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.
The total number of small wind turbines installed all over the world reached 730'000 units as of the end of 2011 after 656'000 units in 2010, after 521'000 in 2009 and 460'000 in 2008. These small...
These are series of photos of a "demonstration" of "urban wind" using five Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) from three different manufacturers at Crissy Field in San Francisco. They are all very...
Factors unrelated to noise may explain some of the annoyance reported in the few epidemiological studies of wind turbine noise. These factors include being able to see wind turbines from home, having...
Earlier this week researchers at the University of Auckland published an experimental study showing that people primed by watching online information about health problems from wind turbines,...
A surge in health complaints linked to wind farms could owe more to increased discussion of health risk than the low-level sound generated by the actual turbines, according to a new study. . .
Health complaints from people living around turbines shown to be psychological effect of anti-wind lobby making people worry . . .
Background and objectives With often florid allegations about health problems arising from wind turbine exposure now widespread in parts of rural Australia and on the internet, nocebo effects...
One of the B movie unkillable wind energy myths — it just keeps coming back even after it’s been run over by truckloads of facts, disembowelled by logic and burnt to a crisp by the light of reason —...
Dismissing this as one of the "flakier arguments" in the renewables debate, Smith points to a recent analysis National Grid undertook for the Scottish Parliament. It concluded that over an 18 month...
The lowly potato has a story to tell and it's a parable about modern attitudes toward wind energy. . .[more]
The event marks the 28th year of the annual spring hike. More than 800 people, from children to octogenarians, have taken the six-mile walk across Cameron Ridge since the event was first launched. . .[more]
An insightful summary of how the aerodynamic properties of VAWTs differ from HAWTs by an authority on aerodynamics presented at the 2000 AWEA conference. . .
It is unlikely that any “modern” reinvention of Darrieus designs can perform any better than the experimental turbines Sandia and its contractors developed during the late 1970s and early 1980s. . .[more]
An ongoing area of enthusiasm and often fruitless investment is the area of high-altitude wind generation. Numerous companies have products which are hyped as replacing the iconic white tower with...
Even though most analysts focused only on the economic aspects of feed-in tariffs and quota models and not on non-economic factors, such as transparency and local ownership, the results were...[more]
As such, wind farms will generally see replacement of old turbines and emplacement of new wind turbines in adjacent areas. This has been the case in major wind farm areas in California, Nevada,...
Powering the Green Economy: The Feed-in Tariff Handbook is a book that has been out for some time and though I’ve thoroughly marked up my copy I’ve never got around to posting a proper review. So...[more]
Driven by media and online coverage of the idea, many believe that things like wifi and cell-phone signals are making them ill. There’s no good evidence that such ‘electrosmog‘ causes health...
There’s an anti-wind energy myth floating around that refuses to die. The most recent siting was in the official policy of an Australian political party, the Democratic Labour Party of Australia....
There are about 240,000 wind turbines generating economically sound electricity world-wide today. But some anti-wind lobbyists claim that wind turbines consume 50% or more of the electricity that...
With this and a small handful of other pictures of wind turbines on fire, anti-wind lobbyists and campaigners are raising yet another set of unfounded fears in those living in areas where wind farms...
The Windspire is a vertical‐axis gyromill. The H‐rotor is 1.22 m (4 ft) in diameter by 6.1 m (20 ft) tall, capturing a swept area of 7.43 m2 (80 ft2). The data presented in this report was collected...
News account on the bankruptcy of Cleanfield Energy. Cleanfield defaults on CAD-1.5m loan over board approved liquidation[more]
Just Because a Better Mousetrap is Known Doesn’t Mean it will be Used When There’s a Vested Financial Interest in the Status Quo . . .[more]
The study Effects of industrial wind turbine noise on sleep and health by Nissenbaum, Hanning and Aramini is being referenced in articles world-wide and is being held up as peer-reviewed evidence...
It seems as if every week, a new wind generator innovation is unveiled, sometimes in technology blogs, sometimes in TV segments, once even on TED Talks. They all claim to be better than the iconic,...
Carol Curtis, the director of the Coconino County Career Center, said employees were told by Southwest Windpower officials Wednesday that the facility in Flagstaff was going to be closed and they...
“For all wind turbines, other than those used for more decorative purposes, the cost of energy is important.”[more]
Wind has overtaken nuclear as an electricity source in China. In 2012, wind farms generated 2 percent more electricity than nuclear power plants did, a gap that will likely widen dramatically over...
Secretive funding network channelled millions to stop state governments moving towards renewable energy
This review was a case of cleaning my desktop and before electronically filing away Sandia's year-old report on its work with Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs), I'd decided to thumb through it and...[more]
Since Wind Energy Basics was first published in 1999, there has been an explosion of interest in new vertical-axis wind turbines. In that edition, the conclusion illustrating one photograph was...[more]
The Environment Protection Authority issued a report 31 January 2013 on the Infrasound levels near windfarms and in other environments. The report is another nail in the coffin of anti-wind...[more]
Note: The following is an excerpt from my 2009 book Wind Energy Basics Revised: A Guide to Home- and Community-scale Wind Energy Systems. I am reprinting it here because of the constant...[more]
In preparing for a review of a Sandia report on its decades-long research on Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs), especially the Darrieus or eggbeater design, I thought it might be wise to first see...[more]
Since the beginning of November, wind power has been the largest source of electricity within Spain – ahead of even nuclear and coal power – according to the Spanish wind power association's blog....
The government aims to triple the nation's supply capacity of electricity generated through wind power to 7.5 million kilowatts by developing transmission grids in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region, it...
Feed-in tariffs are the world’s most effective policy for developing wind energy said the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) this past summer. . .[more]
On Wednesday, the official figures for new wind turbine installations in Germany were published, and the sector grew by around 20 percent. German wind energy association BWE emphasizes how reliable...
