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Oldest known windmills are developed by Persians. These early windmills have a simple tower supporting paddles made from bundled reeds and spin the paddles around a vertical axis to grind grain
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French settlers brought windmills to Canada, primarily to grind grain
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Americans use windmills to pump water for farms and ranches. Early farm windmills use blades made from simple wooden planks
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In Cleveland, Ohio scientist Charles Brush built the first wind turbine to generate electricity. Measuring 17 meters high and using 144 cedar rotor blades.
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Poul La Cour discovers that faster rotating wind turbines with fewer rotor blades generate more electricity than slow moving turbines with many rotor blades. With this information he makes the first wind generating wind turbines with modern design.
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G.J.M. Darrieus develops the concept of a vertical-axis rotor. This design has slim, curved blades attached at the top and bottom of a rotating vertical tube.
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After World War II fossil fuel prices increase and power grids extend throughout rural areas, small wind turbines in the U.S. and Canada stared to be used a lot more.
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The world’s first offshore wind farm is made off the coast of Denmark
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As public concerns about environmental issues such as air pollution and climate change grow, governments in Canada and elsewhere take a greater interest in using renewable energy as a way to decrease greenhouse gases and other emissions.
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Global wind energy generating capacity exceeds 39,000 megawatts.
