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.
Éoliennes: Quand le vent nous eclaire (Wind Turbines: When the wind lights our way) by Philippe Ollivier
By
Paul Gipe
Ollivier is a journalist living in southern France’s Languedoc-Roussillion region, the country’s premier wind resource area. As a journalist, Ollivier …
Energy Balance of Wind Turbines
By
Paul Gipe
Adapted from Wind Energy Comes of Age, by Paul Gipe, John Wiley & Sons, 1995. All rights reserved. Much …
The bizarre dance of wind power: Local opponents and right-wing think tanks
By
Erik Curren
First, they raise questions about the role of wind as a source of electricity against America’s main source of electric power today – coal, much of which is mined and burned in Appalachia. Second, disputes over wind farms there clearly show the hand of the same right-wing think tanks that provided cover to the tobacco industry in the ’70s and ’80s when science showed that cigarettes caused cancer and later to oil companies and car makers when global warming became an issue.
Windmill-Wildflower Hike: an Annual Spring Tradition
By
Paul Gipe
Event Draws Attention to Pacific Crest Trail in the Tehachapi Pass Event Held 21 Years in 2006!
Generator Ratings & Capacity Factors: Why You Should Avoid Them
By
Paul Gipe
Newcomers to wind energy and even some old-timers who should know better often equate the size of a wind turbine to it’s generator rating. A Vestas V80 for example is rated at 1.8 MW; a V82 is rated at 1.65 MW. While this is may be a useful shorthand among those unfamiliar with wind energy, the use of generator size leads to a host of problems when evaluating the technology.
Coal’s High Environmental & Social Cost in Ontario
By
Paul Gipe
Government report says Ontario coal-fired power plants cost nearly $0.13 CAD/kWh ($0.10/kWh) in environmental and social impacts. Ontario’s ruling …
