Brandon N. Owens

This book takes readers on a journey through the history of wind power in order to show how the technology evolved over the course of the twentieth century and where it may be headed in the twenty-first century. It introduces and examines broad themes such as government funding of wind power, the role of fossil fuels in wind power development, and the importance of entrepreneurs in wind power development. It also discusses the lessons learned from wind power technology innovation and makes them… Show more

This book takes readers on a journey through the history of wind power in order to show how the technology evolved over the course of the twentieth century and where it may be headed in the twenty-first century. It introduces and examines broad themes such as government funding of wind power, the role of fossil fuels in wind power development, and the importance of entrepreneurs in wind power development. It also discusses the lessons learned from wind power technology innovation and makes them relevant to the understanding of wind power today and in the future.

Spanning the entire history of wind power (1888-2018), The Wind Power Story: A Century of Innovation that Reshaped the Global Energy Landscape provides balanced coverage of each decade as well as the important wind power technology innovations that occurred during that time. Compelling from the first page to the last, it offers chapters covering the pioneers of wind power; the age of small wind; wind power in the wake of war; wind power’s use across Europe; government-funded research programs; how Denmark reinvented wind power in the 1970s; the California Wind Rush of the 1980s; wind power’s rise in Spain; America’s wind power growth starting in the 1990s; India’s wind power path; the wind power surge in China; the globalization of wind power; and much more. Show less

The global power system is in the midst of a grand transformation. The global power industry is going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in the last 125. The world is transitioning from an electricity system based primarily upon large, centralized generation and transmission and distribution (T&D) technologies, to one that also embraces distributed, digitally-enhanced, and low-carbon technologies. Traditional and emerging, physical and digital, large and small, are all converging… Show more

The global power system is in the midst of a grand transformation. The global power industry is going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in the last 125. The world is transitioning from an electricity system based primarily upon large, centralized generation and transmission and distribution (T&D) technologies, to one that also embraces distributed, digitally-enhanced, and low-carbon technologies. Traditional and emerging, physical and digital, large and small, are all converging to create a new twenty-first-century power network. Show less

Power networks around the world are transitioning from an electricity system based primarily on large, centralized generation, transmission, and distribution (T&D) technologies, to one that also embraces distributed, digitally-enhanced and low carbon technologies. Traditional and emerging, physical and digital, large and small, are all converging to create a new twenty-first century power network. The global system is evolving toward an integrated and hybridized network containing elements of… Show more

Power networks around the world are transitioning from an electricity system based primarily on large, centralized generation, transmission, and distribution (T&D) technologies, to one that also embraces distributed, digitally-enhanced and low carbon technologies. Traditional and emerging, physical and digital, large and small, are all converging to create a new twenty-first century power network. The global system is evolving toward an integrated and hybridized network containing elements of old and new technologies working synergistically to provide reliable, affordable, and sustainable electric power to factories, businesses, and communities around the world.

Increasing levels of variable renewable energy like wind and solar power will challenge power markets and operations throughout Latin America, requiring them to more rapidly respond to changes in supply and demand. Thus, the ongoing energy transformation is creating the need—and opportunity—for policy makers, regulators, and system designers to fully consider the menu of options available for increasing power system flexibility. Show less

The global power system is in the midst of a grand transformation. The world is transitioning from an electricity system based primarily upon large, centralized generation, transmission and distribution (T&D)
technologies, to one that also embraces distributed, digitally-enhanced, and low-carbon technologies. Traditional and emerging, physical and digital, large and small, are all converging to create a new twenty-first century power network. GE is leading this transformation and co-creating… Show more

The global power system is in the midst of a grand transformation. The world is transitioning from an electricity system based primarily upon large, centralized generation, transmission and distribution (T&D)
technologies, to one that also embraces distributed, digitally-enhanced, and low-carbon technologies. Traditional and emerging, physical and digital, large and small, are all converging to create a new twenty-first century power network. GE is leading this transformation and co-creating the future of energy with our customers across the globe. Show less

New digital technologies are enabling water utilities and industries across the world to extract greater information and efficiencies from legacy water infrastructure to enhance decision-making, promote water conservation, build twenty-first century water infrastructure, and—perhaps most importantly— increase the value and benefits of the global water infrastructure network.

One of the world’s most established sources of electricity is getting a makeover
using twenty-first century technologies. The lessons learned from the digitization of other sectors such as media, retail, communications, healthcare, and education are now being successfully applied to hydropower technologies. The digitization of hydropower will impact the global electric
power system by providing both economic and environmental benefits across a range of electricity stakeholders from power… Show more

One of the world’s most established sources of electricity is getting a makeover
using twenty-first century technologies. The lessons learned from the digitization of other sectors such as media, retail, communications, healthcare, and education are now being successfully applied to hydropower technologies. The digitization of hydropower will impact the global electric
power system by providing both economic and environmental benefits across a range of electricity stakeholders from power plant owners to electricity consumers. The future of energy has arrived. Show less

