What’s So Special About Wind?

Wind is the movement of air in the Earth’s atmosphere. Wind is

caused by the sun. The Sun heats the Earth and when hot air
rises, cooler air rushes in to replace it. This flow of air is wind.

Did You Know...?

Wind speeds are different depending on:
The strongest
• wheregust of wind
in the world(non-tornadic)
you are; in Australia
was recorded at 408km/h
• the season over
you are in;Barrow Island in 1996.
• the features or topography of the landscape around you.
Coasts, hills and mountains are windier than inland low-
lying areas. Wind speeds increase the higher you are.

Wind energy is a renewable energy source and as long as the

Sun exists, wind will exist in the Earth’s atmosphere.
What is Energy From the Wind Called?

Energy from the wind is wind energy or wind power.

Wind power has been used for thousands of years for pumping
water or milling grain into flour. One of the first windmills in
Australia can be found in Brisbane and dates back to 1828.

Today, wind power is generated by wind turbines, also called

windmills.

In 2018, almost 6% of global electricity came from the wind

and there were 94 wind farms in Australia. The largest farm is
the Macarthur Wind Farm in Victoria.
In 2020, wind was providing Australia 35.9% of its clean
energy and 9.9% of its overall electricity.
How Do We Produce Wind Energy?
A wind turbine is a tall structure that can range in size from 25
to 180 metres tall.

At the top, a wind turbine has three long blades that turn in the
wind. Each of these blades can be 20 to 80 metres long.
Did You Know...?
The blades can turn from 13 to 20 times a minute depending on
One wind turbine can generate up to 6.5 million units of
the size
electricity every year.of the turbine
That’s and how
enough power strong
to run the wind is.
a computer
for 2250 years.
The blades are connected by gears to a generator and when
they turn, they generate electricity. This electricity is then
carried through power cables to the electricity supply network.

Wind turbines can be built in any area where there is wind.

Offshore Wind Farms

Offshore wind farms are more expensive to construct but they

can generate more power than onshore wind farms. This is
because the wind is stronger and more consistent off the coast.

There are plans in Australia for an offshore wind farm called

the Star of the South. It is planned to be built in a 496 square
kilometre area off the Gippsland coast in Victoria. This farm
could provide up to 20% of the energy Victoria needs. That’s
enough for 1.2 million homes.

The electricity generated by this wind farm would travel along

subsea cables before coming ashore to substations and then
into Victoria’s electricity supply network.
 -
It’s Not All Good or Bad

•
+
Wind Energy Advantages
Wind energy is clean and does not
Wind Energy Disadvantages
• Birds can be killed by the blades of a wind
cause pollution. turbine.
• Wind energy will not run out. It is a • It is not always windy. There can be very
windy days and on some days no wind at
renewable energy.
all. No wind means no electricity.
• Australia has some windy areas that
are ideal for windCan
farms.you think of some more advantages
• Wind turbines cannot operate if the wind is
too strong.
• Wind turbines can be placed on or disadvantages?
• Some people do not like the landscape and
farmland without disrupting the farm. their views being changed because of wind
The farmer can still use the turbines.
surrounding land. • Noise can be an annoyance to people living
• Some remote places that are not close to a wind turbine.
• The construction of offshore wind farms
connected to the main electricity can harm marine life in these areas.
supply can use wind turbines to
generate electricity (e.g. King Island). • Offshore wind farms mean that these
• fishing grounds are no longer an option for
It creates jobs.
fishing boats.
 What Do You Think?
Australia has some ideal locations and conditions for capturing and producing
energy from the wind.

What do you think of wind power and how can we create energy from wind?