By Michelle Froese, Senior Editor Windpower Engineering & Development This article is part of Windpower Engineering & Development’s February 2017 issue. A complete digital version of the issue is here. Given enough time, even the best-engineered machines begin to break down and wind turbines are no exception. Reliability, efficiency, and power production drop considerably with age in…

About two years ago (August 2012), this magazine reported on an unusual underwater compressed-air-storage idea that uses a compressor powered by wind-generated electricity to pump up bladders secured at over a 50-m depth. When the grid needs power, the compressed air would be fed through an expander and a gas turbine to drive a generator.…