What Is Wind Power?

Answer:

Wind power is power which is derived from wind. There are a number of ways to collect and use wind power, and wind power is among the most ancient forms of energy used by humans. Windmills, wind turbines, and sails all utilize wind power to some extent, and these collection methods can be used in a variety of ways. Wind power is considered to be a form of clean energy, since wind is an entirely renewable resource. As of 2008, around one percent of the world's energy was coming from wind power, with the industry growing by leaps and bounds.

Wind power is actually a form of solar power, because wind is caused by heat from the sun. Solar radiation heats every part of the Earth’s surface, but not evenly or at the same speed. Different surfaces — sand, water, stone and various types of soil — absorb, retain, reflect and release heat at different rates, and the Earth generally gets warmer during daylight hours and cooler at night. As a result, the air above the Earth’s surface also warms and cools at different rates. Hot air rises, reducing the atmospheric pressure near the Earth’s surface, which draws in cooler air to replace it. That movement of air is what we call wind.