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.

Workshop in Estonia

Posted on 04/10/2011 by hugh

Criss and Madis who joined my workshop here at Scoraig last year have done a workshop at home is Estonia.  Here they are installing the 3 metre turbine on an existing wind site: You can see photos of the course … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, courses, People | Leave a comment

Bruno’s blades

Posted on 02/10/2011 by hugh

I got this email from Bruno with some lovely photos of his blades made from birch plywood.  I am not sure that plywood is the best thing to use for blades (where the stresses are longitudinal) but it seems to … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, ferrite magnets, People | Leave a comment

Powerspout hydro turbines

Posted on 30/09/2011 by hugh

Here is a video of the Powerspout hydro turbine from New Zealand.  I have long been a fan of the Ecoinnovation hydro turbines, and we have a couple here on Scoraig but there isn’t really a reliable enough flow for … Continue reading →

Posted in products/technical, Video links | 4 Comments

Nice photos from SolarMad in Madagascar

Posted on 29/09/2011 by hugh

Here are some photos from Madagascar.  The installations are by Solarmad, built to my plans.  Looks as if they have gone beyond those plans in places! See the full gallery on Facebook.

Posted in developing world | 1 Comment

Blade contruction guide

Posted on 28/09/2011 by hugh

I cam across this rather nice guide to fibreglass blade production that was produced by Andrew Corbyn & Matthew Little, of Engineers Without Borders and SIBAT – Philippines in 2008. It is based on using wooden blades from my older 2005 … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, developing world, People | 2 Comments

Modular build turbines immune to company collapse?

Posted on 27/09/2011 by hugh

Siverford blog is always quite an interesting site for perspective on the small wind industry with an emphasis on the merits of the Gaia wind turbine (of which I have been a big fan for many years). In a recent … Continue reading →

Posted in UK small wind scene | 4 Comments

Axial alternators with dual stators

Posted on 26/09/2011 by hugh

A lot of people ask me if it’s a good idea to stack the axial flux alternator with 3 magnet disks and two stators. I have done a page comparing the costs and performance of two alternators built using my … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, my own projects | 27 Comments

Iskra turbine on UK ebay

Posted on 25/09/2011 by hugh

If you are quick then you can get an Iskra windpower system for £7,500.  Iskra is the old name for Evance and the machine is similar to the Evance R9000 But you will not get Feed in Tariffs, and you … Continue reading →

Posted in UK small wind scene | 1 Comment

UK certification scheme list gets shorter

Posted on 24/09/2011 by hugh

The list of small wind tubines that hold the coveted MCS certification is growing shorter as time goes by.  In order the qualify for the lucrative Feed in Tariffs, you need to own a turbine on this list.  Recently the … Continue reading →

Posted in UK small wind scene | 27 Comments

Dyocore in San Diego

Posted on 23/09/2011 by hugh

By claiming for a 1.6 kW wind turbine on your roof, you could get it paid for by California State subsidies.  This one can produce that much (in the sales pitch) although it’s only the size of a 200 watt … Continue reading →

Posted in products/technical, Rooftop madness, wind systems tutorial | Leave a comment