books on wind energy

Wind energy is not without controversy and this book documents the extensive controversy surrounding the attempt to implement one of the largest proposed wind projects in the country off Nantucket Sound. The authors view this not only as a struggle between old and new ideas on energy, but also as a class struggle between the well-to-do elite of Cape Cod, powerful families such as the Mellon's and the Kennedy's, and the public which would benefit from the energy being generated by the wind farm. For anyone interested in the use of wind energy in our country this book is a must read.

This is one of the more readable texts on renewable energy. Ewing writes in a folksy, informal manner, and readers will find his hands-on primer worthwhile. Loaded with practical information to help almost anyone gain better understanding of using and living with renewable energy.

With Profiting from Clean Energy, respected investment analyst Richard Asplund provides an in-depth explanation of the technology and industry structure behind various sectors of this field and in the process identifies more than 150 stocks related to clean energy. Along the way, Asplund discusses exactly what it takes to effectively invest in clean energy—whether it be through buying individual stocks, investing in green exchange-traded funds or mutual funds, or trading the biofuel and carbon credit markets.

by Peter Asmus. Reaping the Wind: How Mechanical Wizards, Visionaries, and Profiteers Helped Shape Our Energy Future

In Reaping the Wind, journalist Peter Asmus tells the fascinating and convoluted history of commercial wind power in the United States. He introduces readers to maverick scientists and technologists who labored in obscurity, to entrepreneurs and visionary capitalists who believed that a centuries-old idea could be made feasible in the modern world, and to enterprising financial advisers and investors who sought to exploit the last great tax shelter in federal history. Beginning with the early pioneers, from William Heronemus, a former U.S. Navy captain who dreamt of huge floating wind farms off the coast of New England, to the $40 million success story of Jim Dehlsen of Zond, he offers an animated narrative that profiles the colorful cast of characters involved with the development of the American wind power industry. Reaping the Wind is both engaging and instructive, with information about the technologies and policies that drive the industry and give it promise interwoven with the human story of the struggle to develop-against great odds-reliable, clean energy from a source as unpredictable and seemingly uncontrollable as the wind. Anyone interested in renewable energy or the human and political drama behind the development of new technologies will find the book an engrossing and enlightening read.

Unlike the other books in this list, this new book by Brown and DeKay focuses on the impact sun and wind can have upon architectural design.  It provides real insight into the issues involved in passively cooling and heating homes.  Developed for rapid use during schematic design, this book clarifies relationships between form and energy and gives designers tools for designing sustainably. The book is impressively illustrated with 750 illustrations that demonstrate the principles of passive energy design. A must read for all you architects out there.

The book covers all the major aspects of wind energy conversion technology. In contrast with other publications on this subject, the author gives due emphasis to wind resource analysis and its economic aspects. The subject is treated from its basics and gradually developed to the advanced level. Such a treatment caters the needs of readers with different subject backgrounds. Each section is discussed with illustrative examples and practical problems. Software, based on the analytical techniques discussed in the publication, is provided on an enclosed CD-ROM. An extensive bibliography is appended to each chapter to give further guidance to the readers.

Wind Energy Handbook by Tony Burton, David Sharpe, Nick Jenkins and Ervin Bossanyi.

As environmental concerns have focused attention on the generation of electricity from clean and renewable sources wind energy has become the world's fastest growing energy source. The Wind Energy Handbook draws on the authors' collective industrial and academic experience to highlight the interdisciplinary nature of wind energy research and provide a comprehensive treatment of wind energy for electricity generation. With coverage ranging from practical concerns about component design to the economic importance of sustainable power sources, the Wind Energy Handbook will be an asset to engineers, turbine designers, wind energy consultants and graduate engineering students.

If you want to gain a strong perspective on where the field of wind energy has been, and where its going, you can't do better than this history of the wind industry by Robert W. Righter. Righter gives a comprehensive overview of wind power in America, contrasting it to wind development in Europe. Although there is some technical jargon (inescapable in this sort of book), it is also an approachable book, full of good anecdotes, historical narrative, and good photos, including many of the author's own. Although the book doesnt go in depth on any one subtopic in wind power (politics, financing, technical aspects) this is plus for the book since the style makes it accessible to the lay reader. Overall, a great read.

Over the course of his career, Paul Gipe has been a proponent, participant, observer, and critic of the wind industry. His experience with wind has given rise to two previous books on the subject, Wind Energy Basics and Wind Power for Home and Business, which have sold over 50,000 copies. Wind Power for Home and Business has become a staple for both homeowners and professionals interested in the subject, and now, with energy prices soaring, interest in wind power is hitting an all-time high. With chapters on output and economics, Wind Power discloses how much you can expect from each method of wind technology, both in terms of energy and financial savings. The book’s updated models, graphics, and weighty appendixes make it an invaluable reference for everyone interested in the emerging trend of wind power and renewable energy.

Not since David Spera's Wind Turbine Technology in 1994 has there been as complete a book on wind energy as Wind Energy Explained. Wind Energy Explained grew out of course notes for training engineering students at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where all three authors teach. Their wind energy engineering course has been offered since the mid 1970s and is one of the few remaining wind engineering courses in North America. Jim Manwell and John McGowan, two of the book's three authors, are old wind hands. (I once came across a report written by Manwell circa 1980 when I resided at the Folkecenter for Renewable Energy in Denmark.) They are well-known in the American wind industry for their work keeping UMass' Renewable Energy Research Laboratory alive when similar programs were closing across the country during the Reagan years. --review by Paul Gipe.

This electronic book on two CD-ROMs contains a broad collection of official federal documents on the subject of wind energy, including the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Energy Resource Atlas; Wind Energy Meteorological Measurements; National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) National Wind Technology Center; Wind Energy Photo Gallery; Wind Turbine Technical Reports; Wind Resource Maps and Wind Power Today. These CD-ROM's have over 40,000 pages reproduced using Adobe Acrobat PDF software - allowing direct viewing on Windows and Macintosh systems, and Reader software is included.