• As fossil fuels dwindle, more science organizations, businesses and individuals are looking for sources of renewable and sustainable energy that do not negatively impact the environment. One option is wind power. Wind generator science projects are aimed at exploring how the power of the wind can be harnessed and converted into energy. Some ideas include building a turbine, adding solar panels to a turbine, and determining your community's best local wind sources.
  
  

Horizontal Axis Turbine

• The most popular variety of wind turbines---as of 2010---are horizontal axis turbines. Resembling gigantic household fans, these turbines have tall, vertical bases and large blades that rotate around a horizontally oriented shaft, or axis.
  
  To make your own horizontal axis turbine for a science project, Kidwind.com recommends that you construct your base from PVC pipes and duct tape, making sure to include a hole somewhere near the bottom for wiring. You will need to securely fasten a DC (direct current) motor at the top of your base and feed the wiring down and out the hole (this is where you will attach a multimeter once the turbine is finished to measure your energy production). At this point, you need to attach a crimping hub---a specialty piece you will likely need to order online---to your motor's driveshaft. Now you are ready to experiment with blade designs, materials and ways to attach them to the hub. Kidwind.com recommends using pizza boxes.
  
  

Wind Plus Solar Power

• If you want to move beyond simply building wind turbines and testing their capacity for energy production, Super-science-fair-projects.com recommends that you experiment with incorporating solar panels into your design. You can find small solar receptors at most electronics stores, such as Radio Shack. See how much more energy you can produce by combining the power of the wind and sun. It will make the most sense to start out with two identical solar turbines in your experiment: one you can leave untouched and use as a control, and the other you can modify with solar panels. Place the turbines close together so the wind conditions are the same (or nearly the name) for both and measure the energy output of each using multimeters.
  
  

Best Wind Sources

• Another idea for a wind generator science project, according to Super-science-fair-projects.com, is to determine the best source of wind in your community. Set up a wind turbine in several locations, and measure the amount of energy you produce on average in each spot. You will need to conduct your measurements over the course of several days, weeks or even months to rule out data-disrupting variables such as storms or atypical weather patterns and ensure that your locations are consistently windy. You can then draw up a map of your community, and---using your results---lay out a plan for a wind farm.