Poul la Cour

Poul la Cour was born on April 13, 1846, near Århus. Trained in physics and meteorology, he joined Askov Folk High School in 1878, dedicating his inventive genius to empowering rural agricultural communities with modern science.

In 1891, la Cour constructed the world's first wind tunnel specifically designed to test aerodynamic blade profiles. He realized that high-speed, aerodynamically curved blades generated vastly more electrical energy than traditional mill sails. By 1895, his experimental wind turbine at Askov was producing electricity and storing energy through hydrogen electrolysis. He founded the Society of Wind Electricians and trained the engineers who made Denmark the global leader in wind energy.