These wind turbines work according to a very simple principle, making the most of the wind’s force, which in this case acts as a source of primary energy. By spinning its blades, it produces kinetic energy and a generator then converts this kinetic energy into electrical energy.
The amount of energy that a wind farm can produce depends on the location, the size of the turbines, and the length of their blades. The capacity of wind turbines has been increasing over time, thanks to the research and development in this field. In 1985, the most common turbine model had a capacity of 0.05 megawatts (MW) and a rotor diameter of 15 meters. The large wind energy projects currently have a turbine capacity greater than 5 MW.
The continuous advances in the manufacturing and design of wind turbines, combined with the improvement in infrastructures, have managed to notably reduce the costs of wind energy and have reaffirmed its position as a key driver in the energy transition. According to WindEurope, in 2021 European wind farms generated 437 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, covering 15% of demand on average, although in several countries it surpassed 20% of electricity coverage, such as in Portugal (26%), Spain (24%), and Germany (23%).