People have been using wind energy since ancient times. It has been used to propel boats, pump water, grind grain, and in the last few centuries, generate electricity. These would not be possible without a few visionaries thinking outside the box. Windpower Engineering & Development magazine would like to recognize nine pioneers behind many wind developments.
Heron of Alexandria
1. Greek engineer and mathematician, Heron of Alexandria, claims the earliest account of using a windwheel (wind-driven wheel) to power an organ in the 1st century.
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A little history about a pioneer company since 1922, Jacobs Wind Electric.
http://www.jacobswind.net
Also Palmer Putnam, designer of the Smith-Putnam megawatt-scale machine installed on Grandpa Knob in Vermont in the early 1940s. Fascinating story. I’m sure there are others, but you’ve selected some good ones, including a few I had not heard of.
Thanks for this great historical reference.
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Thanks Jon. I definitely will.
You missed in my mind one of the most important persons who advocated for utility scale wind energy production as far back as the early 1970s. His name is Dr. James (Jim) Lerner and while working for the California Energy Commission, led the first wind energy surveys in the State. He later was the CTO of a wind energy company that put in 21 MWs in the Altamont Pass, Including one MW of the then largest commercially available turbines at the time (at 325 kW from Danish Wind Technologies). Dr. Lerner was known at the time as the “father” of wind energy in California due to his influential work at the CEC and for his tireless advocacy for wind energy in the 1970s and 80s. You can reach him for comment at jilerner@gmail.com>.
Thanks Barry! I will definitely reach out to him.