Wind energy has found its path in becoming an optional method of generating electricity that works separately from centralized power plants. As the history of wind energy emerged, so do small wind plants that are good enough for farms and residences, and larger wind generators.
The history of wind energy starts from the time humans used sailboats and sailing ships. During the early days, the use of the wind to provide mechanical power came in next. During the middle ages, the history of wind energy evolved with the development of the first practical windmills that were made of reed matting or cloth. During this specific period, Wind Energy was used in various ways - from the production of sugarcane, to pounding corn and drawing of water.
The history of wind energy evolved again in the mid 1920's were some of the small-scale systems were found along the Midwestern plain and are used to sustain electricity in the farms. These systems generally have 1 to 3 kilowatt output. The largest wind generator to be seen from the recorded history of wind energy has an average capacity of 1.25 megawatts during the 1940's. That rotor measured nearly 175 feet in diameter.
The history of wind energy have also evolved during the time of the American Revolution when the people from the Island of Bermuda and Cape Cod used windmills to draw out water to be used for salt making back in the 18th century. The 19th century recorded the presence of mechanical methods such as the use of pumps and mills producing an estimated combined peak power of about 30 megawatts from an average of 2,500 windmills.
Within the long history of wind energy, the rising concerns about energy security, global warming and eventual fossil fuel depletion led to an expansion of interest in all available forms of renewable energy. The huge amount of electricity were made possible by a range of wind turbines that operate from small-scale residential use to large-scale community and industrial purposes.
