Die Geschichte der Windenergienutzung, 1890–1990 by Matthias Heymann

Abstract

TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE Book Reviews 795 son immediately accepted, and Nixon did indeed keep Paine through the next two years. Webb’s resignation was a final sacrifice on the altar of Apollo. Lambright’s treatment ofWebb’s career is learned, informed, and interesting. Recognizing Webb’s imperfections, he clearly admires his administrative and political prowess and portrays him sympathet­ ically without glossing over his faults. Lambright writes for a general audience, with a bias toward scholars of “space history and public management.” Finding any problems with this excellent work is dif­ ficult; my only complaint is that he passes quickly over Webb’s later service to the Smithsonian Institution, a topic of interest to histori­ ans of science and technology. This minor point is far outweighed by his correct choice to make this a short and readable work. It is of interest to general historians, historians of science and technology, political scientists, and many others. It will surely be the standard biography of Webb for years to come. Stephen B. Johnson Mr.Johnson is the associate director of the Charles Babbage Institute at the Uni­ versity of Minnesota. He is currently completing his doctorate on the development of systems management in the American and European space programs. Die Geschichte der Windenergienutzung, 1890-1990. By Matthias Heymann . Frankfurt: Campus, 1995. Pp. 518; illustrations, figures, ta­ bles, notes, bibliography, index. DM88.00 (paper). The history of the use ofwind energy in the 20th century has been characterized by a paradoxical situation. Considerable efforts to im­ prove wind energy technology gradually transformed the old wind­ mill into the modern and vastly more powerful wind turbine. How­ ever, the significance ofwind as a source of energy diminished over the years. The first part of Matthias Heymann’s book on the history of wind energy discusses the downfall ofwindmills and wind motors between 1890 and 1930. He argues that this was caused by the expan­ sion of the centralized, large-scale production and distribution of electricity. However, as Heymann points out, the straightforward ex­ planation—a lower cost structure by the use of scale effects—does not apply in this case. For quite a long period autonomous wind motors remained a competitive option, at least in regions with a fa­ vorable wind regime. In later years, arguments as to the cost effectiveness ofwind energy were of a somewhat different nature. In the second part of the book, covering the period from 1930 to 1970, Heymann describes how cal­ culations of the price of a kilowatt-hour produced by wind energy were always very favorable, but, since most proposals never left the design table, entirely hypothetical. These very ambitious, sometimes 796 Book Reviews TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE even downright unrealistic projects were not criticized by the energy establishment on this score. A relatively decentralized and by its na­ ture fluctuating and therefore unreliable source ofelectricity simply did not fit a centralized system based on large coal plants. This large technological system became the frame of reference for most wind energy pioneers in this period. The life and work of the German engineer Hermann Honneff (1878-1961) is exemplary in this regard. Honneff had an impressive career in the construction of large steel structures, such as radio towers. After going bankrupt in 1930, he devoted the rest of his life to the design and promotion of wind energy projects. In 1932 he presented for the first time a “sensational plan” that would change radically the economic struc­ ture of Germany. Enormous wind energy installations, each 430 me­ ters high with three 160-meter diameter turbines generating 60 megawatts, would provide Germany with cheap electricity, increase employment, and contribute to the self-sufficiency of the nation. All these promises fitted extremely well within the national-socialistic ideology coming to power. The large scale of the plan was essential in order to be able to compete with electricity from coal plants; also, the unproven assumption was that at higher altitudes the wind blew harder and more continuously. What is amazing about Honneff is the way he succeeded over an extended period of time in mobilizing interest and support for his fantastic ideas and inspired other inven­ tors. This is a...