Specific Rated Capacity of Wind Turbines in the 1980s–I am posting this data for its historical context and because the question of specific capacity has come to the fore as wind turbine manufacturers are now offering IEC Class IIIA turbines with very low specific capacities or, conversely, very high specific areas.
Hybrid Electric Home by Craig Toepfer–This is the kind of book I envision Mick Sagrillo diving into with its archive photos and illustrations not only of the early days of electricity but also the early days of small wind. . .
A Bold Effort in Vermont: The 1941 Smith-Putnam wind turbine by Carl Sulzberger–This issue of the IEEE Power & Energy Magazine is the third biennial issue having wind-produced electrical energy as its theme. As with the earlier two issues, a major focus is the integration of wind power plants into electric utility systems. As such, it is fitting that our history offering describes the Smith-Putnam wind turbine that operated on the summit of Grandpa’s Knob, a mountain about 12 mi (19 km) west of Rutland, Vermont, during the early 1940s. Having a capacity of 1.25 MW, it was the world’s largest wind turbine at that time and among the first to deliver alternating current (ac) electrical energy into an electric utility transmission and distribution system. . .
Windcharger.com–The purpose of this website is to provide a virtual meeting place for all people interested in the history and preservation of the wind powered battery generators known by the brand name “Wincharger” and originally manufactured in Sioux City, Iowa. . .
Solar Energy Research Institute’s Wind: An Energy Alternative (1980)–American Wind History Video. Almost corny by today’s standards. Opens with the Terry Mehrkhams Dorney Park turbine before switching to DOE’s Mod 0A turbine at Clayton, New Mexico. Vintage footage of the Smith-Puthnam turbine atop Granpa’s Knob near Rutland, Vermont.