Henrik Stiesdal

Henrik Stiesdal is a Danish engineer often called the father of modern wind power for his role in developing the three-bladed, upwind, horizontal-axis wind turbine design known as the Danish concept. Working with Karl Erik Jorgensen, he built small wooden test turbines starting in 1976 and then a full-scale, grid-connected turbine on his parents' farm in 1978, a design licensed to the small agricultural-equipment maker Vestas in 1979 and credited with launching that company into wind turbine manufacturing. Stiesdal went on to lead development work at Bonus Energy from 1987 and stayed on as chief technology officer of Siemens Wind Power after Siemens acquired Bonus in 2004, remaining in the role until 2014, and he later worked on floating offshore wind platforms.