Danish release statistics on the growth of renewables and the continuing decline in Carbon emissions. . .[more]
It is clear from the results that the infrasound levels measured at the two residential locations near wind farms (Location 8 near the Bluff Wind Farm and Location 9 near Clements Gap Wind Farm) are...
Cancelled rally may be latest example of US big business funding grassroots opposition groups in the UK . . .
The quest to slay the faulty dragon of conventional, or horizontal axis, wind turbines (HAWTS) has been an impossible one, thus far. The domination of conventional wind comes from their reliability,...
Four major and statistically reliable studies by different respected and independent organizations in different countries spread over a decade have found no correlation between operating wind...
Across Canada anti-WiFi activists are spreading misinformation about wireless networking (WiFi) and related technologies. Many activists blame WiFi networks’ low level radio signals for a broad...
A climate scientist who says he has been subjected to a vitriolic hate campaign has denounced the way that American billionaires have been able to secretly finance the climate-sceptic organisations...
Our firm needs 100 volunteers to attend and participate in a rally in front of the British Consulate/Embassy in Midtown Manhattan on the East Side on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 12 noon. The event...
Audit trail reveals that donors linked to fossil fuel industry are backing global warming sceptics . . .
Behind the climate 'countermovement' are two billionaire brothers . . .
The poll, conducted by ACORE in the days immediately following the US election, found that energy was an important part of an voter’s decision, on a par with foreign policy, and ahead of abortion....
Germany likes to sell itself as a leader in environmental protection, but not everyone is convinced. In particular, the Anglo world remains devoted to nuclear power and criticizes Germany for not...
This has left wind energy open to attack by those, for whatever reason, who don’t think wind turbines have a place in our electricity mix. Associated with those attacks is much misunderstanding about...
For the first time ever, power production from PV and CSP were separately reported in December for California. French energy expert Bernard Chabot took a look at the figures, especially to determine...
Opens Up New Possibility for Community Ownership Danish researchers have uncovered surprising results in a study of offshore wind energy. Contrary to expectations, research at the University of...[more]
As French energy expert Bernard Chabot explains, December was a strong month for wind power in Germany, and in the last week of the month, when power demand was low because of the holidays and...
Nearly Half of the Regions GDP is from Tourism Yet Nearly Two-Thirds of Schleswig-Holstein's Wind Capacity is also in the Region December 26, 2012 By Paul Gipe Attendees at the 2012 Husum wind...[more]
Nearly 2% of Land Area Set Aside for Wind Energy Not 100%, Not 200%, But 300% Renewable Energy by 2020 Says Government The German state of Schleswig-Holstein recently approved doubling the land...[more]
Henning Holst is one of Germany's pioneering community wind developers. Located in the center of the wind energy universe in Husum (the gray city by the sea) in northwestern Germany, he was there at...[more]
In a densely populated country like Germany, wind turbines as a consequence are installed near people, as are all other forms of infrastructure. That's one of the most striking observations North...[more]
On a recent pilgrimage-and that's the only word for it-to Denmark in September we stopped by the Danmarks Vindmølleforening (the Danish Wind Turbine Owners Association) to visit my colleagues Asbjørn...[more]
At the World Wind Energy Association conference in Bonn this past July there was a session on operations and maintenance and service providers. Carlo Reeker summarized the findings of annual survey...[more]
As part of the giant Husum wind conference held every two years, organizers this past fall launched an interactive map of wind projects in the region surrounding the "grey city by the sea". . . [more]
While traveling in Denmark this year I picked up a local newspaper (Dagbladet 13 September 2012, p 32) that had an article on the huge Anholt offshore project in the northern Kattegat--the straits...[more]
Update: The most current database for the number of fatal accidents in the wind industry. Below is a summary table from the spreadsheet. Note that there are four other tabs not reproduced here. . . [more]
The installation of small wind turbines is growing rapidly in Italy since the introduction of feed-in tariffs, according to a report by the Department of Engineering at Milan's Polytechnical...[more]
We were returning to San Francisco from the World Wind Energy Association conference in Bonn this past July. As we boarded the plane we met Hans-Josef Fell. Fell was the reason we had to get back to...[more]
This is a beautifully done DVD on the early days of the Danish wind industry. The film was produced by Jørgen Vestergaard in Danish with English subtitles and includes movie clips, photos, and...[more]
This is a welcome technical tome-well illustrated with photos and drawings that I haven't seen in any other book. Naturally directed at the Indian market, it nonetheless has taken a comprehensive...[more]
Build Your Own Small Wind Power System was written by a small wind systems dealer, Kevin Shea, and a professional journalist, Brian Howard. Be forewarned, this is a big book. It's a modern book. It...[more]
Mea culpa, mea culpa, I am terribly remiss is reviewing this excellent book. I simply can't do it justice. My French is even more limited than my time. Nevertheless, I've picked up Energie Eolienne...[more]
The book, edited by Robert Gasch and Jochen Twele, began as course notes for Gasch's popular course on wind turbine design for engineering students at the Technische Universität in Berlin. Many of...[more]
Greg Pahl's Power from the People is an inspirational guide to the burgeoning community power movement. His case studies of people who are making a difference is often a tale of endurance and...[more]
I've studied engineering and natural resources but my first love is geography. Consequently I've become a big fan of German technical writer and geographer Martin Frey. He's written some great little...[more]
Covert footage reveals MP's links to independent candidate--Energy minister denies collusion with anti-wind campaigner--Exposed by Greenpeace . . .
