Nolan

==**Wind energy is energy obtained from moving air. The motion results from the heating and cooling of the Earth; thus, wind energy is an indirect form of solar energy. It is normally turned into useful energy by the action of wind currents on moving surfaces such as the sails of a ship or the blades of a windmill. Wind energy is one of the oldest forms of energy used to supplement human muscle.**== Windmills and other spinning wind-energy devices - more accurately known as wind turbines - were used for grinding grain by the 7th century AD, and were in wide use for this purpose and for pumping water by the Middle Ages; they were brought by the French to Canada in the 17th century and were commonly used for grinding grain. Ships have used sails for at least 3000-4000 years. Before the advent of rural electrification systems, wind turbines were also used to generate electricity on farms in N America, notably on the Canadian prairies. The advantage of wind-energy systems is that they tap an inexhaustible energy source that has no competing uses; hence, there is no fuel cost. The disadvantage is that wind conditions are unpredictable: they are subject to gusting and becalming, to daily and seasonal variations in strength, and to interactions with local topographic features. To meet a continuous demand such as a community's lighting and heating, a wind-energy system must either be integrated with other energy sources or include a means of storing energy for use during calm periods. If the demand is not continuous (eg, in agricultural water systems or unscheduled water transportation) wind energy can be employed very usefully.

[|Wind turbines] are motors or turbines that are placed inside wind turbine generators.

The reawakening of interest in wind-energy conversion systems is the result of increasing energy demands and the relatively high costs of conventional energy sources. New wind-energy conversion equipment uses advanced aerodynamic features, modern structural design and new materials. The revival encompasses not only land-based systems but also commercial marine applications. New sail configurations have been devised to improve ship performance dramatically. However, the greatest effort has been focused on land-based generation of electric power using high-speed wind turbines.

People used wind energy for a long time. The world was explored by ships before engines were even invented. Over a million wind turbines pumped water and provided electricity to farms in North America. The interest in wind energy was started by the need to develop clean, good and stable energy systems that can be relied on for the future. Modern engineering have improved wind turbines. They now provide stable, affordable, pollution-free energy for yourself, and community.

Wind energy converts kinetic energy that is in the wind into more useful forms of energy such as electricity. Wind energy is a pollution-free form of energy. It doesn’t use fuel, it doesn’t produce greenhouse gasses, and it doesn’t produce toxic or radioactive waste. Windmills that were used to grind grain are an example of early uses of wind energy. Modern uses of wind energy include generation of electricity and pumping water. Current wind energy machines are called "wind turbine generators", "wind pumps", or more generally, "wind turbines".