Articles by
Paul Gipe
Who Was Dimitri Stein and was He the First with Wind in Post War Germany?
By
Paul Gipe
While working on an article on the history of early wind turbines, I tumbled down a very deep rabbit hole. How was Dimitri Stein able to work on wind energy in Berlin during the height of World War II? This was post Kristallnacht, and Stein lived and worked right under the nose of the Third Reich.
Sky Sails, Traction Kites, and World Record Holder
By
Paul Gipe
Ron Swenson, an old hand at solar and electric vehicles reached out to me after I mentioned Sky Sails when I railed against a thoughtless article in the Guardian about a bladeless wind turbine. Turns out Swenson is also an old hand at competitive sailing too.
Covid Escape: Darwin Falls via Ridgecrest and Return via Coso Junction
By
Paul Gipe
Darwin Falls on the western edge of Death Valley National Park is a 3.5 hour drive from Bakersfield via Ridgecrest, California and the Panamint Valley. This requires one charge stop at Inyokern in a Chevy Bolt or equivalent EV. You can make a big loop by returning via a charge stop at Coso Junction. The falls are a two mile roundtrip hike. This is a trip in an EV that’s best done with an overnight in Ridgecrest.
Feed-in Tariffs Needed Now to Meet Paris Climate Targets Says Report
By
Paul Gipe
If we are to meet the Paris climate targets, feed-in tariffs for renewable energy are needed now more than ever says a report by Toby Couture and colleagues at Proseu, Prosumers for the Energy Union. The topic is timely as world leaders gather in Glasgow for COP 26 to discuss ways of drastically cutting carbon emissions.
Smith-Putnam Wind Turbine Virtual Exhibition Goes Live
By
Paul Gipe
The York County History Center’s Virtual Exhibition of the Smith-Putnam wind turbine has gone live. Opening with a stunning photo of five men standing on one of the two blades after the giant turbine was installed in Vermont in 1941. The exhibition celebrates the 80th anniversary of the 175-foot (53-meter) diameter wind turbine feeding electricity into the grid—a first in North America.
80th Anniversary of Smith-Putnam Turbine Going Online
By
Paul Gipe
19 October marks 80 years since testing began of the 1.25 MW Smith-Putnam turbine on Grandpas’ Knob near Rutland, Vermont in 1941. To mark the occasion, the York County History Center in York, Pennsylvania is opening its digital exposition Tuesday, 19 October. The S. Morgan Smith Company, of Smith-Putnam fame, manufactured hydroelectric turbines in York, Pennsylvania before it ventured into wind energy.
CEC DC Fast Charge Sites in California
By
Paul Gipe
Caltrans has provided a great public service by installing and maintaining these stations. I’ve used them and my experience has all been positive. They work. They are simple to use. They demonstrate what the fast-charging experience should be like for drivers of non-Tesla EVs.
La Puissance du Vent (The Power of Wind)–A Review
By
Paul Gipe
La Puissance du Vent: Des moulins á vent aux éoliennes modernes by Philippe Bruyerre is a major work on the history of wind energy particularly in France, but also elsewhere. His book earns a place in French analogous to Matthias Heymann’s masterwork on German wind energy or Rinie van Est’s Winds of Change.
Bibliographic Entries for Dimitri Stein German-American Engineer
By
Paul Gipe
The following are the bibliographic entries I've been able to uncover for Dimitri Stein, a German-American engineer who studied wind energy in the mid 1940s. He and the company he started with others designed and built a 15-meter diameter wind turbine for a remote island in 1949.
How to Find the Free Caltrans DCFC Charge Stations on PlugShare
By
Paul Gipe
I was asked by a friend how to locate the free Caltrans DC Fast Charge stations in California. As in all things EV charging, PlugShare is your friend.
James Allen Rowan of Mag-Wind Appears in Court
By
Paul Gipe
On 26 June 2019 the Raleigh, North Carolina News & Observer reported that James Allen Rowan of Mag-Wind fame appeared in federal court in an orange jump suit to stand trial for fraud.
More Charging Troubles at EA’s Coso Junction Station
By
Paul Gipe
While we’ve had no problems with Electrify America stations elsewhere, their Coso Junction station continues to give us trouble. Fortunately, there’s now a Caltrans’ station at the rest area nearby so there’s some redundancy.
