James G.P. Dehlsen (born April 27, 1937) is an American businessman, inventor, and entrepreneur. He is a pioneering figure in
wind power and
renewable energy development in the United States and holds 25
patents.[2][3][4][5]
Dehlsen developed a fluid lubricant called Tri-Flon which utilized micron-sized Teflon particles. He sold the company in 1980.[7]
Windpower and renewable energy career
Zond
In 1980, Dehlsen founded the wind power company Zond Systems Inc.,[7] which became the first company to commercially provide wind power to
Southern California Edison.[9]
Dehlsen collaborated with the Danish company
Vestas, from which Zond purchased wind turbines. During the 1980s, Zond purchased nearly all the turbines Vestas produced. As a result, "California became the birthplace of the modern wind industry."[10]
In the 1990s, Zond began manufacturing its own wind turbines in order further lower the cost of energy. With support from the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the U.S. Department of Energy, Zond produced a 550
kW turbine. Zond's work on
variable-speed technology subsequently enabled turbine scaling to 1.5
MW.[11]
In 2001, Dehlsen and his son James Brenton ("Brent") established
Clipper Windpower.[14] In partnership with the
U.S. Department of Energy and NREL, the company developed the 2.5-MW
Liberty Wind Turbine, featuring advanced drive train and controls architecture. Commercial sales for the Liberty Wind Turbine began in 2006, then the largest wind turbine manufactured in the United States.[15] Clipper's IPO on the
Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the
London Stock Exchange launched in September 2005.[16]
In 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy bestowed on Clipper its "Outstanding Research and Development Partnership Award" for its "outstanding contribution toward industry advancements," including attaining "unparalleled levels of efficiency and reliability and reduced cost of energy" with the Liberty Wind Turbine.[17][18]
Clipper also worked on developing
offshore wind power. In 2007, the company began design and development of the 10MW, 150m rotor "Britannia" offshore wind turbine in the United Kingdom.[19][20][21]
In December 2009,
United Technologies Corporation (UTC) announced it was acquiring a 49.5% stake in Clipper Windpower.[22] By December 2010, UTC had acquired the rest of the company.[23]
Aquantis
Dehlsen has worked on developing marine renewable energy. In 2011, he established Aquantis, which has developed
underwater turbine technology to harness marine currents for utility-scale electric power generation. The company is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.[24] Aquantis has received U.S. Department of Energy grants and venture capital from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.[25] Dehlsen is also developing
wave energy electric generators through his "Centipod" program.[26]
Awards and recognition
1985: The Danish Medal of Honor conferred by His Royal Highness,
Prince Henrik[27]