The wind and air can also generate electricity. Wind turbines are better types of windmills. Wind turbine generators consist of a variety of components. The motor converts the power of the wind to the rotating power of the shaft; a gearbox increases speed; and a generator converts the shaft power into electrical power. In some horizontal-axis machines, the pitch of the blades can be adjusted to regulate the speed during normal operation and also to shut down the machine when wind speeds are above normal. In order to summarize it, you could say that wind turbines produce electricity by having wind turn their blades, which turns an attached electrical generator.

Windmills also are used to generate wind power. It is a machine that converts wind into useful energy. This energy is derived from the force of wind acting on oblique blades or sails that radiate from a shaft. The turning shaft may be connected to machinery used to perform such work as milling grain, pumping water, or generating electricity. When the shaft is connected to a load, such as a pump, the device is typically called a windmill. When it is used to generate electricity, it is known as a wind turbine generator. Some windmills were used to grind grain in Asia 2400 years ago. They were introduced to Europe in the 1100’s. In the Netherlands, windmills have been used to pump water from low-lying land since the 1400’s. Did you know that the largest windmill has blades of about 100 feet long?