 The Story of Windmills!
Historians think windmills have been used by mankind as far back as 900 AD. The Netherlands (Holland) was first recognized as a country in 158.,As you can see, Ye Ole windmills that we've become so accustomed to are not the innovations of the Dutch, but a product of a bygone age from much futher back in time. It's probably one of the few ancient ideas that are still very much a part of twenty first century living.
It's often said that the best ideas are the simple ones. In fact the most complex designs and structures in anything usually start with a simple idea. Take the wheel for example. A windmill is not a complicated creation as far as an engineering feat goes, but what does from the way it is made, is truly remarkable. Old windmills are also beautiful, enchanting even, by their mere presence on many a landscape. How many buildings can claim such an appeal that even hundreds of years later they are being advertised in the shop window of real estate agents? Windmills for Sale! That's right, they are being converted into homes, offices, and trendy restaurants, and because most are on the listed buildings list, they are not allowed to be renovated in a way that will distract from their original form.
Today's 'new' windmills are being constructed for quite another purpose of those the old grain grinding, water pumping workhorses of the past. It’s all to do with wind energy, or green energy if you like. The windmills history will have a new story to tell in future generations when documentaries and illustrated articles talk about the introduction of the power generating windmills of the twenty first century. The wind power cost and efficiency will soon be a chapter in the history the Windmills role in new green energy technology.
Some think the modern windmills used to generate renewable energy are unsightly and a major blot on the landscape. Others think that they adorn the landscape and portray an image of a clean and healthy planet. They're surely a more welcome sight than those huge power stations billowing out smoke and pollutants into the atmosphere, but there are still some think this is not the case. It will interesting to see what the windmill history will say about these in generations to come.
The world's tallest windmills can be found in western Netherlands. The Dutch people have always been innovative at making the most of what they have. First they make uninhabitable land that sat below sea level, habitable. Then they harnessed the wind to make energy for multiple purposes. They had windmills that operated upwind (blades facing the direction of the wind), others worked to run downwind (blades facing away from the wind), and each construction was build for a specific purpose, but all Dutch windmills were practical working machines. Modern times have seen their windmills for sale and converted into shops, homes, offices, and simply tourist attractions.
So, today's cohorts of eco-friendly windmills are to serve a different purpose to those of a bygone age, but their purpose is still to work for mankind. It's highly unlikely that modern day windmills will be cherished or stared at in awe in generations to come. But even so they will become a part of the overall windmill history and add a fascinating contribution to the continuing story of one of man's best ever constructions.
Windpower of the Here, the Now, and the Future.
The above image of Windpower working for mankind is are how the Wind Farms of today look. Some say a blot on the landscape, whereas others think they represent a clean and beautiful vision for the future. Wind Generators Vs the Power Stations? You decide. And how would you feel if the neighbours installed a domestic wind turbine on their property?
For the eco friendly individual, the modern day power generating windmills do not spoil the landscape but make it look more serene, clean, and green. Others however, see them as noisy, unsightly, and a menace. Compared to what? Say others! Power stations spewing out toxic spoke and waste products into the atmosphere? But the argument goes something along the lines of how it takes an awful lot of windmills over a huge area, to produce the energy of a single solitary PowerStation.
Sometimes change is for the better, and other times it's perhaps not! The pace of life is so fast today and the old windmills of Holland that used to harness the wind in order to create local energy, pump water, and grind grain etc, will always be a part of the windmill history and never again be seen functioning such tasks. With a history stemming back some 2,500 years that we know of, and some fine old, but not that old, examples still seen today as Windmills for sale, it's little wonder that this prime real estate is often protected as listed buildings, meaning their preservation is guaranteed for the foreseeable future. Thank god for that! |
