The wind has enormous potential to generate electricity. It is estimated that there are enough sites in Europe to install some 400 000 wind-powered generators, which would be enough to produce three times as much electricity as is required today in all the countries on that continent.
Modern generators of this type differ from the old windmills in that they basically consist of giant two or three blade propellers, called rotors, mounted on top of steel or concrete towers. The rotors rotate an axis that drives an electric generator.
The size of the blades and the height of the tower determine the amount of energy that can be generated. Generally, the wind is stronger at higher altitudes, and the force used depends on the swept surface of the blades. If the length of the blades is doubled, the energy is quadrupled. The most important thing is the wind speed: if the force of the wind doubles, it produces eight times more energy, for example.
However, wind generators do not need violent gusts to function. Mostly designed to operate with winds from force 3 to force 10 (21 to 97 km/h) on the Beaufort scale. Above force 10 the machines are automatically switched off to prevent them from flying into pieces.
Usually these generators produce almost the same energy continuously. They have been designed to produce a stable amount of electricity rather than to take advantage of occasional bursts.
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