Articles by
Paul Gipe
FloDesign Ogin Ducted Wind Turbine at Deer Island Coming Down
By
Paul Gipe
FloDesign’s prototype ducted wind turbine on Deer Island in Boston Harbor is being removed, according the agency that operates the nearby sewage treatment plant.
Renault Zoe EV: Cologne to Miehlen on One Charge
By
Paul Gipe
On 1 November Thilo Wirth rented a Renault Zoe from Cambio car sharing service for a trip from Cologne to Miehlen, Germany. The Zoe is Renault’s version of the Nissan Leaf, a mass-market electric vehicle (EV).
We Have a Ship Date–Wind Energy for the Rest of Us
By
Paul Gipe
Ok, we did have a previous ship date. Printed copies of Wind Energy for the Rest of Us were to arrive in the warehouse at the end of October. Obviously, that didn’t happen--and for good reason. I called a halt
Battery Degradation Two-Year Status Report: 2015 Nissan Leaf
By
Paul Gipe
We recently passed the two-year mark on our 2015 Nissan Leaf, a battery electric vehicle (EV). The event was a good time to take stock of how much the Leaf’s traction battery has degraded during that time.
Chevy Volt Revisited: A Solid 40-Mile EV with a Range Extender
By
Paul Gipe
I have revisited my harsh criticism of the Chevy Volt. In the summer of 2011, I was asked to test drive the car for Automobile Magazine as part of a photo shoot among the wind farms in the Tehachapi Pass. My critique can be found at Electric Car Notes by Paul Gipe 05: Chevy Volt Test Drive based on that experience.
EV Express DCFC Stations Over Tejon Pass Driver Alert
By
Paul Gipe
Drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) over the Tejon Pass on I-5 that plan to use two new DC Fast Chargers (DCFC) should have contingency plans. Depending upon the vehicle they are driving, they may encounter problems with the charge stations.
Energy Democracy Authors Touring US Explaining Germany’s Energy Revolution
By
Paul Gipe
Craig Morris and Arne Jungjohann, authors of of the new book Energy Democracy are touring the upper Midwest and the East Coast, discussing Germany's energy revolution and how it was powered by the people. Jungjohann will be in Washington, DC, New Jersey, New York, and Boston. Morris will be in Michigan and Ontario.
75th Anniversary of Connecting the Smith-Putnam Wind Turbine to the Grid
By
Paul Gipe
On this date in 1941, the first commercial-scale wind turbine was connected to the electrical grid in the United States. It was a milestone in the development of wind energy. The giant Smith-Putnam turbine proved that a wind turbine could be used to generate commercially quantities of electricity in parallel with other forms of generation in North America.
Rooftop and Building Integrated Wind Turbines are a Failure Says NREL
By
Paul Gipe
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) concludes in a new report that rooftop-mounted and building-integrated wind turbines are a failure, though readers would be hard pressed to find that statement in so many words.
Cleanfield Energy: Another Story of VAWT Hubris & Hustle
By
Paul Gipe
Cleanfield made a big media splash in Ontario, Canada during the mid-2000s with its claim of producing a new wind turbine suited for mounting on buildings.
Google applies for wind-assisted propulsion patent using Makani kite
By
Paul Gipe
Makani Airborne Wind Energy Turbine (AWT) hasn't been in the news lately. They arrived in a flurry of press in 2013 as the next big thing from Google. The device is a powered kite tethered to the ground or in this new application to a ship. The device is a powered kite tethered to the ground or in this new application to a ship.
Cleanfield Cited by Ontario Centres of Excellence as a “Success” Story
By
Paul Gipe
There’s no better example of ignorance, hype, and hubris by people with more money at their disposal than their knowledge of energy when the government of Ontario funded Cleanfield Energy, a small local VAWT manufacturer.
