What Is Wind Most Used For?
Wind refers to the movement of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. It is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by the Sun. Wind flows can be channeled and intensified by geographic features like mountains, valleys, bodies of water, and vegetation. Wind is a renewable energy source that can be harnessed and used for various applications.
Today, wind is used in several major ways: for generating electricity through wind turbines, pumping water for irrigation and drinking, powering mills that grind grain, propelling ships and land vehicles, turning mechanical devices, ventilating buildings, powering recreational activities like sailing and kite flying, and providing data for weather prediction models.
Generating Electricity
Wind turbines convert wind energy into electricity. The wind turns the blades of the turbine, which spin a shaft connected to a generator to produce electricity. Utility-scale wind farms have hundreds of wind turbines that provide power to the electrical grid. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global wind energy capacity reached 743 GW in 2020, led by China with over 35% of capacity. The IEA projects global wind capacity to reach around 1,400 GW by 2026. 1
In the United States, wind energy capacity was 122 GW in 2020, generating around 8.4% of total U.S. electricity generation. However, wind power is the fastest growing renewable energy source in the country, with average annual capacity additions of over 13 GW from 2016-2020. The U.S. Department of Energy has set a goal to reach 500 GW of land-based and offshore wind capacity by 2050. 2 3
Pumping Water
Wind pumps have a long history of being used to pump water for agricultural, livestock, and residential needs. The earliest wind-powered water pumps date back to the 9th century AD in what is now Iran and Pakistan (History of Windmills). These early windmills used the wind to turn a wheel that was connected to a pump, drawing water up from underground wells or rivers.
In the 1850s, American inventor Daniel Halladay created a self-regulating windmill water pump that allowed the speed of the wheel to adjust to the changing wind speeds (Wikipedia). This made the pumps much more efficient and reliable. Wind pump technology continued to advance in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today, wind pumps are still used around the world to provide water for irrigation, livestock, and homes, especially in remote locations without electricity. They are a sustainable solution that takes advantage of the free power of the wind. Modern wind pumps come in a variety of sizes and can pump significant volumes of water from hundreds of feet underground.
Milling Grain
Windmills have been used for milling grains like wheat since ancient times. The earliest known design is the vertical post mill, originated around 7th century Persia. These windmills were huge rectangular structures with rotating shaft and sails on top, designed to rotate millstones and grind grain inside the building. They gradually were introduced to China and spread across Europe by 12th century.
Windmills became more advanced over time, evolving into designs like the tower mill which had rotating cap and could be turned to face the wind. They allowed for automation of grinding grains, freeing up human labor and becoming indispensable tools. By late 19th century, over 30,000 windmills were estimated across Europe.
While large automated facilities are used for most milling today, some windmills are still found in rural areas around the world grinding grains. In Cape Cod, some historic windmills that date back to the 1600s are preserved and used for small scale milling. The old-fashioned wind-powered process continues traditions and produces fresh stone-ground flour.
Transportation
Wind power has long been used to propel sailing ships across the oceans. For centuries, sailing vessels harnessed the wind using large masts and sails to traverse the seas for trade and exploration. In modern times, some cargo ships and passenger ferries have incorporated new technologies to utilize wind energy and reduce fuel consumption.
The sailing ship Pyxis Ocean, launched in 2023, uses automated rigid sails called WindWings to supplement its engines. These vertical wings function like airplane wings, generating lift and propulsion from the wind. During a 2022 test voyage from China to Brazil, the WindWings system decreased the ship’s fuel use and emissions by an estimated 30%. Other shipping companies are now working on integrating similar wing sail systems to tap into wind power and improve fuel efficiency.
Generating Mechanical Power
Early windmills converted wind into mechanical power for tasks like sawing wood. The earliest known windmills were developed in Sistan, Afghanistan as early as the 7th century CE. These “panemone” windmills had vertical sails that spun a horizontal shaft connected to a millstone used for grinding grain or drawing up water.
Windmills became widespread across the Middle East and Central Asia in the Middle Ages, allowing rural areas to convert wind power into mechanical power for milling and irrigation when water power was not available. The Dutch refined windmill technology in the 17th century, using it to drain lakes and marshes and allowing expansion of farmland.