Renewable energy has indeed come of age: It now has its on Baedeker Reiseführer or travel guide. . . [more]
This is an open source spreadsheet on the economics of solar photovoltaics. The spreadsheet contains more than 50 individual tabs covering a multitude of topics beyond the expected cash flow...[more]
Considering the resounding defeat of the fossil-fuel industry's propaganda campaign against President Obama, and his new found interest in climate change, just where does the US rank relative to its...[more]
Wind farm opponents repeatedly argue that turbines cause both rapid and long-gestation health problems. At the time the article was published I’d counted 155 health problems that had been attributed...
In the last few weeks, Ben Lansink released two documents on the Wind Concerns Ontario and Ontario Wind Resistance websites. Mr. Lansink is an accredited appraiser and declares that his documents...
The documentary, though, was commendably sober. It became stiflingly uncomfortable as the girls’ parents looked fruitlessly for someone or something external to blame. They were repelled by the...
The following is an email from retired civil engineer Lynn Shafer on his experience with the Honeywell Windtronics turbine. Shafer lives in Sedalia, Missouri. If the company posts a response, I'll...[more]
More than two-thirds of people would rather have a wind turbine than a shale gas well near their home, according to a new opinion poll published on Tuesday. . .
The deceptively-named Global Warming Policy Foundation (often mentioned on ET, try here and here) think-tanks on climate change (obfuscation), renewable energy (opposition), and conventional energy...
Of the 2027 GB adults interviewed 68% said they would be likely to support local renewable energy projects, including wind turbines, if they were 100% owned and controlled by the community with all...
French electricity spot prices rose on Wednesday, decoupling from lower German prompt prices, boosted by a sharp decline in French nuclear power capacity caused by a series of unplanned outages,...
An article today in German weekly Die Zeit reveals how completely overblown the likelihood is of power outages resulting from the country's Energiewende. . .
During September Spanish tubines generated so much wind power that coal use in Spain crashed, reducing emissions from fossil fuels. . .
In the case of wind energy in Germany, the race to develop new capacity has been accelerated by access to a feed-in-tariff and by policies that prioritize delivery of renewable power. . .
The fact that money seems to be a magic antidote to these ailments further undermines the claims. Health complaints are as rare as rocking horse excrement among turbine hosts. Complaints are rare...
Small Wind Newsletter: I was struck, while reading your biography, that you started out in this field at around the same time that many other renewable energy leaders (including Larry Sherwood,...[more]
WNET: We want to ask you some questions about alternative energy. Gipe. Whoa. Stop right there. "Alternative energy?" Wind, solar, and biomass haven't been called "alternative energy" for three...[more]
The news is especially important because nuclear power, which provides slightly more than 75% of France's power supply, is often held to be an especially inexpensive source of baseload power....
One reason why Germans believe they can switch to renewables so fast is that one of their neighbors, Denmark, proves that it can be done. At the end of September, the Danish Energy Agency announced...
Mariah Power, the company that produced the Sousas' wind turbines, generated headlines several years ago as an example of a successful northern Nevada company making headway in the renewable energy...
Conclusive figures show that the sceptics who lobby against wind power simply have their facts wrong. . .
“So, I’m out $23,000, and all they are is a yard decoration,” Albert Sousa said on Wednesday while standing beneath the 30-foot spires next to a backyard chicken coop. “They’re no good at all.”
A typically well done official Danish review of how many wind turbines exist in Denmark, how well they work, how they are integrated into the landscape and the grid, and how the community benefits.
The following text accompanies the brief presentation by Paul Gipe at 2012 Husum WindEnergy exhibition and conference in Husum, Germany. [more]
Japanese mobile phone group and prime proponent of Feed-in Tariffs, Softbank, is planning to build wind farms with up to 1GW of capacity on Hokkaido island, as the company expands its investments in...
French energy expert Bernard Chabot takes a look at German power production over the past 12 months and finds that an increase in onshore wind would make the supply of renewable power more reliable....
Last spring, when the German government resolved to shut down eight of the country's 17 nuclear plants within a week, there was concern about whether the country's grid would remain reliable. Not...
This is the history of wind turbine design breakthroughs. Paul Gipe, a prolific and respected writer on wind power, has seen a million of them. I asked him his view of the Catching Wind Power...
It shows unequivocally that wind power can significantly reduce carbon emissions, is reliable, poses no threat to energy security, and is technically capable of providing a significant proportion of...
Report from thinktank IPPR says wind power is an efficient and reliable energy source, contrary to claims made against it. . .
DWEA believes the current lack of turbine certification and siting criteria under the various LEED rating systems is hurting the distributed wind industry and is counter-productive to the intent of...
French energy expert Bernard Chabot updates his analysis of the German intermittent power sector with data from July. . . the variability of the productivity ratio of the combined [Wind + PV]...
Wind turbines are often criticised for killing birds. Fights against siting wind turbines in bird migration corridors or in bird habitat are frequent. Highly inflammatory language is used by...
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) is describing Health Canada’s study of health impacts from wind turbines as “superfluous (and) a waste of time and a waste of public...
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) is describing Health Canada’s study of health impacts from wind turbines as “superfluous (and) a waste of time and a waste of public...
French energy expert Bernard Chabot investigates the changes in wholesale power prices in Germany stemming from the increase in green power production. . .
Expected to do the Same in 2012 New Feed-in Tariffs for 2013 The 2010 launch of Britain's feed-in tariff program has pushed the country ahead of the US in the installation of small wind turbine...[more]
I was just going to pick up the World Wind Energy Association's 2012 Small Wind World Report and extract a few useful numbers to keep myself abreast of the small turbine industry. But once I began...[more]
In countries with a large penetration rate of zero fuel cost renewables (wind power in Denmark and Spain, wind and PV in Germany), the “merit-order effect” (avoiding the most costly means of power...
Note that the article below is out of date. See the most current database for the number of fatal accidents in the wind industry. Below is a summary table from the spreadsheet. Note that there are...[more]
At the beginning of this year I started collecting examples of health problems some people were attributing to wind turbine exposure. I had noticed a growing number of such claims on the internet and...
