News & Articles on History of Wind Power
This page was prompted by a technical question about early electricity-generating wind turbines in the United States. The question followed a similar question about “who was the first” to interconnect a wind turbine with an electricity network. There is a lot of confusion internationally about both subjects.
The history of wind energy is a broad subject and many have written about it. I’ve pulled together a list of sources, books, links, and museums that I know about. This list is far from comprehensive. If anyone wants to add to this list or edit this list, please do so.
A number of the entries below are reviews I’ve written of books that include the history of wind energy. The original book can usually be reached from the review. Other news items are relevant to the history of wind turbine development.
Wind Power–The Danish Way
By
Paul Gipe
Wind Power The Danish Way: From Poul la Cour to Modern Wind Turbines is a book written by a who’s …
Wind powered factories: history (and future) of industrial windmills
By
Kris De Decker
One of the most spectacular developments of industrial wind power technology occurred in the Zaan district, a region situated just above Amsterdam in the Netherlands. . . From 1600 to 1750, when the Netherlands became an important economical power, around 1,000 windmills were built and operated here. . .
Winds of Change: A comparative study of the politics of wind energy innovation in California and Denmark
By
Paul Gipe
Winds of Change by Rinie van Est is a masterly work of meticulous research that could well become a classic …
Les éoliennes multipales, progrès et tradition (French Multiblade Wind Pumps: Progress and Tradition)
By
Etienne Rogier
Extensive treatise on the development, manufacture, and use of multiblade, mechanical farm windmills in France during the 19th century.
Die Geschichte der Windenergienutzung 1890-1990 (The History of Wind Energy Utilization 1890-1990) by Matthias Heymann
By
Paul Gipe
American readers will find two sections particularly intriguing: development of wind energy in Germany during the Third Reich, and a critical comparison of the German, U.S., and Danish wind energy programs in the modern era.
Reaping the Wind: How Mechanical Wizards, Visionaries, and Profiteers Helped Shape Our Energy Future by Peter Asmus
By
Paul Gipe
Timing is everything. And Peter Asmus couldn’t have better timed the release of his book about the rise and fall …
