News & Articles on Wind Energy
This is an archive of articles and news on both large and small wind turbines, wind energy & the environment, and links to topics on the history of wind energy.
I’ve been working with wind energy since 1976 and my professional experience in the subject runs the gamut from wind resource assessment to installing and testing small wind turbines. I continue to follow the industry and analyze its growth and increasing contribution to renewable electricity generation worldwide.
For newcomers to wind energy I’ve added pages from my previous books explaining terms used in the industry.
- 200 Term Multilingual Lexicon: The lexicon translates English terms into five different languages: Dansk, Deutsch, Español, Français, and Italiano.
- Glossary of Wind Energy Terminology: The glossary was written by Paul Gipe and Bill Canter in the late-1990s. I’ve added the glossary to my web site for both its historical content—many of the terms were in use during the 1980s and 1990s—and as a reference for the thousands of newcomers to the wind industry since it was first published.
Up in the Air–Be a voice for change
By
Prince Edward County County Sustainability Group
Up in the Air is a short film about the wind turbine project in Prince Edward County. For nearly two decades, a group of County residents have been supporting wind energy initiatives. The White Pines project near Milford looks to be the answer to that quest. But with four of the nine turbines up and ready to capture wind energy, the provincial government recently halted the project.
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.
A historical review of vertical axis wind turbines rated 100 kW and above
By
Erik Möllerström, Paul Gipe, Jos Beurskens, Fredric Ottermo
Since the 1970s, there have been several VAWT projects with installed turbines of significant size, either as attempts to commercialize VAWTs, or as university led research projects, or as a combination of the two. Most have involved Darrieus turbines built in North America during the 1980s. However, H-rotors, which have always been a favored concept in Europe, have seen a revival during the 2010s.
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.
Offshore wind turbines have forced loons into smaller habitats, study says
By
Alicia Moore
A new study published in the Journal of Environmental Management has found that offshore wind turbines in the German North Sea are having an effect on where birds fly and land. As a result, loons have been squeezed into a smaller resting spot along their spring migration route. This could make it harder for these ducks to find food.
Wedge-tailed eagles killed by wind turbines at Yaloak South wind farm in Moorabool Shire
By
Jolyon Attwooll
The renewable energy company Pacific Hydro confirmed to The Courier that three deaths of the eagle – Australia’s largest bird of prey – have been recorded at the wind farm since it began operating in Moorabool Shire last year.
