This resource is suitable for energy and sustainability topics for primary school learners.

Learn about wind energy and its advantages and disadvantages in this video.

Wind is created when the Sun warms air in our atmosphere.

The air is heated more in places with more sun. When air is heated, it rises. Cold air rushes in to replace it, making wind.

This air is moving so it has kinetic energy.

Learn more about where wind comes from here: What is wind?

Humans have been using the energy of the wind for thousands of years for example as sails for boats, as windmills to grind grain and make flour, and windpumps to pump water.

Wind turbines turn energy from the wind into electricity.

Turbines turn so that they face into the wind. The turbine blades are shaped so that even low winds will push them round. Kinetic energy from the moving air is transferred to the spinning blades.

The blades turn a shaft which is connected to a gearbox. Here the slow spin of this shaft is used to spin a much faster second shaft.

The second shaft is attached to a generator. Inside the generator are magnets which spin round very fast past coils of copper wire. The spinning magnets make electricity start to flow through the copper wire. Kinetic energy is changed to electrical energy which travels through cables to the National Grid.

Wind turbines work best in open places where no obstacles block the wind. They are often part of larger wind farms which are often high up on hills or out at sea.

Onshore wind is Scotland’s main source of renewable energy. In 2020 about 70% of electricity generated in Scotland came from onshore wind.

Offshore wind is the third biggest source of electricity, after hydro. Windfarms like Beatrice Offshore Windfarm power hundreds of thousands of homes.

Advantages of wind power

• Wind power is renewable and an unlimited resource – we will never run out of wind.
• Wind power creates no carbon emissions and is not harmful to the environment.
• Electricity from wind power is cheap once turbines are set up.

Learn more about how wind affects people and the environment: How does the wind affect daily life?

Disadvantages of wind power

• When there is no wind, windfarms do not generate any electricity.
• In some places wind farms can harm birds that nest in or fly through the area.
• Some people think wind farms spoil the view of the sea or countryside.

Kinetic energy – Energy that an object possesses because of its movement. A ball being thrown through the air has kinetic energy because it is moving. The kinetic energy of the wind turns the blades on the wind turbine generating electricity.

Shaft – A long pole. The shaft is part of the wind turbine that turns, helping to generate electricity. The energy in the wind turns the blades that are connected to the main shaft, which turns and spins a second shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity.

Generator – A machine that is used to make electricity. When the generator head is turned, this energy is converted to electrical energy.

Copper coils – A generator contains coils of copper wire. When a ring of magnets spins, electricity starts to flow through the wires.

Draw a diagram to describe:

1. How wind is created from the Sun.
2. How a wind turbine creates electricity.