How does wind energy work?



A push from the wind can make a kite fly. It can make a sailing boat speed across the water. It can even light lamps and pump water.



People use wind energy to pump water and make electricity for their homes and other buildings. They do it with the help of a machine called a windmill. Windmills come in different shapes and sizes, but they are all alike in some ways.



They are tall enough to catch the strong winds that blow high above the ground. They also have a wheel, which is the part that spins. The wheel has paddles, sails, or blades for the wind to push against. When the wind blows, the wheel spins. This makes a push that runs a water pump or an electricity-making machine called a generator.



Of course, the wind doesn’t always blow, so the windmill doesn’t always run. But water pumped by the windmill can be stored in tanks. And electricity made when the windmill runs can be stored in batteries. Until the windmill goes back to work, people can use stored-up water and stored-up electricity in their homes. There are even “wind farms”, where many windmills make electricity for whole communities.



Picture Credit : Google