More on Small Turbines

More on Small Turbines

The early days. Paul Gipe sitting on a crate of wind turbines after returning from a salvage operation to Montana in the mid-1970s.

For testing of small wind turbines and for all around helpfulness on the subject of wind energy no one beats the Alternative Energy Institute at West Texas A&M University. The Folkecenter for Renewable Energy is a long-standing reference source on the success of Electricity Feed Laws and Community Wind development in Europe. The Midwestern Renewable Energy Association has long been an ardent proponent of renewables, not just wind energy, in Wisconsin.

Alternative Energy Institute
www.windenergy.org

Nordvestjysk Folkecenter for Vedvarende Energi (Folkecenter for Renewable Energy)
www.folkecenter.dk

Midwest Renewable Energy Association
www.the-mrea.org/

For tips on the design of small wind turbines visit the sites of Scoraig Wind Electric’s Hugh Piggott, www.scoraigwind.co.uk, and Windmission’s Claus Nybroe, www.windmission.dk.

If you need parts, service, or advice on how to maintain your small wind turbine, you can subscribe to the yahoogroup small-wind-home. There are several knowledgeable participants on this list who offer a wealth of technical information. Once you’ve subscribed, monitor the list, then, when you’re ready, post your question.

There is also a discussion group on small wind turbines (petit eoliens) in French at http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/petit-eolien/.