How is Wind Formed? What is Wind Energy?

Winds formed due to air pressure difference are of great importance for humanity. Aside from balancing the air temperature, wind is one of the “renewable energy” resources. Check our article for further information on clean energy and renewable energy.

How is Wind Formed?

The main element in the formation of the wind is the temperature differences in the air. As the temperature increases, the atomic particles begin to move faster and their energy levels increase. In cold weathers, on the other hand, the movements of atoms slow down, resulting in a decrease in their energy. Thus, the wind force varies depending on the seasonal conditions besides the wind formation.

What is Wind Energy?

Wind energy is a renewable energy resource and is the main supporting factor in environmental health. Wind energy is the transformation of the kinetic energy of the wind, which is formed as a result of the displacement of the hot and cold air in the atmosphere, into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy. Wind energy has been used for various purposes in the history of humanity, from windmills to water pumping.

Wind turbines and energy systems of today was first applied in Denmark in 1891, when Paul La Cour built an electric turbine with wind energy.

What are the Areas of Use for Wind Energy?

Although wind energy is mostly used for industrial production, it has begun to be preferred in various areas in recent years;

• Park, garden, and street lighting,
• Industry
• Irrigation systems,
• Signaling.

The share of wind energy in energy generation is gradually increasing due to being environmentally-friendly and minimizing fuel costs.

Generating Electricity from Wind Energy

Turbines that generate electrical energy by harnessing the kinetic energy of the wind are categorized as follows according to their axis of rotation;

• Inclined Axis
• Horizontal Axis
• Vertical Axis

With the wind starting to move the turbine blades, kinetic energy first turns into mechanical energy and then into electrical energy with the help of generators and wind energy is used in various aspects of social life, from industries to homes.

Wind Energy in Turkey

Turkey is one of the luckiest geographies in the world in terms of wind energy. According to the Global Wind Report 2022 by Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Turkey, Azerbaijan, Australia and Sri Lanka are the top 4 countries with the highest offshore wind energy potential. The same report highlights the fact that “offshore wind energy” is a scalable, competitive and effective clean energy resource. The potential of Turkey, which does not have an offshore wind power plant yet, is calculated as 70 gigawatts.

Wind Energy Capacity in Turkey

The importance of wind energy was recognized in 1992 and the Turkish Wind Energy Association (TWEA) was founded by the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. TWEA, the most powerful NGO in Turkey in its area, is a member of the European Wind Energy Association (Wind Europe) and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). TWEA follows closely the developments in the sector and organizes researches for maximum profitability in energy. It is of great significance to fulfil the energy requirement of Turkey with the domestic resources as energy is the top imported product in our country and the import amount reached to USD 41,184,553,000 in 2019 alone. The installed capacity of onshore wind energy in Turkey is around 11 gigawatts. As part of Renewable Energy Resource Zones (YEKA) model, Turkey will include 20 gigawatts of installed wind capacity to its electricity system by 2030.

As of July 2019, the number of wind power plants (WPP) in Turkey reached 183, and the number of installed turbines reached 3155. The number of WPPs that the construction works are ongoing is 17. 7615 MWm generated by the active power plants can meet 7.40% of the total electricity requirement in Turkey.

Regional distribution of energy generated at WPPs.

• Aegean Region: 37.74 %
• Marmara Region: 34.04 %
• Mediterranean Region: 13.11 %
• Central Anatolia Region: 10.05 %
• Black Sea Region: 3.68 %
• Southeast Anatolia Region: 1.22 %
• East Anatolia Region: 0.15 %

Increasing Interest in Wind Energy

Technology continues developing rapidly. The developments and innovative works related to wind generators resulted in more and more efficient electricity generation. According to the data released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), 1,273,409 gigawatts of electricity was generated from wind power worldwide between 1990 and 2018. While China hits the top with 350,000 GW electricity generation, the United States follows with a generation of 250,000 GW. Germany ranks the third with 100,000 GW electricity generation. The UK and India follow them and rank in the top 5…

The Global Wind 2019 report issued by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) revealed the increasing interest in wind energy. According to the report, wind power plants with a total capacity of 60.4 GW were established worldwide in 2019 alone. This figure presents that investments in wind energy increased by 19% compared to the previous year.

Why to Invest in Wind Energy?

Investing in renewable energy is of great importance in tackling the climate change due to the global warming. The wind energy potential in Turkey is extremely high. Turkey is among the top 4 countries, particularly in offshore wind energy potential.

So, we can use this power and accelerate transition to clean, green and renewable energy. While meeting the energy requirement in Turkey, we can invest in our future and contribute to efforts in tackling the climate change. That's why wind energy is so important.

According to the Global Wind Report by Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Turkey, Azerbaijan, Australia and Sri Lanka are the top 4 countries with the highest offshore wind energy potential.

In order to mitigate the impacts of climate change and leave a habitable world to future generations, we have to improve our wind energy potential. We, at Enerjisa Enerji, invest in renewable energy in line with this awareness and increase our investments every year.