How Does Wind Energy Work?

Written By Teacher: Meighan Hooper

Meighan has been an arts educator and instructional designer since 2007. Originally from Ontario, Canada, she began teaching internationally in the Middle East and Asia in 2013. Meighan has designed programs of study based on a variety of curriculum including Canadian, American standards-based, Primary Years Program (IB), and British National curriculum.

Teaching about wind energy is perfect for project-based learning, as there are many ways to create wind turbines! For a hands-on approach, try the "Wind Energy: Engineering and Art Lesson", where students explore wind energy and build their own windmill models. Discuss how turbines capture kinetic energy from the wind, converting it into electricity through blade rotation that drives a generator, highlighting wind as a renewable energy source that reduces reliance on fossil fuels. For a cross-curricular option, the "Wind Energy Algebra Lesson" helps students calculate turbine needs for a community, blending math with real-world applications.

Written By: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Climate Change Engagement Program, a part of MIT Climate HQ, provides the public with nonpartisan, easy-to-understand, and scientifically-grounded information on climate change and its solutions.

Wind energy is a form of renewable energy, typically powered by the movement of wind across enormous fan-shaped structures called wind turbines. Once built, these turbines create no climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions, making this a “carbon-free” energy source that can provide electricity without making climate change worse. Wind energy is the third-largest source of carbon-free electricity in the world (after hydropower and nuclear) and the second-fastest-growing (after solar).

Cheap, clean energy

The major reason for wind energy’s success is that it’s cheap. In fact, the International Energy Agency estimates that an onshore wind farm built today will make electricity at a lower average cost than any other form of new-built energy. 

We can thank recent advances in wind turbine technology, and economies of scale from its rapid growth, for this ultra-cheap energy. Wind turbines aren’t “pushed” like sails catching the wind: they actually work more like airplane wings, with blades shaped so that wind flows unequally fast above and below them. This creates an area of high pressure on one side and low pressure on the other, which “lifts” the blades toward the low-pressure area and makes them turn, powering a generator that makes electricity.

Over the past 40 years, turbine blades have become longer and lighter, letting them turn faster with less wind. Modern turbines also pivot automatically to catch the wind at the best angle. These and other advances have led the price of wind energy to fall almost 95% since 1980.