Articles by
Paul Gipe
Modern History of Vertical-Axis (Darrieus) Wind Turbines Published
By
Paul Gipe
Elsevier has published an extensive survey of attempts at building commercial Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines on its digital platform. The print version of the survey by Swedish academic Erik Möllerström will appear in the May 2019 issue of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.
California Worker Dies after Blade Falls Off Wind Machine
By
Paul Gipe
The Associated Press circulated a news item on 14 January 2019 about a field hand killed near Visalia when the blade of a "wind machine" fell off. See California orchard worker dies after 600-pound blade falls off wind machine.
Videos of the Defunct Sheerwind-Invelox Ducted Device Still Up
By
Paul Gipe
Sheerwind-Invelox, a ducted-turbine fiasco, officially went bust in early 2018. Incredibly, there are a number of promotional videos still on line at youtube.com and on vimeo. The latter is even more surprising since it's a pay to use platform. Sheerwind-Invelox's subscription must still be in force. That won't last forever.
Video footage of FloDesign-Ogin Antelope Valley Prototype DAWT
By
Paul Gipe
While poking around on the Internet to see if anything new had popped up on some of my favorite ducted turbine projects I came across some videos of FloDesign-Ogin that I hadn't seen before.
Tracking Chevy Bolt EV Battery Capacity
By
Paul Gipe
Everyone who has a cell phone knows that batteries don't last forever. For drivers of electric vehicles (EVs), or those considering one, the first question that comes to mind is, "How long will the battery last?" More specifically, how fast will the traction battery degrade and begin to affect the EV's range.
Sierra Club Activist Loves His Chevy Volt
By
Paul Gipe
Long-time Sierra Club activist Harold Wood and his wife Janet bought a Chevy Volt about a year ago. Wood, a Visalia, California authority on the life and times of John Muir, the founder of the Sierra Club, has been active in local environmental issues for decades.
Correction to the Death of Robert Skarski in Wind Power 2004
By
Paul Gipe
I've been alerted to an error in the second edition of Wind Power (2004): Renewable Energy for Home Farm and Business.
Replacing Rear Wiper Blade on the Chevy Bolt EV
By
Paul Gipe
Our 2017 Chevy Bolt EV is about 18 months old. The windshield wipers were beginning to streak so I decided to replace the wipers. Despite that the replacement wipers for the windshield were not exactly the same size as the originals, they were easy to replace. However, the rear wiper looked more challenging--and it lived up to expectations.
Tips for San Diego to Bakersfield Trip for a First Time Bolt Driver
By
Paul Gipe
As Tony Williams says, "plan the drive and drive the plan."
DC Ultrafast EV Charging Stations for Large Commercial Projects
By
Paul Gipe
All new large commercial projects along major travel corridors should install ultrafast-charging stations for electrical vehicles. These will serve the developers own commercial interest as well as the public's interest in expanded EV infrastructure.
Net Cost of a Lease for a 2018-2019 Chevy Bolt EV in the San Joaquin Valley
By
Paul Gipe
Since we and friends each leased a Chevy Bolt in November 2017, we've watched prices rise and stay high. Several of our friends and acquaintances have considered a Bolt, GM's first mass-produced, all-electric car. They've been turned away by the cost. In part this is due to the good deal we negotiated with our local Chevy dealer here in Bakersfield. Our non-electric friends want the same deal or something similar.
Update on CalTrans District 9 (Sierra Nevada East Side) DC Fast Charger Program
By
Paul Gipe
Proposition 6, the measure to roll back an increase in gasoline taxes, failed in California's midterm election. Projects that depended upon the tax increase, such as CalTrans' 30-30 program, will now have their funding stream restored.
