Abstract
Currently the first renewable energy (apart from hydro power) used in term of capacity installed throughout the world; wind energy is in constant development [fu]. From the first commercially produced turbines of the 1980s, which were using borrowed technology (aerofoil and blade construction made from aeroplane wings experience, tower design using transmission line poles technology?), to the current turbines designed with tools especially developed for wind turbines (own aerofoil shape, blade structures different from wing structures, new kind of gear boxes and generators?)[1], the wind energy technology has reached maturity and represents now an important market, generating a big amount of money. But the part of electricity produced from wind power is still very low (0.51% in 2003 [2]) and numerous challenges have to be solved, to make it a truly competitive technology to produce electricity. That is what we will try to illustrate in the following work, by first presenting the current use of wind energy, and then by reviewing what are the different issues faced by this technology and how the research tries to get rid of them. Eventually the new possible trends for this technology will be discussed.
