Long awaited, low specific capacity-high specific area turbines are the kind of technology needed to make wind energy an essential low-cost component of moving society toward 100% renewable energy.
FloWind
FloWind’s development of the Extended Height-to-Diameter (EHD) Vertical Axis Wind Turbine was the last gasp of Darrieus wind turbine development in the US.
I’ve added photos of historical interest to my web pages on Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) and Darrieus turbines of various designs. . .
“For all wind turbines, other than those used for more decorative purposes, the cost of energy is important.”
This review was a case of cleaning my desktop and before electronically filing away Sandia’s year-old report on its work … Read more
Since Wind Energy Basics was first published in 1999, there has been an explosion of interest in new vertical-axis wind turbines. In that edition, the conclusion illustrating one photograph was stark–“Practically no one is working with vertical axis wind turbines today.” The text went even further when describing the difficulties that “new” or “novel” designs face. . .
Note: The following is an excerpt from my 2009 book Wind Energy Basics Revised: A Guide to Home- and Community-scale … Read more
L’industrie éolienne aux Etats-Unis est aujourd’hui en pleine ébullition. En termes de puissance installée, le développement est comparable a celui que l’on a connu en 1985. Paul Gipe, en expert engagé, décrit la situation avec un enthousiasme modéré : dopée par les crédits d’impôts puis menacée par leur suppression, cette envolée risque de tourner court.
An edited version of this article appeared in the February 1999 issue of New Energy and in French in the … Read more
The text of this guide was written for attendees of Windpower 98 conference in Bakersfield, California. I updated the material … Read more
