Homebrew Wind Power Seminar, August 2009

In this intensive, six-day, hands-on workshop, students will learn how to make a quiet, efficient, and durable wind turbine from scratch. Working together, students will complete at least one 12 foot diameter, 1.5 kW wind turbine and work towards the completion of more turbines of different sizes if time permits. We will also attempt to fly a completed turbine on a tower if weather permits. These turbines are designed for battery charging systems, 12-48 volts. The design is similar to, and inspired by the work of, Hugh Piggott.

This is an excellent opportunity for students to learn a variety of skills. The turbines we will build are ideal for those who are interested in building their own wind power systems from scratch for fun, to save money, or for generating power in the developing world. Some time will be spent each day in lecture learning about workshop safety, basic electricity, wind power theory, wind turbine design, towers, wind site assessment, and integrating wind turbines into a power system.

Attendees will fabricate the 3-phase axial flux alternators, wooden blades, and the metal frame work for the turbines from scratch. This is an ambitious workshop so expect to stay busy! Students will NOT take home a wind turbine with them.

Topics include:
• Basic wind power theory
• Basic wind turbine design
• Basic alternator design
• Shop safety
• Welding instruction
• Metalworking instruction
• Wood working instruction
• Coil winding
• Stator wiring
• Resin casting
• Tower safety
• Tower installation
• Siting a wind turbine
• Wiring a wind turbine into a power system

Who Should Attend?

• Anyone interested in building their own turbines
• Individuals interested in working in the wind energy field
• Engineers interested in learning about wind turbine design and construction
• Students of environmental studies interested in learning more about wind turbines
• Educators wishing to learn more about this exciting field
• Aid and development staff working in developing countries

Instructors: Dan Bartmann, George Clous, Richard Carlsen, Scott LeCocq, Dan Fink

Dates: August 17-22, 2009, at the Otherpower wind turbine shop, 35 miles (one hour's drive) west of Fort Collins, Colorado

Time: 8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Cost: $725.00 (Includes a copy of Homebrew Wind Power by Dan Bartmann and Dan Fink)

For payment, we take check, money order, Mastercard or Visa. Payment in advance is required, and cancellations / refunds less than 2 weeks in advance of the seminar will incur a $100 cancellation fee.
Class is limited to 12 students, so early registration is recommended!
Payments go to:

Materials you need to bring to the shop each day:

• Notepad
• Pencil or Pen
• Lunch and drinks
• Protective clothing
• Work Shoes (no open-toed sandals please)
• Work gloves
• Safety Glasses
• Hearing Protection

Local Accommodations:

Our shop is located 35 miles West of Fort Collins and Loveland, Colorado. It's a bit over an hour's drive to here from town, where the nearest motel or grocery store are located, so we HIGHLY recommend for students to stay on site. You will be exhausted each night after the intensive day's work! Camping here is free, and there are plenty of excellent sites to pitch your tent or set up your RV within an 1/8 mile walk to the shop each morning. 5th wheel RVs can get up our driveway with no trouble, but large (greyhound bus size) RVs may have trouble. There are NO hookups for electric, water or sewage, however camping students can use the facilities in the house such as refrigerator, stove for cooking, bathroom, etc.

There will be a limited number of nearby cabins and trailers available also, for an extra charge per night. Please inquire ASAP if you would like to book a cabin or trailer instead of camping, they are available on a reserve in advance, first come, first served basis, have a stove for cooking, and sleep 2-4 people.

Please realize that the workshop will be in a remote, tight-knit mountain community. You will be interacting with people you have never met, on a daily basis during class and at your option before and after class. We reserve the right to eject any disruptive students from the premises, and send them home with a pro-rated refund.

Other considerations:

• We highly recommend that students show up the afternoon or evening before class to get settled.
• If you forget to bring an important item or run out of food items, one of our staff will be taking at least one trip to town during the class, so you don't have to miss any workshop time.
• The weather here at 8200 feet elevation can be wild and crazy, and portions of class will be held outdoors. Expect the weather to be hot and dry, BUT bring warm clothing and rain gear just in case. Bug repellent is a good thing to bring too.

• At this high altitude, folks who live at low altitudes can experience severe discomfort until they adjust. Be sure to drink lots of water and use lots of sunscreen; all of the excellent drinking water you can possibly consume is here for you on site.
• No pets, please! There are already many dogs who live in the area and belong to the instructors and their neighbors. All are friendly, but new dogs are a disruption to class, and will not know how to stay clear of the workshop and keep their tails out of the machinery. If you don't like or are allergic to the resident dogs, this is probably not the right workshop for you! Both dogs and cats are available for a small rental fee to comfort you in your camp or cabin each night.
• Everyone likes a nice campfire, but please use only the fire pit by the shop each night...it will probably be going, with musicians playing. Bring your instrument, there are many musicians up here. Fires are NOT allowed anywhere else, and depending on fire danger may not be allowed at all.