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500
Wind Propelling Boats
Wind energy propelled boats along the Nile River as early as 5000 B.C. http://www.windenergyfoundation.org/about-wind-energy/history
http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/Model-of-Egyptian-boat.jpg -
Jan 1, 700
First Windmill
The first windmills were used to grind corn and to pump water. This design was developed in Persia and called the panemone. http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/features/timeline1
http://telosnet.com/wind/early.html -
"Eggbeater" Wind Turbines Developed
G.J.M. Darrieus develops a vertical axis turbine, with slender, curved blades attached to the top and bottom of a rotating vertical tube. http://learn.kidwind.org/learn/wind_basics_history
http://cf.ltkcdn.net/greenliving/images/std/147289-218x325-Darrieus.jpg -
First Commercial Power Plant
Russia constructs the first commercial power plant to use a wind turbine to produce electricity. http://learn.kidwind.org/learn/wind_basics_history
http://www.rechargenews.com/incoming/article1332931.ece/alternates/article_main/lukerg.JPG -
First Megawatt-Size Turbine
The project cost $1 million and generated 1.25 MW, but only operated for 1100 hours before one of the blades failed. http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/features/timeline1 -
World's First Wind Farm
This wind farm included 20 turbines and was built in New Hampshire. It ends up as a failure because the turbines break down and the developers overestimate the wind resource. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/oct/17/wind-power-renewable-energy
http://retired.beyondlogic.org/southaustraliapower/WindFarms.jpg -
First Offshore Wind Farm
The first offshore wind farm was installed in Denmark. This allowed turbines to be bigger. Offshore turbines were sunk into the ground with monopile foundations. http://www.capewind.org/
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Off-shore_Wind_Farm_Turbine.jpg -
First Deep-Water Floating Wind Turbine
The world's first operational deep-water large capacity floating wind turbine installed in the North Sea off Norway. It costed $62 million to build and deploy. It's similar to a floating oil rig. http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/features/timeline1 -
America's First Offshore Wind Farm
Cape Wind approved by Federal Government as America's first offshore wind farm. http://learn.kidwind.org/learn/wind_basics_history
http://www.boem.gov/uploadedImages/BOEM/Renewable_Energy_Program/Renewable_Energy_Images/Offshore-wind-farm-001-Murdo-Macleod.jpg?n=7680 -
Canada's First Offshore Wind Farm
Built in coastal BC. 110 turbines produce 396 MW of power. http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1316697/speech-from-the-throne-signals-renewed-awareness-of-significant-potential-of-alberta-s-wind-energy-resources