Some modern wind turbines directly power mechanical processes rather than generating electricity. These mechanical wind turbines are sometimes used for pumping water or milling grain in rural areas without access to an electric grid. Their simple design makes them ideal for operation and maintenance in remote locations.
Ventilation
Wind towers and other passive ventilation designs harness wind to naturally ventilate buildings and spaces. These systems use the natural pressure created by wind to drive fresh outdoor air into structures without the use of mechanical ventilation or air conditioning.
One traditional design is the wind tower, also known as a windcatcher, which functions as a tall chimney to catch wind above the building. The wind tower creates a pressure difference that pulls air down through the tower and into the building below (Wikipedia). Modern wind towers may incorporate turbines or other elements to enhance airflow. Research shows properly designed wind towers can significantly reduce the need for mechanical ventilation and air conditioning, saving energy (Dehghani-sanij, 2015).
Passive wind ventilation is important for both temperature regulation and indoor air quality. By continually bringing in fresh outdoor air, wind towers dilute indoor pollutants and remove heat, helping maintain comfortable conditions without energy-intensive mechanical systems.
Recreation
Many recreational activities rely on wind power for propulsion and enjoyment. Popular wind sports include sailing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, paragliding, hang gliding, landboarding, wingsuit flying, and skydiving. Prime locations for wind sports often become tourist destinations as well, with windy coastlines, mountains, and deserts drawing enthusiasts from around the world.
Sailing has depended on wind power for millennia, with modern yachts, catamarans, and sailboats providing both recreation and competition. Windsurfing originated in the 1960s and involves a board with a freely rotating sail, allowing amazing maneuvers as riders harness the wind. Kiteboarding emerged in the 1990s, using large powerful kites to propel riders across waves, jumps, and other features. Many other sports like paragliding and landboarding take advantage of wind for lift, speed, and aerial acrobatics.
Areas like Hawaii, the Columbia River Gorge, and Namibia have become renown destinations for wind sports, with constant winds creating incredible conditions. Tourism often develops around these wind sport hotspots, boosting local economies. For decades, wind has enabled thrilling recreational activities that allow participants to harness the incredible power of nature.
Sources:
https://www.rookieroad.com/sports-lists/list-of-wind-sports-a-z/
https://windy.app/blog/the-complete-guide-to-windsports.html
Weather Prediction
Monitoring wind patterns has long been crucial for predicting coming weather. Historically, wind vanes and anemometers have been used to observe wind speed and direction. This data helps meteorologists identify air masses and frontal boundaries, which indicate changing weather. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “By the late 19th century, weather data were being collected from the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, from balloons, and from the newly invented aeroplanes.”
Today, weather balloons obtain high-altitude wind data that is fed into computer forecast models. Weather satellites now provide visual images of cloud patterns and movements across entire regions. Buoys floating in the oceans also record wind speeds and relay the data to forecasters via satellite. All of this wind information is combined with other weather data like temperature, air pressure, and humidity to generate forecasts using sophisticated mathematical models. Accurately predicting the wind patterns in the next hours and days allows meteorologists to reliably forecast coming storms, cold fronts, precipitation, and other weather events.
Conclusion
Throughout history, wind has been an important natural resource used for many essential functions. The earliest known use of wind power dates back over 5,000 years to ancient Egypt, when sails were first used to propel boats along the Nile River. Sails enabled faster transportation and expanded trade and exploration.
Windmills were also among the first machines harnessing wind. They were used since ancient times all the way through the Middle Ages for milling grains like wheat and corn to produce flour for food. Wind-powered mills were a crucial technology, allowing people to grind more grain than by hand and facilitating the growth of civilization.
In modern times, wind is most importantly used for generating electricity. Wind turbines convert kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical power and then electrical power. Countries around the world are increasingly investing in wind farms to produce renewable energy without emitting greenhouse gases or pollution.
Wind power will continue to be an essential resource. As an abundant, clean, and renewable source of energy, wind has helped drive progress throughout history and will be a key technology for fighting climate change and powering the future in a sustainable way.