The medical officer of health for Chatham-Kent says claims that turbines affect human health are nothing more than hot air. . .
French expert Bernard Chabot explains another benefit from a balanced mix of wind and solar: their combined daily maximum outputs are lower than the addition of their installed capacity, allowing for...
From January to June 2012, data published on the EEX web site show that, if well balanced, PV and wind production can complement each other along the seasons, leading to an easier to manage...
Presentation on the costs of offshore wind energy relative to that onshore at the WWEC 3-5 July 2012 in Bonn. . .
Presentation at the WWEC 3-5 July 2012 Bonn. . .
Summarizes the German Leitstudie (2011) that found 60 TWh of storage would be needed to meet Germany's 2050 renewable targets.
Electricity generation from renewable energy in Germany is reducing power prices and has left the country with a market whose design no longer works, according to Stadtwerke Leipzig GmbH. Renewable...
French consultant and sustainable energy expert Bernard Chabot updates Germany's PV installation data in terms of system size vis-à-vis market share, compares it with the 2009-2011 distribution and...
The daft claim that wind subsidies have driven 50,000 people into fuel poverty exemplifies the dishonesty of most objections . . .
How many ways can you misinform, distort and spin in a single radio interview? On 9 May, 2011, Max Rheese, executive director of the organisation with the grossly misleading name Australian...
French consultant and sustainable energy expert Bernard Chabot analyzes Germany's PV and wind power installations performance “from power to energy and to percentage of electricity production” and...
Denmark and Germany provide evidence of a different kind: despite the presence of 30,000 wind turbines in these two countries, adverse health effects are not a significant issue in either country. . .
Denmark and Germany provide evidence of a different kind: despite the presence of 30,000 wind turbines in these two countries, adverse health effects are not a significant issue in either country. ....
Onshore wind farms, recently under attack from leading conservationists for damaging the countryside, can bring significant economic benefits locally and nationally, as well as contributing to the...
On 18 April wind power in Spain reached a new record by producing 317 GW hours of electricity and beating the previous record of 315 GWh recorded on 9 November 2010, according to Red Eléctrica de...
Britian's principal bird-protection society has announced plans to install a large wind turbine. The move may be unique in the English-speaking world where anti-wind lobbyists have argued that wind...[more]
John Jackson, a local cattle rancher, owns 480 acres in the area and has wind turbines on his property. He's seen the wind farm change over the years and is a fan of the new turbines. . . "I like...
The Folkecenter for Renewable Energy (FC) has again published a handy report cataloging small wind turbines available worldwide. The FC's 2012 Catalogue of Small Wind Turbines is the one neutral...[more]
Reno, Nevada is vying for the world record for "Worst Turbine Install in History" through sheer scale, expense, and hubris. . . [more]
A confidential strategy memo seen by the Guardian advises using "subversion" to build a national movement of wind farm protesters. The strategy proposal was prepared by a fellow of the American...
Summary: the infrasound produced by wind turbines is too quiet to be heard, felt or to cause harm. . .
Finally, decades after being abandoned on South Point of Hawaii's Big Island the 37 Mitsubishi turbines have been removed. Long a source of embarassment in the wind industry and a source for right...[more]
Summary: Dr. Pierpont's book, Wind Turbine Syndrome, is a deeply flawed and vastly over-inflated work that is causing much more harm than any good it might be attempting to achieve. . .
The incident helps explain why the whirling turbines, installed as a featured element at the top of the new 29-story tower last summer, have been silent since mid-December. . .
A pair of local tool and mold shops are owed about $375,000 by a Michigan-based wind turbine company which has closed its production plant after only two years of operation in Windsor.
One of the persistent comments about wind vs. solar is that solar has a better fit with time of use both time of year and time of day. Most everyone seems to repeat the same phrase that PV has a...[more]
Here is a pair of graphs that demonstrate most vividly the merit order effect and the impact that solar is having on electricity prices in Germany; and why utilities there and elsewhere are desperate...
No There are Not 14,000 Abandoned Wind Turbines in California Never Have Been And, No There are not 14,000 Abandoned Wind Turbines in the USA, North America, or Anywhere for that Matter[more]
The following is a response to an article in London's Daily Mail on what they claim are 14,000 "abandoned wind turbines". As a long-time critic of abandoned wind turbines in California, I was...[more]
cautionary tale about an "urban wind" project gone awry in 1982 . . .
Comments on Crissy Field wind turbine installation in San Francisco. . .
Examples of Wind Turbines in Boston and Boston Harbor and the Possibilities in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The most sophisticated and comprehensive study of small rooftop wind turbines in the Americas concludes rooftop wind turbines are "Not cost-effective at this site". . .
Yes, anti-wind hysteria has made me sick. I got queasy in my stomach when I think of the 150,000 wind turbines operating worldwide and still no epidemic of death and disease had yet broken out...[more]
Da die von Windkraftanlagen erzeugten Infraschallpegel in der Umgebung deutlich unterhalb der Hör- und Wahrnehmungsgrenzen liegen, können nach heutigem Stand der Wissenschaft Windkraftanlagen beim...
says Paul Gipe an exclusive interview with Renewable Energy Magazine . . .
A forum for sharing information about Wind Energy and its ramifications, environmental, social and economic, for the Western New York region.
Windspire Energy, the Reno company that won plaudits for its sleek wind-turbine machines, is working to reorganize itself under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code.The company, whose majority...
(Warning: Satire) Car Concerns Ontario (CCO) today called for a moratorium on sale of new cars, citing their danger to the health of citizens. . .
THERE is much stronger public support for wind farms than media coverage of the issue would suggest, because a ''vocal minority'' who oppose wind farms secure the majority of media and political...
