articles on wind energy

2010 Wind Generator Buyer’s Guide by Woofenden, Ian and Mick Sagrillo.  Home Power Jun/Jul 2010 (#137) pp. 44-54. This is the most recent version of Home Power's comparison of wind turbines. Lots of good detailed information her for those looking for a system.

Aesthetic Issues and Residential Wind Turbines by Sagrillo, Mick.  Windletter 23 (5) pp 1-2. For those of you who are concerned about getting resistance from your neighbors in putting up a wind turbine this is an excellent article to read. You can also probably find it on the AWEA.org site.

Anatomy of a Wind Turbine by Woofenden, Ian and Hugh Piggott.  Home Power Dec/Jan 2007 (#116) pp. 52-55. A closer look at how the parts and pieces of a typical wind turbine work together. Article includes some excellent diagrams.

Apples and Oranges 2002: Choosing a Home-Sized Wind Generator by Sagrillo, Mick.  Home Power 90, 2002. An outstanding article on what to look for when purchasing a small wind generator.

Estimating Wind Energy by Piggott, Hugh  Home Power 102, 2004. A short article on how to estimate how much electricity you can realistically generate from wind energy site.

Harnessing the Wind for Energy Independence by Brown, Lester. Solar Today 16(2), 2002. A strong review of the basics of wind energy.

Harvest the Wind by Hackelman, M. and C. Anderson Mother Earth News 192,2002. A solid and easy to read introduction to wind energy.

How to Buy a Wind-Electric System by Woofenden, Ian and Sagrillo, Mick. Home Power 122, 2007. A very thorough discussion on the factors to consider in buying a wind turbine system. It provides a chart showing specifications for 24 currently produced wind turbines.

The Long-Term Potential of Wind Power in the U.S. by Short, Walter and Nate Blair.  Solar Today 17(6), 2003. An overview of the potential for using wind energy throughout the United States.

How Tall is Too Tall? by Raichle, Brian and Brent Summerville Home Power Aug/Sep 2008 pp. 84-89. One of the big mistakes people often make in putting in a wind tower is that they don't use a tall enough tower. In this article the authors provide examples of how the height of the tower impacts energy generation and ROI.

Old Jacobs - Current Again by Kuebeck, Sr. Peter and Peter Kuebeck, Jr. Home Power 89, 2002. A review of author's experience in working with a wind turbine.

On Intimate Terms with a Wind Generator by Sagrillo, Mick.  Solar Today 17(1),  2003. A fun to read article about one person's effort to supply themselves with wind energy.

Pumping Water with the Wind by Moore, Kevin.  Home Power 122, 2007. A very readable discussion of how water windmills work. Includes excellent illustrations which show how this type of windmill operates. Has good tips on servicing windmills of this type.

Small Wind Systems Boom by Gipe, Paul. solar Today 1(2), 2002. A good introduction to wind energy by one of the country's leading experts.

Small Wind Installations in Colorado by Green, Jim.  Solar Today 14(1), 2000. Some revealing case studies of solar installations in Colorado.

Thoughts on VAWT's: Vertical Axis Wind Generator Perspectives by Preus, Robert  Home Power 104, 2005. A very nicely illustrated article specifically on verticle axis wind generators.

Tools of the Wind-Electric Trade by Woofenden, Ian.  Home PowerApr/May 2008 (#124) pp. 98-104. For those of you considering installing a wind turbine yourself here is a good visual listing of the tools you will probably need.

Troubleshooting Small Wind Systems by Piggott, Hugh.  Home PowerDec/Jan 2009-2010(#134) pp. 74-76. An explanation of how to troubleshoot a wind system that is underperforming or broken.

Vertical-Axis Wind Generators by Sagrillo, Mick.  Home PowerApr/May 2008 (#124) pp. 16. Sagrillo provides some good rational arguments as to why vertical axis wind turbines are probably not the best energy solution.

Watts in the Wind by Smith, Gus. Home Power Apr/May 2007 (#118) pp. 60-64. This article discusses a project in which a wind turbine is being used to suppliment an off-grid solar system so that there is sufficient power during the winter months. A very useful discussion of how to leverage the fact that wind is often strongest when the sun doesn't shine.

Wind Farm Tour by Balcomb, Douglas J. Solar Today 21(5), 2007. This article describes a family tour by three generations of the Sourbeer family of the wind farm at Hopkins Ridge in Dayton, Washington.

Wind-Electric System Maintenance by Butler, Roy and Ian Woofenden. Home Power Feb/Mar 2010 (#135) pp. 98-103. Wind turbines have many mechanical moving parts and are often exposed to tough environmental conditions. Consequently regular maintenance is essential. This article reviews what type of maintenance is likely to be needed on a wind-energy system.

Wind Generator Tower Basics by Woofenden, Ian.  Home Power 105, 2005. A great overview on buying and installing wind towers.

Winds of Change by Osborn, D. Solar Today 17(6), 2003. A review of issues associated with wind power including the issue of bird kills by wind turbines and towers./p>

Wind Power Curves: What's Wrong, What's Better by Woofenden, Ian. Home Power Oct/Nov 2008 (#127) pp. 92-95. Most advertising materials for wind turbines include a chart showing the Wind Power Curve. These charts are anything but clear and this article by Woofenden helps demystify them./p>

You Gotta Have Height: A Tower Construction Project in Iowa by Laughlin, Don.  Home Power 92, 2003. An article which describes a project to build and raise a wind tower. Good discussion of the advantages of taller towers when using wind energy.

Zimbabwean Wind Energy Spins at Redhill by Morris, Glynn.  Home Power  Apr/May 2000 (#76) pp. 52-54. A report on a wind-energy project in Africa.

Zoning for Distributed Wind Power - Breaking Down the Barrers by Green, Jim and Mick Sagrillo.  Conference Paper, NREL, CP-500-38167  May 2005. National Renewable Energy Association, Golden, Colorado. Zoning of wind energy systems in residential areas is a big issue and this is one of the few papers we have seen that talks to it.