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About James Manwell

Prof. Manwell is on the faculty of the Department Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and is the Director of the Renewable Energy Research Laboratory (RERL) there. He has been working in field of wind energy for over 25 years, where his research interests have focused on wind resource assessment, hybrid power system design, and offshore wind energy. Beginning in the 1980’s and continuing up to the present he has been active in the design and modeling of hybrid power systems, including the development of the Hybrid2 computer code. Hybrid systems include multiple types of generators, electrical loads, storage units and control systems. Under his direction, the Renewable Energy Research Laboratory installed in 1994 the first utility scale (250 kW) wind turbine in Massachusetts. This turbine forms an integral part of the research and education program at the University. More recently, he has assisted the Town of Hull in acquiring a 660 kW wind turbine in 2001 (the largest in New England at that time), followed by a 1.8 MW wind turbine in 2006 (again, the largest in New England). He is an author of a textbook on wind energy: Wind Energy Explained: Theory, Design and Application. Prof. Manwell also provides assistance to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Division of Energy Resources (DOER) to facilitate the introduction of renewable energy to the state. Currently he is the U.S. representatives to the International Electrotechnical Commission’s program (IEC TC88 WG3) to develop design standards for offshore wind turbines. He is also a member of the International Science Panel on Renewable Energy.

Positions

Present Director of RERL, University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Present Professor, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Honors and Awards

  • The University of Massachusetts Distinguished Research Outreach Award in 2007
  • American Wind Energy Association Academic Achievement Award in 1994 and 2006
  • Western Reserve Academy’s Edward W. Morley Science Medal in 2005
  • U. S. Department of Energy Wind Energy Regional Advocacy Award in 2004
  • U. S. Department of Energy Wind/Diesel Systems Pioneer Award, 2002

Contact Information

Gunness Laboratory 10B
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst MA, 01003
Tel: 413-545-4359

Email:


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