A prominent anti-wind-power group is under fire amid accusations it broke election financing by running a negative advertising campaign against Liberal candidates last fall.
There is insufficient evidence that the noise from wind turbines is directly (i.e., independent from an effect on annoyance or sleep) causing health problems or disease.
The study of Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) technology at Sandia National Laboratories started in the 1970’s and concluded in the 1990’s. Initial studies at SNL investigated numerous VAWT...
A voice of reason in the British Isles not connected to any trade association.
At very high penetrations, combining wind and solar power improved renewable portfolio performance over individual build-out scenarios by reducing curtailment, suggesting that further reductions may...
These are photos of the Honeywell Windtronics turbine on display at a vendors booth at the CanSIA exhibition in Toronto, December 5, 2011.[more]
Statkraft AS may have to shut two gas fired power plants in northern Germany due to the region’s surging wind capacity, according to the energy group’s markets head. . .[more]
Presentation by Paul Gipe for PG&E Zero Net Energy Homes, Introduction
Presentation by Paul Gipe for PG&E Zero Net Energy Homes, Sizing
A November 5, 2011 article in the New York Times emphasizes the “danger” of excess wind generation in Bonneville Power Authority’s service territory. A perfect storm last year poured heavy rain in...[more]
A November 5, 2011 article in the New York Times emphasizes the “danger” of excess wind generation in Bonneville Power Authority’s service territory. A perfect storm last year poured heavy rain in...[more]
Windtronics Inc. has scaled back production of small residential and commercial wind turbines at its Windsor plant because incentives for such projects have not yet been included in the province's...
San Luis Obispo, California
A series of wind turbines planned for the city of Jonestown is on hold after criminal charges were filed against one of the designers. . . Charlie Malouff, the founder of the C.M Energies, has been...
But so far, we've seen only a fraction of the total power that WindTronics says we should for our area, even after several visits from a company-authorized installer. At that rate, the Honeywell...
So far, a new wind turbine delivers little . . . Generous federal and local rebates and credits have helped put wind power on a growing list of options that use the forces of nature to trim your...
Despite my best efforts, I've been dragged into the DyoCore flap here in California. I successfully ignored Mick Sagrillo's plea to write something. I successfully ignored DyoCore's request to get...[more]
"Two Hurt in Turbine Accident" blared the headline in the Bakersfield Californian on Saturday, 23 October, 1999.[more]
Wind Turbine Syndrome (“WTS”) is an alleged condition proposed by pediatrician Dr Nina Pierpoint. . .
In peer reviewed studies, wind turbine annoyance has been statistically associated with wind turbine noise, but found to be more strongly related to visual impact, attitude to wind turbines and...
What We Can Learn from Germany's Success in Harnessing Clean Energy[more]
Wind turbines can be built in Ontario, despite opponents’ claims of adverse health effects. . .
Toepfer is one of the pioneers of small wind in the US. He, like myself, began their careers by scouring the Great Plains for junk windmills.[more]
Wind Power: 20 Projects to Make with Paper by Clive Dobson is a great little book with a wonderful collection of photos and diagrams. I learn something every time I pick up a book, even a children's...[more]
Geothermal Power Plants is the book I'd been looking for--an engineering treatise on geothermal. I'd written about geothermal in the mid 1980s, but I hadn't kept up with the industry and needed a...[more]
While this page was created to primarily aid community college instructors in contacting each other, there are several listings from the university community and private companies that offer courses...[more]
But Energy Estimates Not Off by Much[more]
A Windtronics wind turbine under test at SEPEN in southern France was removed within the first month of operation, according to Jay Hudnall, an expert in the French small wind turbine industry.[more]
Plus Energy Building: Wind Energy, Small Wind, & Community Wind
Because of my early postings (December 30, 2008) about the Honeywell Windtronics turbine, other observers have been sending me their comments on the product.[more]
After posting my article Honeywell Windtronics WT6500 Report from the Field, the president of the company contacted me to note that their web site clearly says that they recommend using the turbine...[more]
San Francisco, California
Retired civil engineer Lynn Shafer wants to do the right thing and leave the world a better place for future generations. In 2010 he installed 5 kW of solar PV on his house near Sedalia, Missouri....[more]
Zero, Null, Nada Generation in One Year--After one full year of operation, the Elena DAWT has produced zero net electricity.
Because of the rapidly growing demand for windsmiths (wind energy technicians) in North America, several community colleges have begun offering associate degree programs. Several of these programs,...[more]
RWE, one of Germany's biggest utilities, has announced it will not build any more new coal plants. RWE currently gets 2/3 of its generation from coal. RWE by 2025 will get only 1/4 of its...[more]
You hear all kinds of propaganda about people not liking the site of wind turbines. Sure, some people don’t, but a lot of people love seeing these beautiful, massive, clean energy pinwheels. This is...
The 32-story turbines of the Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm have so dramatically changed Atlantic City's skyline - perhaps more than any casino could - that tourists haven't stopped asking questions about...
Presentation by Paul Gipe for VerdeXchange, June 6, 2011, Toronto Ontario, including a proposal for revisions to Ontario's groundbreaking feed-in tariffs . . .
This report aims to correct the main myths of these anti-wind activists, using credible scientific, mainstream sources to correct the record and to give communities the information they need to make...
Windflow Technology Newsletter Nº 31, June 2011 Some people use capacity factor as the basis for comparing wind farms and turbines. Capacity factor is the average kilowatts produced over a period,...[more]
A research paper commissioned by CSE drawing on peer-reviewed articles and government-funded analysis to address some of the concerns that are expressed in relation to wind power. . .
Below the fold is a (hopefully) complete list of ET diaries and stories related to wind power. . .
Ontario’s family physicians and nurses are launching an advertising campaign to defend wind and solar power. . .
