Wind power represents the harnessing of energy from wind and converting it into another useful form of energy.  Throughout history, applications powered by the wind have been used by mankind.  However, these applications were essentially limited to the pumping of water and to the grinding of grains.  Technological advancements have now paved the way to effectively harness the wind to produce electricity. 

How do wind generators work?

Modern wind driven electric generators employ mechanical devices commonly referred to as wind turbines.  These turbines utilize large fan or propeller-like blades to tap into the wind’s energy.  The force of the wind causes the blades to rotate, which in turn provides the mechanical force necessary to drive an attached electrical generator that produces the resulting electrical current.  Typically, greater wind speeds will lead to higher electric outputs.  As a rule, the generation of electricity will fluctuate along with variations in wind speed.  For this reason, wind turbines are best located in areas with sufficient annual wind speeds.

Information relating to the geographic elements of potential wind turbine placement as well as other related data can be obtained from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Progress Energy's Wind Power Projects

• Small-scale Wind Turbines: We are developing a program in North Carolina and Florida to install and test small wind turbines around our service territory. The goal of this program is to test the potential for small-scale, grid-tied, distributed wind-generation projects in the 1 to 100 kW range. We have identified several micro-turbine vendors and are working toward an agreement with them. An announcement is expected in 2009.
• Wind Feasibility Study: We partnered with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study the potential for wind power in North Carolina.

Wind For Schools

Progress Energy Carolinas is a partner in the first rural wind power education program east of the Mississippi River. The Madison County Wind for Schools program is a regional partnership that installed small wind turbines at two schools in Madison County, N.C., and developed a K-12 alternative-energy curriculum. This is part of an effort to introduce wind power to rural communities and initiate community discussions around the benefits and challenges of alternative-energy resources. Progress Energy sponsored the 2-kilowatt wind turbine at Hot Springs Elementary School. Another turbine was installed at Madison High School and a third was installed at the Madison County Cooperative Extension Office.   The partnership includes the Appalachian Regional Commission, Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation and Development, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Progress Energy Carolinas, French Broad EMC, the Madison County School System, the Madison County Cooperative Extension Service, Appalachian State University, Sundance Power and Southwest Wind Power.   The Madison County Wind for Schools project is modeled after the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind for Schools initiative.