Wind Energy Landscape
Principles, Techniques, History
1st Edition
Published on 9. February 2026
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-1-394-21287-3 (ISBN)
Description
Fully illustrated and accessible reference covering the background, current state, and future opportunities for wind energy development
Wind Energy Landscape presents a comprehensive treatment of wind energy history, principles, and techniques as well as environmental, health, aesthetic, social, and political impacts. Focusing primarily on the European and North American markets with additional reviews from Asia, this book enables readers to gain a practical overview and understanding of modern wind energy, supported by in-depth case studies throughout.
Fully illustrated with maps, satellite images, drawings, and photographs taken on the ground or via kite aerial photography, this book disproves many myths about wind energy-such as by demonstrating that wind farms may exist in rural land or offshore settings with minimal impacts-and promotes the radical-middle approach for integrated and evolving energy resources in which wind power has come to play a prominent role. The authors suggest that wind power in global energy development should be given prominent treatment, particularly for renewable, non-polluting energy sources.
Wind Energy Landscape discusses topics including:
History of wind energy electricity generation through the late 19th and 20th centuries
Environmental and aesthetic issues, including impacts on wildlife such as birds and bats as well as visibility and turbine noise
Public policy for wind energy, covering subsidies, financial and import-export incentives, feed-in tariffs, local-content requirements, and R&D investments
Energy production and consumption of wind energy in comparison to nuclear energy, solar energy, and hydro and tidal energy, as well as fossil fuels including coal, oil, and natural gases
Bridging the gap between advanced engineering and popular books, Wind Energy Land-scape is an essential reference on the subject for students in introductory courses on electrical, mechanical, and aerodynamic engineering, engineers working with renewable and sustainable energy, and public policy makers.
Wind Energy Landscape presents a comprehensive treatment of wind energy history, principles, and techniques as well as environmental, health, aesthetic, social, and political impacts. Focusing primarily on the European and North American markets with additional reviews from Asia, this book enables readers to gain a practical overview and understanding of modern wind energy, supported by in-depth case studies throughout.
Fully illustrated with maps, satellite images, drawings, and photographs taken on the ground or via kite aerial photography, this book disproves many myths about wind energy-such as by demonstrating that wind farms may exist in rural land or offshore settings with minimal impacts-and promotes the radical-middle approach for integrated and evolving energy resources in which wind power has come to play a prominent role. The authors suggest that wind power in global energy development should be given prominent treatment, particularly for renewable, non-polluting energy sources.
Wind Energy Landscape discusses topics including:
History of wind energy electricity generation through the late 19th and 20th centuries
Environmental and aesthetic issues, including impacts on wildlife such as birds and bats as well as visibility and turbine noise
Public policy for wind energy, covering subsidies, financial and import-export incentives, feed-in tariffs, local-content requirements, and R&D investments
Energy production and consumption of wind energy in comparison to nuclear energy, solar energy, and hydro and tidal energy, as well as fossil fuels including coal, oil, and natural gases
Bridging the gap between advanced engineering and popular books, Wind Energy Land-scape is an essential reference on the subject for students in introductory courses on electrical, mechanical, and aerodynamic engineering, engineers working with renewable and sustainable energy, and public policy makers.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
556 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-394-21287-3 (9781394212873)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
James S. Aber | Susan E. W. Aber | Firooza Pavri
Wind Energy Landscape
Principles, Techniques, History
E-Book
12/2025
1st Edition
Wiley
€116.99
Available for download
James S. Aber | Susan E. W. Aber | Firooza Pavri
Wind Energy Landscape
Principles, Techniques, History
E-Book
12/2025
1st Edition
Wiley
€116.99
Available for download
Persons
James S. Aber, PhD, Roe R. Cross Distinguished Emeritus Professor, Emporia State University, Kansas, USA. Professor Aber's interests and research experiences spread across energy resources, geology, landscape evolution, aerial photography, and wetland environments.
Susan E. W. Aber, PhD, is the former Director of the Science and Math Education Center and Peterson Planetarium at Emporia State University (ESU), Emporia, Kansas, USA. Dr. Aber's interests are mineralogy, gemology, and energy resources as well as maps and GIS for librarians.
Firooza Pavri, PhD, Professor of Geography and Associate Dean, Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, USA. Professor Pavri's teaching and research interests include environmental change, resource and energy management, and remote sensing.
Susan E. W. Aber, PhD, is the former Director of the Science and Math Education Center and Peterson Planetarium at Emporia State University (ESU), Emporia, Kansas, USA. Dr. Aber's interests are mineralogy, gemology, and energy resources as well as maps and GIS for librarians.
Firooza Pavri, PhD, Professor of Geography and Associate Dean, Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, USA. Professor Pavri's teaching and research interests include environmental change, resource and energy management, and remote sensing.