Another insightful article by a financier who raises debt for large offshore wind projects. . . "There are no "neutral" policy choices, and energy will always be political - and it's time what the...
The final outcome and cost of the nuclear accident at Fukushima are yet to be determined but the obituary of the nuclear industry has already been written, and one competing source of power has...
Conservatives Increasing New Renewables from 50% to 100% of Electricity Highest Concentration of Wind in Germany--Most Locally Owned As Much Wind Generation as California[more]
What Small Wind Needs to Make Its Mark
The media frenzy over unhappy wind-turbine neighbours is downright irresponsible mainly because multiple studies show that wind turbine critics fall squarely in the minority. . .
We have operated an Air Breeze BR0001068 since December 2007. The turbine has performed well without any problems and significantly quieter than previous versions in the Air series of micro wind...[more]
"The analysis showed that wind generation lowers wholesale prices by over €70 million, which almost exactly offsets the costs of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy and other costs associated...
Of Germany's 27,000 megawatts of wind power projects (3rd most in the world and most per capita), nearly 90% are smaller than 20 megawatts, with most between 1 and 5 megawatts.
So the conclusion can be that wind costs roughly the same as traditional power sources - with none of their drawbacks, whether troublesome exporters to deal with, dangerous mining practices for local...
Press release claiming that Cleanfield was installing its VAWTs on rooftops "around the world." The press release implies Cleanfield's association with McMaster University and Ontario's Centres of...[more]
Low Frequency Noise and Infrasound Associated with Wind Turbine Generator Systems A Literature Review. . .
A low carbon portfolio is produced for this system that is capable of achieving an 80% reduction in electric power sector carbon emissions from 2005 levels and supplying over 99% of the annual...
The acoustic noise test was conducted to the IEC 61400-11 Edition 2.1.
San Francisco, California
Washington, DC
Based on what I have been able to locate, I think this structure is another example of ‘Green Gone Wrong.’ I reiterate, I think we need to be mindful about NOT over-hyping some green(er)...
This guide is for landowners in Alberta who are considering wind energy projects on their land. Whether you are interested in erecting and owning your own wind turbine, leasing land to...
The following is another submission by Stewart Russell for the worst turbine install in history. This one is on a bridge in Kansas City and uses two of Southwest Windpower's Air series turbines. As...[more]
On May 5th, 2010 two-dozen French small wind advocates gathered at the SEPEN test site near Narbonne, France. The meeting was called to discuss the future of small wind in France and whether there...[more]
Bill Koch has a nearly five-year history of opposing one of largest renewable energy initiatives in America. Cape Wind, a project to develop the country’s first offshore wind farm, has received...
Feed Laws Lead Feed Laws produced ~1/2 of world wind capacity ¾ California wind capacity from Feed Law World Wind 2009 ~150,000 MW Total ~40,000 MW added in 2009 ~300 TWh/yr 20-40% Growth/yr...[more]
The decision effectively dismisses claims of potential impact and the credibility of witnesses for the plaintiffs.
Tests from both of these configurations are included in the report, though each test was not performed on both configurations of the turbine. Testing on the Windspire was terminated before all of the...[more]
A combination of common vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) rotors was designed and tested for optimal performance in low wind speeds.[more]
In retrospect, a little more skepticism would have been in order, because this is exactly the kind of thing you see constantly in hot markets. Revolutionary technology, lots of interest that will...
The scientific evidence does not demonstrate any direct causal link between wind turbine noise and adverse health effects according to a new report from Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's Chief Medical...
The review concludes that while some people living near wind turbines report symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and sleep disturbance, the scientific evidence available to date does not...
Back in December I stopped by the Boston Museum of science and checked out the public display of data from their small wind turbine experiment, and I posted some of the publicly available data here...
William A. Schmitz, Chief Executive Officer of WindTamer Corporation, said that, “The decision of the Board of Directors and me to no longer have Mr. Brock head the research and development of the...
Small Wind in North America, the Good, the Bad, the Ugly; Real Urban Wind & the Community Power Revolution
Have Parisians Drunk the Kool-Aid?[more]
What Small Wind Needs to Make Its Mark
This test was conducted in accordance with Clause 9.4 of the International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC) standard, Wind turbines -Part 2: Design requirements for small wind turbines, IEC...[more]
Windgesichter: Aufbruch der Windenergie in Deutschland (The face of wind: Dawn of wind energy in Germany) by Jan Oelker is a joy to behold. It's one of those rare cases where you can indeed tell a...[more]
The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) has called on the Ontario government to offer feed-in tariffs designed for small wind turbines.[more]
L'énergie du vent : Les éoliennes au service des hommes et de leur planète Is a beautiful coffee-table book with page after page of photos sandwiched between essays on how wind turbines work and how...[more]
Subtitled "A practical guide to small-scale energy production," the book follows ground well trod before and seeks to capitalize on the odd American desire to run their kilowatt-hour meter backwards.[more]
L'éolien au cœur de l'incontournable révolution énergétique is a serious work on wind energy for francophone readers. It is my kind of book, chocked full of drawings, charts, tables, and historical...[more]
Wind Power for Dummies by Ian Woofenden is the mass-market, mainstream book on small wind turbines that the industry has long sought as a measure of respectability. [more]
Wind Power The Danish Way: From Poul la Cour to Modern Wind Turbines is a book written by a who's who of Danish wind power. It's a celebratory book and Danes have a lot to celebrate--a lot to be...[more]
The Nature of Wind Power is another celebratory book on Danish wind power leading up to the climate change conference in Copenhagen in 2009. The Nature of Wind Power is by a leading Danish landscape...[more]
I feared the worst when I saw the title. As an outspoken critic of so-called "Urban" wind and especially the British variety, I thought the book would be destined for the dust bin after the first...[more]
As I am learning, most designers tend to quietly dismiss a project's failings, and don't repeat installations like this. And so, as with folks in the USA not paying attention to the results of the...
