X-NEWS: camins.camosun.bc.ca sci.energy: 3391 Newsgroups: sci.energy Subject: Re: New Book by Paul 1/2 From: howard.smith@spacebbs.com (Howard Smith) Path: suncad!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!gumby!wupost!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!biosci!barrnet.net!iserver.spacebbs.com!spacebbs!howard.smith Distribution: world Message-ID: <6.6841.1017.0NAE857A@spacebbs.com> Date: Fri, 18 Feb 94 16:07:00 -0800 Organization: Space BBS - 15 nodes - v.32bis - (415-323-4193) Lines: 96 This message was from Alternative Energy Discus to HOWARD SMITH originally in conference EMAIL and was forwarded to you by HOWARD H. SMITH ---------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 18 Feb 1994 10:41:38 -0800 Reply-To: Alternative Energy Discussion List Sender: Alternative Energy Discussion List From: Tom Gray Subject: Re: New Book by Paul Gipe X-To: AE@SJSUVM1.SJSU.EDU To: Multiple recipients of list AE Andrew Pape writes: > I just heard about the new book: > > Gipe, Paul > "Wind Power for Home and Business" > Chelsea Green Publishing Company > > I was wondering if anybody had read through it, and could enlighten us > on the net as to the significance of the work. I have a good > > understanding of some of the fundamental physics of wind power, but do > not know a lot about the implementation aspects, the policy issues, > connecting to the grid, and getting permission in urban areas or getting > permits, etc. > > Does the book address some of those issues? Here's a review I wrote of Paul's book for the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) newsletter: _Wind Power for Home and Business: Renewable Energy for the 1990s and Beyond_, is Paul Gipe's latest contribution to the "how-to" literature for aspiring small wind turbine owners. Gipe is for real. He's experienced the field of wind-generated electricity from just about every angle -- from teaching introductory courses on wind energy technology for homeowners to prowling the high plains looking for old wind machines from the 1930s to handling public relations for modern California windfarm developers -- and his extensive knowledge is evident in this 413-page book. Indeed, if _Wind Power for Home and Business_ has a flaw, it's overkill. A chapter on "Measuring the Wind," at 38 pages, may be overly exhaustive for some, and one might argue that the basics of wind measurement can be communicated without forcing the reader to digest a sentence such as "The average of the cube of different wind speeds will always be greater than the cube of the average wind speed." Curiously, _Wind Power_ also contains a few spots where the discussion has been overly simplified, as for example in Gipe's assertion that "[C]ommercial wind farms, or wind power plants, are nothing more than a large-scale version of a small wind turbine interconnected with a residential customer's electric utility." Larger wind turbines, as he makes clear in later chapters, have some major design departures from small machines (such as electric yaw motors instead of tailvanes to orient the machine correctly to the prevailing wind) that are dictated by their scale. However, these minor quibbles aside, Gipe's newest offering is indeed comprehensive, as the publisher claims, and often in the best sense of the word. In addition to the technical basics on wind and wind energy systems, he offers a wealth of practical, down-to-earth advice on such matters as how to inspect a small turbine dealer's promotional literature for evidence of honesty and legitimacy or how to install a tower foundation: "You must ensure that the base tower sections or anchor bolts used in the foundation don't 'swim' around when the concrete is placed. They must also accurately fit the foundation template provided with the tower. Otherwise, you could have a rude awakening when you go to set the tower on the base -- it may not fit." He also goes beyond the often fairly dry engineering discourse to speculate on matters intangible, usually to his and the reader's profit: "Windmills have fascinated us for centuries and will continue to do so. Like campfires or falling water, they're mesmerizing -- indeed, entrancing. People respond almost instinctively. Few escape the excitement created by a sleek turbine whirring in the wind." Chapters on wind measurement and economics, towers, siting, installation, operation and maintenance, safety and more are well organized and presented, with many useful and illustrative photographs, tables, charts, and drawings. And many are leavened with memorable anecdotes from Gipe's experiences and conversations with other wind enthusiasts that help to underline his message effectively. So if you're thinking about buying a small wind turbine, new or used, pick up a copy of _Wind Power for Home and Business_. If you're technically inclined and revel in the details, your thirst will be quenched. If your interest is more modest, you can thumb through for the information you think you need, then come back and consult it again later when necessary. Like any good reference book, it will be a comfort to have around -- and it just may save you a lot of money, time, and aggravation if your yen to own a turbine becomes a reality. Tom Gray Editor, Wind Energy Weekly