Storing Wind Energy in Batteries

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As the amount of fossil fuels and mineral deposits used by electric companies dwindles, efforts are now being made to look for alternative sources of energy.  The need for alternative energy sources is also high due to the growing amount of electricity that is needed to power up modern homes and business establishments.  The quest for alternative sources of energy is not necessarily a difficult one.  Mother Nature has a bountiful supply of energy sources that are renewable and are capable of providing the same amount of electricity that fossil fuels do in order to power homes and business establishments. Alternative sources of energy can perform with the same, if not better, efficiency that fossil fuels and mineral deposits do.  One source of renewable energy currently being used to provide an alternative source of electricity to power homes in the United States today is wind energy.

Wind energy, as the term implies, is energy harvested from the wind.  When wind passes through, it releases kinetic energy, which through the use of wind turbines can be harvested and converted into electrical energy.  Wind energy is one renewable energy source that has been used in many countries for centuries.  In Holland, wind energy was harvested through the use of windmills to help increase the production of flour in the olden days.  Today, the same concept behind the windmill is being used in the many wind turbines that are seen being constructed throughout the country.

If your community has not provided an alternative source of electricity for your daily consumption, you can generate your own electricity by constructing a wind turbine in your back yard.  Construction of a homemade wind turbine requires only minimal cash output on your part, which does not go beyond a few hundred dollars.

How does this work?

The blades on the rotor shaft turn as the wind passes through it, generating mechanical energy.  This mechanical energy is then absorbed by a generator that converts it into electrical energy.  This electrical energy can then be used to power your home.  The electricity generated by tapping into the power of the wind steadily provides electricity in your home even if you are not using any electrical appliances.  So that no amount of kinetic energy goes to waste, wind turbines are often equipped with storage batteries.

The turbine’s batteries are charged with the electricity generated by the wind turbine when the electricity is not currently being utilized.  It is charged in the same manner as the conventional rechargeable battery you use for your video camera or cell phone.  When you are going to use your electric appliances at home, the electricity stored in these batteries is the first to be used until it is drained out.  Only after the stored energy has been depleted will the wind turbine directly provide electricity in your home.  When you go to sleep in the evening, the batteries are charged again with the electricity generated by the wind energy.  This means you will wake up with a full storage of energy that can be utilized by the appliances in your household.