Since 1997 Paul Gipe and Nancy Nies have used the site to gain experience installing and operating small wind turbines, to measure small turbine performance and noise emissions, and to experiment with various erosion control products and practices.
Gipe and Nies have installed and tested several small wind turbines: BWC 850, Air 303H, Air 403, AirX, LVM 6F, Marlec 910F, Ampair 100, and Whisper H40. The results of these tests have been incorporated in Wind Power: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business (2004) by Paul Gipe.
The test field is situated at latitude 35° 4’20.64″N and longitude 118°23’40.12″W and is at an elevation of 4,600 feet (1,400 m) on the north facing flanks of the Tehachapi Mountains in the Busee Hills. These hills form part of the low col that encompasses the Tehachapi Pass Wind Resource Area. Because of its location and its situation, the test field experiences periods of extremely high winds during winter and spring and a high average annual wind speed. The test field’s eastern boundary abuts Zond’s (now Enxco’s, a subsidiary of Electricité de France) Victory Garden wind power plant.
The 24 acre (10 ha) test field is owned by Paul Gipe. The site was bequeathed by Ed Wulf for furthering the development of small wind turbines.
Wulf Test Field Panorama Views
