Author Archives: hugh

About hugh

I live off-grid in NW Scotland and have spent my life playing with wind turbines. I also love small hydros. Hands on renewable energy is my thing and I like to learn and to share my experiences.

Scoraig Wind turbine workshop 2014 photos

Posted on 03/05/2014 by hugh

Here are some photos of the workshop.  There were 8 participants plus me.  We built a 2.4 metre diameter 24-volt turbine from the Recipe Book.  Weather was great and we even got a little wind on Friday so the machine … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, courses, my own projects, Scoraig | 3 Comments

Windtracker test update

Posted on 08/04/2014 by hugh

An update 2 years on for my post on the Windtracker by Logic energy. I put one of these windtrackers on a windmill tower (the Kestrel tower actually http://scoraigwind.co.uk/?s=kestrel which is the right hand end one in the above photo) … Continue reading →

Posted in power curve data, products/technical, Scoraig | 7 Comments

New edition of the French recipe book

Posted on 04/04/2014 by hugh

Tripalium have completed the update of their “Manuel” for wind turbine construction (which is the French translation of my recipe book).  This is much improved on the older 2009 edition, with a lot of new material especially in the areas … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, construction, courses, France, People | Leave a comment

Workshops in Austria

Posted on 17/03/2014 by hugh

Jonathan Schreiber has a new website announcing his workshops in Austria this summer: Jonathan is using my new designs for 2 metre ferrite magnet wind turbines (2F). I plan to publish these soon.

Posted in construction, courses, People | Leave a comment

Havoc with 4.2 metre turbines in France

Posted on 09/03/2014 by hugh

Gilou at Tieole writes from France: This year, we are confronted with a lot of violent wind. And the 4200 model break a lot. This winter, I think 8 wind turbines are broken. A lot of tails have jump and … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, France | 3 Comments

3.2 or 3.5 meter high voltage direct-drive turbine for use with MidNite Classic 150 controller

Posted on 02/03/2014 by hugh

Chris Olsen has made a nice series of web pages and a video describing how to build a high voltage (48-150VDC) turbine with diameter around 3.2-3.5 metres.  This works nicely with the Midnite Classic controller to charge batteries. More from … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, People, products/technical, Video links | 1 Comment

Endorsement from Wyoming

Posted on 08/02/2014 by hugh

“Hello there from Wyoming. Just a note to let you know we live in remote Wyoming at 7000ft. We bought over 4000.00 in junk wind generators, all popped and fly off pole. We have LOTS of wind, we can get … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, People | Leave a comment

Check out the new Eolsenegal site

Posted on 07/02/2014 by hugh
Posted in developing world, France, People | Leave a comment

Build your own windmill workshop course on Scoraig April 26th

Posted on 27/01/2014 by hugh

I am planning to hold a course here on Scoraig at the end of April.  We’ll build and test a wind turbine as usual.  Accommodation is provided from Saturday 26th April to Saturday 3rd May.  These will be the arrival … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, courses, Scoraig | 7 Comments

“How to” get feed in tariffs with a Powerspout hydro turbine

Posted on 25/01/2014 by hugh

Useful links to understanding how to claim feed-in tariffs in the UK.  These tariffs are available on or off grid, but may be phased out next year 2019. BabyHydro DIY installation guide 2016 with details of how to obtain relevant … Continue reading →

Posted in hydro, products/technical | Leave a comment