Off-Grid Stuff

Like solar panels, windmills are also possibilities that are being fast explored as an energy alternative solution. In fact, windmills (also known as wind turbines or wind generators) are being used to drive much bigger machines than those that are run by the solar energy cells. For example, wind power has been used for centuries to power grain mills or large water pumps. Because of the amount of power and torque the turbines are able to produce, they can be effectively used to generate enough power to run a television, a personal computer or a refrigerator.

Wind turbines in Wainstalls, near Halifax. Photo: K. Ali

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Wind generator is a device that uses wind energy to produce electrical power. In most cases it’s commonly referred to as wind turbine. There are of course some wind generators that are not wind turbines, for example so called windbelts, that have almost no practical use.

Wind generators are used to produce energy on off-grid sites, but are also very commonly used as renewable energy source for national energy grid. If installed off-grid, as energy source for autonomous systems, need to be connected to battery bank that stores the energy. (more…)