Throughout history, humans and animals have harnessed the energy of the wind. All over the world, sailboats and windmills can be found. Early windmills were also used to pump water and grind grain.

In the late 1800s, many parts of the world were starting to use electricity. In 1887, in Glasgow, Scotland, a small windmill was used for the first time to generate electricity for one cottage. As demand for electricity began to grow quickly around the world, interest in wind energy faded because wind technology could not keep up with the energy demand.

However, over the last two decades, attention on the environmental and economic effects of using inexhaustible resources has brought wind energy back into the picture. Today, wind is the fastest- growing segment of the energy industry.

At the heart of the wind energy industry is the wind turbine. A wind turbine is a large, fan-like structure used to capture wind energy. As the wind turns the rotors, a generator transforms the mechanical energy of the wind into electrical energy. Wind farms are groups of wind turbines that work together to produce higher amounts of electrical energy.

Advantages and Limitations
Like solar energy, the amount of electrical energy that can be produced from the wind in a given location is dependent on a few factors. The average wind speed and distance between the wind farm and the consumer must be considered, as well as the amount of time the wind blows.

However, wind energy produces no waste or carbon emissions, is inexhaustible, and, in the long run, is fairly inexpensive. Most, if not all, of the expenses for wind energy production come from the building and maintenance of the wind turbines and farms. The fuel is free, and there is an infinite supply of it.

Wind farms have a few limitations. They require large amounts of land. Air pressure changes caused by the blades of the turbines also have some negative effects on wild bird and bat populations, and could have effects on their migratory paths. Because a lot of wind energy comes from farms on coastal areas, there is also debate as to whether the farms could interfere with marine environments, including whale migration. Many people also claim that the visual impact of the turbines and farms makes them unappealing.