It is estimated that Windmills were in use as long ago as the 12th century
in Northern Europe, and probably even earlier in Middle Eastern sites such as Persia. The pinnacles of windmill design include those built by the British, who developed many advanced “automatic control” mechanisms over the centuries, and the Dutch (who used windmills extensively to pump water and
for industrial uses, as well as to grind grain).

The first large windmill to generate electricity was built in Cleveland, Ohio by Charles F. Brush in 1888. It incorporated a stepup gearbox (with a ratio of 50:1) in order to turn a direct current generator.
The development of modern vertical-axis rotors began in France by G.J.M. Darrieus in the 1920s. But
alas, even these new developments weren’t sufficient to render wind power economically viable.

	Today, the high cost of generating electricity (to our pocketbooks as well as the environment) has made the use of wind power attractive once again. Thankfully, today’s technology has risen to the task, creating wind turbines that can successfully compete with plants powered by fossil fuels.

 

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