The following data is summarized from a presentation by Paul Kühn, Fraunhofer-Institut für Windenergie und Energiesystemtechnik (IWES), at Husum, Germany, March 20, 2010 based on observations of...[more]
The French test site, SEPEN (Site Expérimental pour le Petit Eolien de Narbonne), published a performance report 28 September 2009 on Mariah's 1.2 kW Windspire. The test site is in a windy region in...[more]
A controversial report critical of the wind energy industry from conservative think tank CEPOS was commissioned and paid for by an American think tank with close ties to the coal and oil industries,...
Sierra Club Kern-Kaweah Chapter P.O. Box 3357 Bakersfield, CA 93385 http://kernkaweah.sierraclub.org/ For more information contact: Tony Swan, 661 363 5106 25th Annual Walk May 8th,...[more]
In a normal wind year, Danish wind turbines generate the equivalent of approx. 20 percent of the Danish electricity demand. . .
On November 19 and 20th, 2009 York University sponsored a workshop on Spain's experience with feed-in tariffs and the large-scale integration of renewable energy. Hugo Lucas Porta describes...[more]
by a Who's Who of Danish Windpower experts--an authoritative rebuttal to the wild claims of CEPOS, a so-called Danish think tank. . .
Article claiming that McMaster improved the VAWTs performance 50% based on wind tunnel tests, according to Dr. Stephen Tullis, leader of the research project and Assistant Professor at McMaster.[more]
Energy Self-Reliant States: Second and Expanded Edition by John Farrell and David Morris came out in October, 2009 and it packs a punch. I chewed on it a little at the time but wanted to delve...[more]
Finally, after decades of effort, the American Wind Energy Association has established performance and safety standards for small wind turbines.[more]
You have to give them credit, small turbine manufacturers are a competitive lot, especially small VAWT suppliers. They are tripping over themselves to see who can win the award for worst turbine...[more]
Mike Nelson call this the worst turbine install in history. It certainly ranks right up there with some recent installations by Mariah, a Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine manufacturer.[more]
Portugal's national grid operator, REN, announced at a workshop in late November that wind generation delivered 71% of the nation's electricity on November 15, 2009. REN estimates that wind will...[more]
Below is a tabular list of the micro and mini wind turbines tested at the Wulf Test Field and the type of tests performed. [more]
During the winter of 1998 through the spring of 1999, I installed equipment to measure the power curve of first mini and then eventually micro wind turbines. The description of this effort and the...[more]
Poor Albert Betz, the German physicist must be turning over in his grave. He's been beaten yet again.[more]
Specifically, neither the view of the wind facilities nor the distance of the home to those facilities is found to have any consistent, measurable, and statistically significant effect on home sales...
The present research collected data on almost 7,500 sales of singlefamily homes situated within 10 miles of 24 existing wind facilities in nine different U.S. states. . . Specifically, neither the...
Again, data collection was not completed with the last wind speed bin (14 m/s) not filled. In both configurations, the inverter experienced failures and the tests were not finished.[more]
I appreciate the vote of confidence in the Small Wind Certification Council's board of directors in appointing me to the Council. It is an honor to be nominated to be part of the commercialization of...[more]
Several misunderstandings and myths have arisen due to the characteristics of wind generation, particularly because wind-energy generation only occurs when the wind is blowing. . .
Presentation by Paul Gipe for ASES Solar 2009
Presentation by Paul Gipe for CanWEA 2009 Conference, Toronto, Ontario. Includes a summary of feed-in tariffs for small wind turbines worldwide and a review of small wind program performance in the...
The turbine had failed sometime in the spring of 2009. We were living in Canada for most of the spring and early summer. When we returned it was the fire season and we didn't drive onto the site...[more]
First, here’s a view of the installation from the north bank of the Charles river,
The review concluded that there is no evidence of noise-induced health effects at levels emitted by wind turbines . . .
Danish Renewable Energy Policy by Preben Maegaard recounts the historic development of Danish policy from the perspective of one its participants. Maegaard, director of the Nordic Folkecenter for...[more]
Mag-Wind is back. Grab your children. Bar the door. The dead walk. . . Worse Ed Begley and Jay Leno, those omnipresent endorsers of all things "green", have leapt to the aid of the undead. Their...[more]
I've reviewed the series of preproduction wind turbine designs from Earthtronics twice before. See below.[more]
Long-time renewable energy advocate Paul Gipe was selected by the Canadian Wind Energy Association for its Individual Leadership Award at its 2009 conference in Toronto September 22. The Canadian...[more]
Ducted or shrouded wind turbines have been invented and reinvented throughout the 20th century.[more]
A podcast interview with Paul Gipe, author of Wind Energy Basics
Contains a very good summary of wind penetration in Europe.
Rebuttal of the Centre for Policy Studies' (CEPOS) so-called report on wind energy in Denmark.
A podcast interview with Paul Gipe
This article explores the threats that wind farms pose to birds and bats before briefly surveying the recent literature on avian mortality and summarizing some of the problems with it. . .
Confirms That Rooftop Mounting Doesn't Deliver[more]
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...
This is a book that was done right. It was written by the right people for the right reasons and printed on quality paper in full color.[more]
The World Wind Energy Association's "Wind Energy International 2009/2010" landed on my desk with a reassuring thump. I picked it up simply to move it somewhere else until I could get time to thumb...[more]
Press release using a common ploy to confuse amateurs by announcing UL certification. UL only certifies electrical performance not whether the wind turbine will work as a wind turbine or work well at...[more]
Shame on Pierpont for using such deceit to prop up her case. Shame on the Independent for not even bothering to read the Pierpont website carefully enough to detect this poorly concealed...
