Small-scale wind power
Practical Action has piloted small scale wind power schemes in Peru and Sri Lanka. These are designed to charge the vehicle batteries which many households use as a power source for lighting.
Currently, families may have to travel long distances and wait long times for their batteries to be recharged at commercial centres. Small scale wind generators have the potential to stimulate village-level charging enterprises for either community or private use.
In Sri Lanka, around 300 000 vehicle batteries are currently in household use, so the potential demand is vast.
As with micro-hydro, Practical Action aims to develop and promote local industries capable of manufacturing and maintaining the generators.
Read more about our wind projects in Sri Lanka
"Some people feel like they belong to the society ... they say that they are not alone any more because they have light."
2 min 15 sec Watch Flash video (left) or download WMV video: modem 565k | broadband 1.6Mb
Watch more videos on Practical Action's energy work
Further reading:
Web pages:
- Case study: Wind power in Nikeweritiya, Sri Lanka
- Small Wind Energy Systems - Practical Action Energy Research Findings
- The demonstration wind turbine at Practical Action's UK office
- Practical Action South Asia's energy programme
- Practical Action Latin America's energy programme
Documents to download:
- Small wind energy systems for battery charging - in-depth paper on wind power based on Practical Action's experiences (PDF, 74K)
- Practical Action Technical Briefs Practical documents on wind for electricity generation, including: Energy from the Wind overview, Fibre-glass Wind Turbine Blade manufacturing guide, Permanent Magnet Generator manual, Wind Electricity Generation factsheet, Windpumping principles
- illustrated guide to the local manufacture of turbines for wind charging (PDF, 98K)
- Wind Rotor Blade Construction (PDF, 332K)
- Small Wind Energy Systems for Battery Charging (PMG Manual) (PDF, 930K)