Content
About the Authors xi
Wind Energy Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xix
1 History of Wind Energy 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Traditional Windmills-European and American 3
1.3 Generating Electricity-Late 1800s to Mid-1900s 9
1.4 Generating Electricity-Late 1900s 20
1.5 Wind Energy-Early Twenty-First Century 36
1.6 Summary 41
2 Windscape Methodology 45
2.1 What Is the Windscape? 45
2.2 Geospatial Analysis 46
2.3 Remote Sensing 48
2.4 Maps and GIS 54
2.5 Economic, Social Science, and Environmental Methods and Techniques 59
2.6 Summary 64
3 Converting Wind into Electricity 69
3.1 Atmosphere and Wind 69
3.2 Wind Power and Energy 80
3.3 Turbine Efficiency and Capacity 82
3.4 Electricity Grid and Interconnection 90
3.5 Integration of Wind Energy 95
3.6 Summary 97
4 Public Policy for Wind Energy 103
4.1 Introduction 103
4.2 Wind-Energy Policy Measures 104
4.3 Land-Use Decisions and Siting Policies 118
4.4 Summary 122
5 Environmental and Aesthetic Issues 131
5.1 Introduction and Risks 131
5.2 Wildlife-Birds 135
5.3 Wildlife-Bats 140
5.4 Visibility 144
5.5 Noise 150
5.6 Summary 152
6 Europe and Asia 159
6.1 Eurasian Overview 159
6.2 Denmark 160
6.3 Faroe Islands 166
6.4 Poland 169
6.5 India's Wind Geography 175
6.6 Summary 181
7 North American Case Studies 187
7.1 Introduction to the United States and Canada 187
7.2 Kansas 190
7.3 Southeastern Colorado 200
7.4 Offshore New England 206
7.5 Saskatchewan, Canada 211
7.6 Summary 214
8 Energy Production and Consumption 221
8.1 Overview 221
8.2 Fossil Fuels 223
8.3 Nuclear Energy 229
8.4 Wind Energy 232
8.5 Summary 235
9 Ideal Energy 241
9.1 Radical Middle 241
9.2 Metals 242
9.3 Wind Turbines and Health 245
9.4 Energy in Transition 247
9.5 Energy Gap 249
9.6 Summary 251
10 Windscape Summary and Conclusion 255
10.1 Wind-Industry Origins 255
10.2 Windscape 257
10.3 Wind and Other Energy Sources 259
10.4 Future of Wind Energy 260
References 260
Index 263
Wind Energy Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xix
1 History of Wind Energy 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Traditional Windmills-European and American 3
1.3 Generating Electricity-Late 1800s to Mid-1900s 9
1.4 Generating Electricity-Late 1900s 20
1.5 Wind Energy-Early Twenty-First Century 36
1.6 Summary 41
2 Windscape Methodology 45
2.1 What Is the Windscape? 45
2.2 Geospatial Analysis 46
2.3 Remote Sensing 48
2.4 Maps and GIS 54
2.5 Economic, Social Science, and Environmental Methods and Techniques 59
2.6 Summary 64
3 Converting Wind into Electricity 69
3.1 Atmosphere and Wind 69
3.2 Wind Power and Energy 80
3.3 Turbine Efficiency and Capacity 82
3.4 Electricity Grid and Interconnection 90
3.5 Integration of Wind Energy 95
3.6 Summary 97
4 Public Policy for Wind Energy 103
4.1 Introduction 103
4.2 Wind-Energy Policy Measures 104
4.3 Land-Use Decisions and Siting Policies 118
4.4 Summary 122
5 Environmental and Aesthetic Issues 131
5.1 Introduction and Risks 131
5.2 Wildlife-Birds 135
5.3 Wildlife-Bats 140
5.4 Visibility 144
5.5 Noise 150
5.6 Summary 152
6 Europe and Asia 159
6.1 Eurasian Overview 159
6.2 Denmark 160
6.3 Faroe Islands 166
6.4 Poland 169
6.5 India's Wind Geography 175
6.6 Summary 181
7 North American Case Studies 187
7.1 Introduction to the United States and Canada 187
7.2 Kansas 190
7.3 Southeastern Colorado 200
7.4 Offshore New England 206
7.5 Saskatchewan, Canada 211
7.6 Summary 214
8 Energy Production and Consumption 221
8.1 Overview 221
8.2 Fossil Fuels 223
8.3 Nuclear Energy 229
8.4 Wind Energy 232
8.5 Summary 235
9 Ideal Energy 241
9.1 Radical Middle 241
9.2 Metals 242
9.3 Wind Turbines and Health 245
9.4 Energy in Transition 247
9.5 Energy Gap 249
9.6 Summary 251
10 Windscape Summary and Conclusion 255
10.1 Wind-Industry Origins 255
10.2 Windscape 257
10.3 Wind and Other Energy Sources 259
10.4 Future of Wind Energy 260
References 260
Index 263