Paul Gipe

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EVs are Clearly Cleaner, Quieter, and More Fun than Fossil Fueled Vehicles

February 15, 2024

Paul Gipe

Amost nine years ago I wrote a series of articles explaining why we chose to drive electric. These essays were ... Read more

Caltrans Shandon Solar-Powered DCFC Station In Service

February 5, 2024

Paul Gipe

We stopped at Caltrans Shandon rest area on Hwy 46 as part of a road trip from Bakersfield to the ... Read more

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Winter Driving & EVs Don’t Work in the Cold Meme

January 23, 2024

Paul Gipe

By now everyone’s heard the January 2024 horror stories from Chicago about how you can’t charge EVs in extreme cold. ... Read more

Update on Murder at DC Fast Charge Station: Trial Date Set

January 19, 2024

Paul Gipe

The trial of Sebastian Parra and Robert Pernell Roberts for the murder of Benny Alcala Jr. at an Electrified America ... Read more

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400 GW of Solar PV in 2023!

December 22, 2023

Paul Gipe

Toby Couture of E3 Energy Analytics expects 400GW of solar generating capacity in 2023. The growth of solar PV has been staggering, he says, and presents the following statistics to prove his point. . . in 2023, the world is adding more than 1GW every. single. day.

New Solar-Powered Level 2 Station in New Cuyama—the Back of Beyond

December 14, 2023

Paul Gipe

Santa Barbara County has installed a new solar-powered level 2 station in New Cuyama. We first noticed this station at the end of November. It was taped off then and when we passed it again a week later it was still taped off. Both times the indicator on the EVSE suggested the batteries were fully charged. We have no idea why it was taped off. It looked operational. For those who don’t know, New Cuyama is the back of beyond. It’s on Route 166 that runs east and west, leading from the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley to the coast.

Capacity Factor, Power Ratings, Specific Area, Specific Power, Rated Power, and the Silent Wind Revolution

December 13, 2023

Paul Gipe

I’ve written extensively about the misuse of wind turbine power ratings and why the term “capacity factor” should not be used.[1] In short, don’t use it. There are much better descriptors of wind turbine performance. Many of the outlandish claims by inventors rely on the improper use of power ratings and capacity factor. It’s easy for unscrupulous promoters to hoodwink the public, the media, and even some engineers with the sleight of hand that “power ratings” and “capacity factors” makes possible.

Wind Power Plants and Wind Farms Definitions

December 1, 2023

Paul Gipe

In recent correspondence with colleagues, I noted the unfortunate reoccurrence of the term “wind parks” to describe wind farms or ... Read more

Wind Power Plants–Description from Wind Energy for the Rest of Us

November 30, 2023

Paul Gipe

Reflecting the concept's newness are the many terms that arose to describe it: wind farms, wind parks, and wind power plants, to name a few. Early on, finding the best nomenclature created a dilemma. On the one hand, advocates wanted a term connoting wind's technological success and its coming of age as a conventional source of electricity, conveyed by the term wind power plant. On the other hand, proponents also wanted to preserve the association with the enlightened land use--the stewardship--that the term wind farm implies.