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.
Text of “Motion Picture History of the Erection and Operation of the Smith-Putnam Wind Generator” by Carl Wilcox
By
Paul Gipe
The following was a question and answer session with Carl Wilcox during the 1973 Wind Energy Conversion Systems Workshop in Washington, DC.[1] Wilcox had been a member of the Smith-Putnam team.[2] Beauchamp Smith of the S. Morgan Smith Company also attended the conference and gave a presentation just before Mr Wilcox. The “COMMENT” below was likely by him as he addressed Mr. Wilcox as “Carl.”[3] There were other luminaries at this conference, including Ulrich Hütter,[4] Jean-Marc Noël,[5] and William (Bill) Heronemus.[6]
Schachle Wind Turbine 1977 & the Heights of Hype
By
Paul Gipe
The annals of wind energy are filled with examples of arrogance, hubris, and hype about products that failed to deliver on their promoter’s promise. One long forgotten example is the Schachle wind turbine. However, unlike the Internet wonders that bedevil us today, the Schachle wind turbine was a real piece of hardware not merely electrons floating in the ether.
Power in the Wind 1932 Balaklava Wind Turbine Film
By
Paul Gipe
In 1932 British Pathé filmed a newsreel of the Soviet Union’s recently installed wind turbine at Balaklava near Yalta on …
Lassoing a Runaway Windmill
By
Paul Gipe
It was common knowledge on California wind farms in the 1980s that one way to stop the rotor from spinning out of control was to somehow get a rope tangled in the rotor. The rotor would then wind up the rope, wrapping it tightly around the main shaft, slowing the rotor if not stopping it. To get the rope into the rotor, it was necessary to shoot an arrow towards the rotor with a line attached. If successful, the spinning rotor would do the rest.
Wind: An Energy Alternative–Video Blast from the Past
By
Paul Gipe
This is an update of an article I first posted in 10 November 2018. It follows on a series of articles about historical films of wind turbines. In 1980 the Department of Energy published a short film titled Wind: An Energy Alternative. The 12-minute film was produced by the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) probably in 1979.
New Videos on Historic Wind Turbines Posted
By
Paul Gipe
I’ve updated a post from May 19, 2022 of three videos of historic wind turbines in operation: Ulrich Hütter’s StGW-34, …