This study provides no conclusive evidence that wind turbines have an effect on health or are causing the set of symptoms described here as "wind turbine syndrome". The study design was weak, the...
Scams, Frauds, & Flakes--Tell-Tale Signs[more]
Anti-wind activists often claim that nuclear is more reliable than wind energy and, therefore, we should just use nuclear and forget wind energy, solar energy, and renewables in...[more]
Performance monitoring of rooftop wind turbines in Great Britain
If further proof is needed that mounting wind turbines on rooftops is a bad idea, the final report on the Warwick Wind Trials is it.[more]
The time for that choice is now. Do we allow our health to suffer by continuing to rely on coal? Do we gamble on nuclear? Or do we choose a less harmful path toward renewable energy? How do we...
The document below is a scanned copy of Adopt an Anemometer: A Unique Anemometer Loan Program created circa 1980 by the Center for Alternative Resources for the US Department of Energy. The...[more]
This is a quick survey of some of the sources for wind turbine performance statistics, that is, how many turbines, how many MW, and how much electricity they produce. There are no doubt more...[more]
The Muncie (Indiana) Star recently reported that the Delaware County Redevelopment Commission awarded almost $1 million to a relatively little known German company.[more]
It was interesting to compare the behavior of the various turbines.
The Boston, Massachusetts, Museum of Science, is installing a rooftop Wind Turbine Lab in the summer of 2009.
One of the small wind turbines selected for testing was Mariah Power's Windspire Giromill. The Windspire is a 1.2-kW vertical-axis wind turbine. The turbine tower is 9.1 meters tall, and its rotor...[more]
Data on actual measured performance of small wind turbines at the Test Field for Small Wind Turbines in Zeeland, the Netherlands. The site has a very low average wind speed of only 3.8 m/s during the...[more]
Yes, windmills and dams deface the landscape but the climate crisis demands immediate action. . .
I've been putting off writing anything about the "Energy Ball" simply because there are too many of these "inventions" for one person to track, analyze, and report on. Like many of these...[more]
Conclusion? Again, it's unlikely that this wind turbine will produce the reported generation anywhere in Michigan by a large margin.[more]
So, which concerns are real and which aren't? Let's investigate whether utility-scale wind energy is as green and economical as the industry and politicians paint it. . .
The known and well-documented health effects from coal use and the threat that climate change poses to humans and other species must be weighed against the unproven links between wind turbines and...
The Skystream uses a 3.72-meter diameter, three-blade, downwind rotor. Southwest Windpower claims that this rotor will deliver 1.8 kW at its rated speed of 9 m/s and generate 4,800 kWh per year at an...[more]
Twice now on our way to Pearson International Airport in Toronto we've passed two Skystreams in operation at a shopping center. They've both been operating both times. That's plus, we need a lot more...[more]
An excellent primer on why wind energy (and solar PV) needs feed-in tariffs. . .
An excellent primer on the value and integration of wind into utility systems.
Presentation at the CanWEA conference i 2007 by S. Tullis at McMaster University.[more]
A thorough analysis of the concept by an experienced renewable energy journalist.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation supported the project with a $400,000 grant.
Opposition to wind power used to be the province of NIMBY’s who quailed at the supposed intrusion into their viewsheds and soundsheds. No more. Wind power is big — its share of U.S. electricity...
Another insightful analysis by Craig Morris of the American Spectator's "critique" of renewable energy . . .
[W]hen wind turbines are operated as parts of an interconnected grid for which the dominant share of energy is provided by generators burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), wind power...
Dr. David Colby doesn't doubt that some people are bothered by the noise generated by a wind turbine, but the acting medical officer of health for Chatham-Kent says there's no direct link between...
The Danes have an expression, as do most European cultures, to wish one good fortune on parting. The expression comes from the days of sail: God Vind or Good Wind! The wind is good in Denmark, and...[more]
Gaia-Wind II kW--Power curve and annual energy output
Lansing, Michigan
James Lovelock says the government’s enthusiasm for wind farms approaches fascism.--By George Monbiot in the Guardian . . .
In summary, wind power prices are comparable to those of fossil fuel ppower plants, but (i) that price is guaranteed not to change over the next 20 years, (ii) when wind is blowing, it brings down...
On Noise from Wind Turbines and Wild Claims
Product brochure by a British company for Cleanfield's 3.5 kW VAWT shown on an unusual monopole tower. To my knowledge the Cleanfield turbine was never certified under the British FIT program. This...[more]
Two videos of Cleanfield VAWTs spinning. The first shows two of its small VAWT on the roof of a what looks like a school in Ontario, Canada. The second shows a group of five turbines at an airport in...[more]
Wind Power: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, & Business (2004) Corrections If you find further errors or want to suggest changes or corrections, post a message to Paul Gipe. Your help is...[more]
Praise for Wind Power: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, & Business (2004) by Paul Gipe Advance Praise "If you only buy one book on wind energy, make it this one. . . Paul Gipe has made a great...[more]
There are a several sources of information for landowners on the typical terms and conditions for leasing land for wind energy development. The newest is by the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association...[more]
Juliette Jowit The Guardian, Tuesday 13 January 2009 Home wind turbines are generating a fraction of the energy promised by manufacturers, and in some cases use more electricity than they make, a...[more]
Arne Kildegaard on the Merit Order Effect
As the title suggests, this version of Chelsea Green's original 1999 version expands the scope to include commercial-scale wind turbines used in distributed applications. As such, this book includes...[more]
Stewart Russell captured these photos of a Mariah Windspire installed at the College School in St. Louis. Stewart is an experienced wind hand and noted that the Windspire, which is an unguyed,...[more]
Britain's Renewable Devices introduced its "Swift" micro turbine several years ago to criticism that its estimates of annual production were inflated. See Roof Top Over the Top in Britain. Since then...[more]
