Do-It-Yourself Wind Turbine Construction Course – PureSelfMade

„Do-It-Yourself Wind Turbine Building Course“

Information for workshop hosts If you consider hosting or organizing a hands-on workshop course with PureSelfMade, this document gives you basic information.

Content General description

Infrastructure at the venue

Tools

Materials for the wind turbine

Duration of the course

Costs

Get further information:

pureselfmade.com Official website windempowerment.org scoraigwind.co.uk

Written by Jonathan Schreiber Oct. 2016

Do-It-Yourself Wind Turbine Construction Course – PureSelfMade

General description

The course is perfect for all who want to gain knowledge in the field of small wind technology and its use for a sustainable, independent lifestyle, and make a great practical experience in hands-on working at the same time. During the course, the participants will build one small wind turbine together from simple and, if possible, recycled materials like wood and scratch metal. If the Infrastructure allows, we will test the turbine in the end. The participants will gain practical working skills in the following fields:

• Woodwork - cutting, carving, grinding, drilling…

• Metalwork - cutting, grinding, welding, drilling, making threads...

• Resin casting - creating custom made parts by casting in moulds

• Building a simple electrical system In the course we will also talk about how to set up a stand-alone system with renewable energy sources like wind and solar energy. This knowledge allows the participants to effectively use a home built wind turbine for energy production. The number of participants depends on the infrastructure. It starts with about 6 and can go up to 15. The recommended minimum age is 15 years.

Infrastructure at the venue

The best place to host the course is a workshop-like room, which needs to be big enough to allow the number of participants comfortable work next to each other. It should have bright light to provide good working environment. Some work jobs in the course will produce a considerable amount of dust and noise (cutting and grinding steel, welding). It’s the best way to do these jobs outside if the weather allows. Important things are:

• Electricity supply (several 16A sockets) • Water supply (sink) in close distance • Several solid tables or workbenches. At least one of them needs to be

secured to the ground or wall to make sure it doesn’t move at wood carving jobs.

Do-It-Yourself Wind Turbine Construction Course – PureSelfMade

Tools

In the best case, tools and power tools are already at the venue. Normally, the host of the course will find a way to provide the tools needed. There will be an accurate list of tools provided by PureSelfMade.

Materials for the wind turbine

Normally, the course host will take care of the materials and try to order them locally. PureSelfMade will provide a list of materials needed. Some special materials can also be provided by PureSelfMade, if the travel / shipping distance allows.

Duration of the course

The standard wind turbine course runs for 6 full days, approximately 8hours each - and starts with an introducing presentation about locally built small wind technology and its use for a sustainable, independent lifestyle. The kick off presentation can also be open for public. The time structure is flexible. The course can also be split up into two weekends for example.

Costs

If you are interested in hosting a course, contact PureSelfMade for a custom offer under info@pureselfmade.com Ask yourself first:

• How many people would attend the course (4 to 12)? • Where would the course take place? • What Infrastructure is available?

The material costs for the standard course wind turbine (2m diameter) are normally between 400€ and 500€, depending on suppliers prices and the amount of recycled parts. This includes only the machine built in the course consisting of rotor, generator, steel frame & tail vane. Additional equipment (tower, rectifier, batteries, inverter,…) is not included. The material costs will usually be covered by the person or institution who gets the windmill in the end of the course. In the best case this is a participant or the course host.