Wind farm facts for kids

The Whitelee Wind Farm in Scotland

The Meyersdale Wind Project in southern Pennsylvania

A wind farm is a place where many wind turbines are grouped together. These tall turbines use the power of wind to make electricity. Wind farms can be very large, with hundreds of turbines spread across many miles. They can be built on land (onshore) or in the sea (offshore).

The biggest wind farms on land are often found in the United States. For example, the Roscoe Wind Farm in Texas is one of the largest, making a lot of power (781.5 megawatts). Another big one is the Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center (735.5 megawatts). For offshore wind farms, the Thanet Offshore Wind Project in the United Kingdom is a very large one (300 megawatts). Another big offshore farm is Horns Rev II (209 megawatts) in Denmark.

How Wind Farms Work

Wind farms use special machines called wind turbines. These turbines have large blades that spin when the wind blows. This spinning motion turns a generator inside the turbine. The generator then creates electricity. This electricity is sent through power lines to homes and businesses.

Making Clean Energy

Wind power is a type of renewable energy. This means the source of the energy, wind, will not run out. Using wind to make electricity is also good for the environment. It does not create pollution or greenhouse gases. This helps to fight climate change.

Where Wind Farms Are Built

Wind farms need windy places to work well. This is why many are built on open plains, hilltops, or along coastlines. Offshore wind farms are built in the sea where winds are often stronger and more steady. Building them offshore also means they take up less land space.

Big Wind Farms Around the World

Many countries are building more wind farms. They want to use clean energy. Here are some examples of large wind farms:

• The San Gorgonio Pass wind farm in California, United States, is a very old and large wind farm.
• The Biglow Canyon Wind Farm in Oregon, United States, is another big one.
• The Whitelee Wind Farm in the UK is the largest onshore wind farm there.
• Canunda Wind Farm in South Australia shows how wind power is used down under.
• Tafila Wind Farm in Jordan is the first large wind farm in that region.
• Gouda Wind Facility in South Africa is an important project for clean energy there.

Images for kids

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  The San Gorgonio Pass wind farm in California, United States.

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  Map of available wind power over the United States. Colour codes indicate wind power density class

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  Part of the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm, Oregon, United States with a turbine under construction

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  An aerial view of Whitelee Wind Farm, the largest onshore wind farm in the UK and second-largest in Europe

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  Offshore wind turbines near Copenhagen, Denmark.

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  The Australian Canunda Wind Farm, South Australia at sunrise

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  Wind farm in Xinjiang, China

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  A wind farm in a mountainous area in Galicia, Spain

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  A wind farm overlooking Bada Bagh, India

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  The Tafila Wind Farm in Jordan, is the first large scale wind farm in the region.

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  Jhimpir Wind Farm, Pakistan

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  Gouda Wind Facility, South Africa.

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  San Gorgonio Pass wind farm, California

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  Livestock near a wind turbine

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  Wind turbines overlooking Ardrossan, Scotland

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  Wind farm interference (in yellow circle) on radar map

See also

In Spanish: Parque eólico para niños