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The first windmills were developed to automate the tasks of grain-grinding and water-pumping and the earliest-known design is the vertical axis system developed in Persia about 500-900 A.D. he first known documented design is also of a Persian windmill, this one with vertical sails made of bundles of reeds or wood which were attached to the central vertical shaft by horizontal struts
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Eventually, around 1,000 A.D., wind power technology spread north to European countries such as The Netherlands, which adapted windmills to help drain lakes and marches in the Rhine River Delta.
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In the late 1800s Wind power in North America helps farmers and ranchers pump water for irrigation and windmills generate electricity for homes and businesses.
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In the1850s Daniel Halladay and John Burnham start the U.S. Wind Engine Company and build the Halladay Windmill, which is designed for the landscape of the American West
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In the1890 Larger windmills, called wind turbines, begin appearing on hills in Denmark.
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In the late 1890sThe invention of steel blades for windmills makes them more efficient and as homesteaders move west, more than six million windmills are erected throughout the
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In1893 The Chicago World’s Fair showcases 15 windmill companies and their wind turbine designs.
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in the 1940s The largest wind turbine begins operating on a Vermont hilltop known as “Grandpa’s Knob.” It is rated at 1.25 megawatts (MW) in winds of about 30 mph and feeds electric power to the local utility network for several months during World War II.
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In 1950s Most wind turbines in the United States are shut down because of disuse.
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In 1970s The price of oil skyrockets and so does interest and research in wind turbines and the power they generate.
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In 1978 Congress passes the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, which requires companies to buy a certain amount of electricity from renewable energy sources, including wind.
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In 1981 National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists Larry Viterna and Bob Corrigan develop “The Viterna Method,” which goes on to become the most common method used for predicting wind turbine performance, thus increasing the efficiency of turbine output to this day.
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In 1990 More than 2,200 MW of wind energy capacity is installed around California, creating more than half of the world’s capacity for wind power.
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In 1992 The Energy Policy Act authorizes a production tax credit of 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of wind-power-generated electricity and re-establishes a focus on renewable energy use.
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In 2000 The cost of wind-power-generated electricity is between 4 to 6 cents per kWh.
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In 2004 The cost of electricity from wind-generated sources drops to 3 to 4 cents per kWh.
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In 2007 Wind produces enough energy to power roughly 2.5 million homes and makes up 5% of the renewable energy used in the United States.
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In 2008 The U.S. Department of Energy publishes their 20% Wind Energy by 2030 initiative.
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In 2008 The U.S. Department of Energy publishes their 20% Wind Energy by 2030 initiative.
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In 2012 The amount of wind energy produced in the United States reaches the point of being able to power 15 million homes and becomes the number-one source of renewable electricity.
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In 2013 Jose Zayas, Wind Program Director, announces Wind Vision, a new initiative to revist the findings of the 2008 report.
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Wind is created by the unequal heating of the Earth's surface by the sun. When the wind spins the wind turbine's blades, a rotor captures the kinetic energy of the wind and converts it into rotary motion to drive the generator. In this way, wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in wind into clean electricity.
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Wind energy is one of the most affordable forms of electricity today. In fact, in some cases it is cheaper than conventional fuels. Power purchase agreements are now being signed in the range of 5 to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is competitive with new gas-fired power plants. Wind energy also produces no emissions or waste and uses no water, making it the leading choice for new power generation.
