What's New In Energy - Wind Energy

Wind energy might be one of the latest trend in power generation, however, it's been around for a very long time.

Did you know know that in 1887-88, Charles F. Brush, a child prodigy from Euclid, Ohio, built Ohio's first wind-powered turbine behind his Euclid Avenue mansion home? The turbine 60-foot, 40-ton wrought iron tower rested on a gudgeon that extended eight feet into masonry. The windmill's wheel measured 56-feet in diameter, had 144 blades and a sail surface 1,800 square-feet. The tail was 60 feet long and 20 feet wide. A 20-foot shaft inside the tower turned pulleys and belts, which at top performance spun a dynamo 500 revolutions per minute.

In late 2003, Ohio became the home for two 1.8 megawatt (MW) utility-scale wind turbines in Bowling Green. These are the largest wind turbines west of the Rockies, and dimensions of today’s wind mills used to help this country (and others) “go green” are much smaller in comparison to the one Charles F. Brush built over one hundred years ago. His company, Brush Electric Company, merged with companies that eventually formed General Electric.

With increasingly competitive prices, growing environmental concerns, and the call to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources, a strong future for wind power appears certain. The Global Wind Energy Council projects global wind capacity will reach 332 gigawatt (GW) by 2013, almost triple its current size, with growth especially concentrated in the United States and China. In 2013 alone, new installations could reach 56 GW, more than double the current annual global market.

For more information on wind power generation, visit the Department of Energy website at: http://www.energy.gov/energysources/wind.htm.

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