Small Wind Systems for Rural Energy Services

By Smail Khennas , Simon Dunnett , Hugh Piggott
Softcover, 64 pages, 2003. Practical Action, publisher.

This book approaches wind energy as if starting from scratch. It shows, with concise text and simple diagrams, how to build a generator and small turbine, how to raise a tower, where to place it, and how to connect it to a home electricity system. The information gets to the most basic level because this book is a case study in building an electrical system where no electrical infrastructure exists, such as the developing world. Examples and photographs are taken from the authors experiences in helping to build community electrical services in tiny towns in Sri Lanka and Peru. This book is both a short, practical guide, and a compelling story about the very essence and potential of renewable energy.

Chapters

1. Introduction: Why wind energy is an attractive option?
2. Understanding Wind Generator Technology
3. The Wind Potential
4. Assessment of Needs
5. Economics of Small Wind Systems
6. Sustaining the Technology