This is an important time for the energy industry, as the world accelerates its embrace of clean
and renewable energy resources to power its development and growth. In the middle of all of this transformation lies the grid, the true enabler that receives this clean energy and routes it to end users. The nature of the grid has already started to change, moving away from a sole bulk transport mission to a broader mission that adds a strong role in balancing power across regions as renewable… Show more

This is an important time for the energy industry, as the world accelerates its embrace of clean
and renewable energy resources to power its development and growth. In the middle of all of this transformation lies the grid, the true enabler that receives this clean energy and routes it to end users. The nature of the grid has already started to change, moving away from a sole bulk transport mission to a broader mission that adds a strong role in balancing power across regions as renewable energy production shifts geographically and temporally throughout the day. How the grid evolves, both physically and digitally, will determine how economical the transformation to these cleaner energy resources is, and will therefore be a factor in the speed at which they are adopted. Show less

The emergence of digital technologies is ushering in a new era of productivity across business and industrial operations, while also offering a new tool to approach global environmental challenges. Digital solutions, enabled by the Industrial Internet, can now lower operation costs, increase output, use natural resources more efficiently, and lower environmental impact—we call this “Digital Efficiency.” In today’s competitive and volatile global landscape, Digital Efficiency is a critical… Show more

The emergence of digital technologies is ushering in a new era of productivity across business and industrial operations, while also offering a new tool to approach global environmental challenges. Digital solutions, enabled by the Industrial Internet, can now lower operation costs, increase output, use natural resources more efficiently, and lower environmental impact—we call this “Digital Efficiency.” In today’s competitive and volatile global landscape, Digital Efficiency is a critical differentiator, enabling businesses and industrial organizations to find opportunities for growth and competitiveness. At the same time, Digital Efficiency represents an important opportunity for helping to solve global resource challenges. Show less

The renewable energy era has begun. The pace of growth of renewable energy technologies— hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, biopower, and emerging renewables—has accelerated in the last decade. Since 2005, 870 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity have been added to the global electric power system. Today, when a new power plant is built somewhere in the world, it is just as likely to be renewable as it is fossil fuel or nuclear. This isn’t just a trend—it’s the start of a decades-long… Show more

The renewable energy era has begun. The pace of growth of renewable energy technologies— hydropower, wind, solar, geothermal, biopower, and emerging renewables—has accelerated in the last decade. Since 2005, 870 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity have been added to the global electric power system. Today, when a new power plant is built somewhere in the world, it is just as likely to be renewable as it is fossil fuel or nuclear. This isn’t just a trend—it’s the start of a decades-long transformation of the global power system. Show less

Water scarcity challenges industries around the world. Global population growth and economic development suggest a future of increased demand, competition, and cost for limited freshwater supplies. Scarcer water, in turn, creates new challenges for energy supply because coal, oil, gas, and electricity production can require massive amounts of freshwater. Yet many countries will need more energy for energy-intensive water treatment options, like seawater desalination, to meet their growing… Show more

Water scarcity challenges industries around the world. Global population growth and economic development suggest a future of increased demand, competition, and cost for limited freshwater supplies. Scarcer water, in turn, creates new challenges for energy supply because coal, oil, gas, and electricity production can require massive amounts of freshwater. Yet many countries will need more energy for energy-intensive water treatment options, like seawater desalination, to meet their growing demand for water.This report illustrates these emerging risks and offers ideas for finding solutions at the water-energy nexus. Show less

The future of power has arrived. After more than a century of technology development, market and technology forces are now converging to accelerate fuel cell adoption across the globe. These forces will work in harmony to expedite the integration of fuel cells into the global energy landscape in the decade ahead. The three primary drivers that are moving fuel cells to the tipping point are: technology innovation, the emerging age of gas, and the rise of distributed power.

The combination of ultra-efficient hardware solutions with Internet-enabled software has the potential to play a key role in solving the global resource challenge. This approach provides an avenue to achieve resource productivity improvements above and beyond those that can be achieved through traditional hardware advances alone. At GE, we call this "Digital Resource Productivity" and we believe that productivity improvements can be doubled over the next 15 years by integrating software and… Show more

The combination of ultra-efficient hardware solutions with Internet-enabled software has the potential to play a key role in solving the global resource challenge. This approach provides an avenue to achieve resource productivity improvements above and beyond those that can be achieved through traditional hardware advances alone. At GE, we call this "Digital Resource Productivity" and we believe that productivity improvements can be doubled over the next 15 years by integrating software and hardware to optimize resource use. Show less

A grand transformation is underway. A wave of decentralization is sweeping across the globe and changing the way we live, work and play. The organization of resources and people is moving away from centralized systems toward integrated networks that include both distributed and centralized elements. Electric power systems are riding the wave of decentralization through the deployment and use of distributed power technologies. The rise of distributed power is a transformative event that promises… Show more

A grand transformation is underway. A wave of decentralization is sweeping across the globe and changing the way we live, work and play. The organization of resources and people is moving away from centralized systems toward integrated networks that include both distributed and centralized elements. Electric power systems are riding the wave of decentralization through the deployment and use of distributed power technologies. The rise of distributed power is a transformative event that promises to positively impact the future. At GE, we are proud to play a role in realizing the potential of distributed power. Show less