The History of Wind Power

Wind power past and present

 The history of wind power starts further back in time than the period that windmills were commonly associated with Europe. For many, it is not common knowledge that the use of wind power has been around for over a millennia. It can be amazing to learn that wind power pre-dates even those long standing icons. The actual first accounts of using wind power were by the first boats that had incorporated sails to move them. This is the first and original concept of wind power. The first sailors to use wind to power their boats did not have an understanding of the physics that made the wind power their sails; they simply used them to get from one place to another faster than they would have by using mechanical rowing techniques, or man power which was the norm then.

The History of Wind Power- First Accounts

The first accounts in wind power history is of windmills being used for power in Persia in 500 to 900 A.D. These types of wind power were mostly used for watering crops by pumping out water from streams, wells or lakes. While it has not been determined how the water was transported from one location to the next; it is widely touted that these were the first of this category of primitive windmills and the first type of this brand of wind power. These windmills were also used for refining grain quicker than a mortar and pestle could have done the job. This was highly revolutionary for the age, and enabled Persians an opportunity to save time on normal daily tasks. The next recorded account of wind power being used for water pumping and the milling of grain was in China in 1219 A.D. While it is believed that the windmill was used as a means of wind power many hundreds of years before this time period, it can not be documented nor verified. One important area that utilized the windmill as a means of pumping water in order to maintain crops and to get water to their animals was Crete. This type of wind power was highly successful and is still utilized today in Crete.

The History of Wind Power- Windmills

It was not until 1270 A.D. that windmills started being used in Europe and the West. These types of windmills were used for milling grain and had four blades that rotated the stone the ground the grain. These were more advanced than the early Persian windmills and allowed for a higher rate of grain that could be milled at one time. In 1390 A.D., the Dutch revised the original windmill concept to include more space for other areas of milling which made the entire process more efficient and therefore more profitable. The actual person who ran the mill was called a windsmith, instead of a miller or grainer. This was because he was solely responsible for making sure that the blades caught the most wind and he protected the windmill during storms. The windsmith typically lived in quarters housed on the lower level of the windmill. During this time period, there was also a revolution in the way the blades were made. They became sleeker and were able to be much more productive than their earlier counter parts because of the wind they could catch which made them rotate faster. The final outcome of all the windmill revolution at this time would eventually take over five hundred years to master and many are still being used today.

The History of Wind Power- Pumping Water for Farming

In 1854, the first windmills were used in the United States and were mainly used to pump water for crops. Many of the water pumping windmills in the United States are still operable in this day and age. These windmills were typically smaller and did not take up as much space as their European counterparts as they were not used typically for milling, which requires a much larger unit. The blades on these early US windmills were made from wood and had a “tail” that would catch the wind so the need for a windsmith was not a factor. They could not house any one and were stand alone units. In 1870, the blades were changed from wooden to steel and this allowed for a more proficient means of turning the blades as they could be made into any shape and were much lighter. Many of the windmills had to be restructured because of the speed of the steel blades. It is interesting to note that in the United States alone; more than six million windmills were erected from the period of 1850 and 1970.

The History of Wind Power- Electricity Production

It was not until 1888 that wind power was first used as a source of electricity. This test model was created in Cleveland Ohio but did not produce very strong electrical currents even though it was in use for twenty years. The first viable windmill to generate electricity was in Europe in 1891. These wind powered generators produced electricity on a grander scale than those that were in use up to that time. They used time tested blades that would spin faster and therefore would generate more electricity. By World War I, these units were employed all over Denmark and it was not until the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity took over that the windmill as an electrical source died out.

The History of Wind Power- A  Resurgence

The 1920’s saw a resurgence of the wind powered propellers that produced electricity. These were first used the United States Mid West area. These wind powered propellers were commonly used for outlying farms that did not typically have access to electricity. They were mainly used for lighting. In later years, they were used to produce electricity for other electronics as they became available to the public. Again, wind powered electricity suffered a decline in the 1930’s and 40’s.

The History of Wind Power- Wind Subsides

There are many reasons for this decline, more appliances in the home meant frequent power outages and more propellers had to be erected to keep up with the electrical needs of the farmer. Another reason for this was that more people were moving into farming areas and so the electrical use was increased dramatically with each family that settled the area.

The History of Wind Power- Wind Rises Again

Wind Power is experiencing a new growth today due to its' competetive cost with oil. There is also a renewed interest in wind power in the United States because the U.S. has vast areas with alot of wind that if developed properly could supply a huge percentage of the energy demand. There are many new advancements in the technology becoming available, like verticle wind turbines that do not require towers or high wind speeds. Some systems being developed combine wind with flexible solar cells for increased electricity production and the verticle turbine designs look nicer and can be installed in urban and suburban areas where towers would not be viable. The future of wind power looks bright, indeed!

It is a very exciting time for alternative energy. As the technology improves and competition brings the costs down and government optimizes and updates our energy grid we will finally acheive a greater degree of energy independance, and a reduction of greenhouse gas emmissions. In poorer countries wind and solar power will provide clean, cheap alternatives to traditional and nonrenewable fossil fuels.

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