Table of Contents

Introduction and Background.- Wind Regimes, Wind Energy Resources, Potentials and Limitations.- Wind Energy Properties, Characteristics and Wind Speed Formulations.- Turbine Types and Classes.- Turbine Components and Materials.- Basic Principles, Theories and Kinetics of Wind Energy.- Aerodynamics of Blades and Airfoils.- Blade Design Aspects.- Turbine Design, Fatigue, Testing and Performance Characteristics.- Wind Electricity Generation Systems.- Grid Integration and Distribution; Transmission & Power Distribution.- Wind Energy Applications - Small, Medium Scale for Land and Off Shore Wind Farms.- Wind Power Generation - Efficiency in Buildings and Urban Design.- Hybrid and Co-Generation.- Installation and Maintenance Costs.- Wind Energy Limitations - Vibration, Noise in Operations and Reliability.- Next Generation Turbines with Advanced Technology.- Conclusions - Technical Details for Making Public Policy Decisions.- Acronyms.- References and Annotated Bibliography.- Global Wind Energy and Power Generation Options.- USA.- Europe, Canada and Australasia.- Developing Economies in India, China and Latin America.- The Middle East.- Africa and Asia.- Socioeconomic Factors.- Environmental Impacts.- Public Policy Implications.- Conclusions.- References and Bibliographic Notations.

About the Author

Dr. K.R. Rao is Founder and President of KRRAO Consultants, leveraging his degrees in Civil Engineering and Urban Planning to provide project management in Operations Research, Quantitative Techniques, Urban & Regional Planning and Urban Design, Public Policy Issues and Mechanical / Structural Engineering. Dr. Rao is licensed as a Professional Engineer in PA and TX, USA, and is a Chartered Engineer in India. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, India. His professional experience over the last five decades includes civil, structural, design and mechanical engineering as applied to the fields of architecture and urban design, urban and regional planning, automotive, aluminum and steel manufacturing. Dr. Rao is an editor of pivotal ASME publications including, "Handbook of Energy and Power Generation" and "Companion Guide to ASME Boiler Vessel Codes and Standards".