How Well You Know About Wind Energy? Trivia

Explanation
The correct answer is 8 months. This means that it takes a turbine 8 months to generate enough electricity to offset the amount of electricity used in its manufacturing process. During these 8 months, the turbine needs to operate and generate electricity continuously in order to recover the energy used in its production.

Explanation
The simplest way to think about this is to imagine that a wind turbine works in exactly the opposite way to a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, turbines use the wind to make electricity. Almost all wind turbines producing electricity consist of rotor blades that rotate around a horizontal hub. The hub is connected to a gearbox and generator, which are located inside the nacelle. The nacelle is the large part at the top of the tower where all the electrical components are located. Most wind turbines have three blades that face into the wind; the wind turns the blades round, this spins the shaft, which connects to a generator and this is where the electricity is made. A generator is a machine that produces electrical energy from mechanical energy, as opposed to an electric motor which does the opposite. You can see an animation of this here.

Explanation
a wind turbine typically lasts around 20-25 years. During this time, as with a car, some parts may need replacing. The very first of the mass-produced turbines celebrated its 20th birthday in May 2000. The Vestas 30kW machine has operated steadily throughout its lifetime, with none of the major components needing to be replaced.

Explanation
One 1.8 MW wind turbine at a reasonable site would produce over 4,7 million units of electricity each year, enough to meet the annual needs of over 1,000 households, or to run a computer for over 1,620 years.

Explanation
There is always low frequency noise present in any ambient quiet background and it can be produced by a variety of man-made sources, including machinery and transport and natural sources such as the sea, wind and thunder. It has been repeatedly shown by measurements of wind turbine noise undertaken in the UK, Denmark, Germany and the USA over the past decade, and accepted by experienced noise professionals, that the levels of low frequency noise and vibration radiated from modern, upwind configuration wind turbines are at a very low level, so low that they lie below the threshold of perception.

Explanation
Wind turbines produce electricity approximately 75%-80% of the time. This is because wind is not constant and varies in speed and direction. Wind turbines require a minimum wind speed to start generating electricity, known as the cut-in speed, and they also have a maximum wind speed, known as the cut-out speed, beyond which they need to shut down for safety reasons. Additionally, maintenance and repairs may also cause temporary downtime. Therefore, wind turbines are operational and producing electricity for a significant portion of the time, but not constantly.

Explanation
Swedish energy giant Vattenfall said the 100 turbines are expected to generate enough electricity to power 200,000 homes. Energy Secretary Chris Huhne is visiting the project, which has been built seven miles (12km) off Foreness Point in Thanet. Construction work at the £780m wind farm began two years ago and was completed in June. Continue reading the main story “ Energy Secretary The 380ft (115m) tall turbines are spread over an area of more than 35 sq km and are visible from the shore on a clear day. There are currently about 250 wind farms operating in the UK, with a further 12 offshore, with 2,909 turbines in operation in total.

Explanation
The Sun creates wind through the process of convection. When the Sun heats up the Earth's surface, the air above it also gets heated and becomes less dense. This warm, less dense air rises and creates an area of low pressure. The surrounding cooler air then rushes in to fill this void, creating wind. Therefore, the Sun's heat is responsible for the creation of wind.

Explanation
The correct answer is 5% because it is the lowest percentage among the options provided. This implies that the smallest proportion of people like wind turbines compared to the other percentages given.

Explanation
The correct answer is 5%. This suggests that a very small percentage of people like wind turbines. It could be due to various reasons such as aesthetic concerns, noise pollution, or potential impact on wildlife. However, without further information, it is difficult to determine the exact reasons behind this low percentage.

Explanation
One 1.8 MW wind turbine at a reasonable site would produce over 4,7 million units of electricity each year, enough to meet the annual needs of over 1,000 households, or to run a computer for over 1,620 years.