Workshops
Overview of Worldwide Wind Energy Development
by Paul Gipe
Full-Day Workshop (9-4.30)
The workshop is led by Paul Gipe, author of Wind Power for Home & Business, Wind Energy
Comes of Age, Wind Energy Basics, and other books on how best to responsibly use wind energy.
The workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of wind energy,
including an overview of wind energy development worldwide especially in North America and
Northern Europe, the essentials needed for wind development, applications for wind energy from
"off-the-grid" homesteads to utility-scale wind power plants, wind technology today, resource
assessment, and wind energy's environmental impacts.
Power in the Wind
Participants learn how to calculate the power in the wind and estimate how much energy wind
turbines will typically produce. Participants also learn why rotor diameter is such a critical factor
in determining the size of a wind turbine, and why tall towers are so important for gaining the
most from a wind energy investment.
Technology
The workshop discusses the advantages of various wind turbine configurations, why there is so
much interest in variable speed machines, the difference between fixed-pitch and variable-pitch
turbines, and why wind turbines in 2003 are more than 15 times the size of those installed in the
early 1980s.
Siting
Attendees learn about setbacks, land requirements, royalty payments, compatible and
incompatible land uses, visual impact and aesthetic design, public and occupational safety,
impact on wildlife, and mitigation measures.
Who Should Attend
Anyone considering the use of wind energy, whether a farmer or utility executive, who has little
prior experience with the technology.
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