"How to build a wind turbine"

Workshop courses

with Hugh Piggott
(updated 9th May 2008)
Photo diaries of previous courses further down this page

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MY COURSES: Each day consists of workshop sessions with opportunities to gain hands-on experience of carving wooden blades, winding coils and fitting magnets into purpose built alternators for windpower,  wiring, fabrication, erection and all aspects which can be covered as time allows.  There is a very minimal amount of formal classroom presentation, largely controlled by demand.

A complete wind turbine will be built from scratch and erected.  Full drawings are provided as part of the course. 

I should stress that these courses are to teach you how to build a wind generator, so please do not expect that you will go home with a completed wind generator.

More info

COURSES Calendar


This is a list of all the courses that I am involved in.  I update it from time to time as more courses get organised.
I am teaching at all of these.

Date
Location/contact
Details
price
12-19 July 08  Shanti Griha
Scoraig UK

This course is now  full
But you can put your name on a list for cancellations if you wish.

Or ask about next year's courses on Scoraig.
£600
26th July
Earthship Fife
One day introduction to wind energy.
Not a construction course.

August the 18th - 23nd 2008
 "Jay Hudnall" <jay@tieole.com>
location:
Krug Wind, France
A French-speaking course again.  Just getting organised.

8th - 13th September 2008

Crann Og near Gort Galway Ireland
Accommodation is in a wooden long-house that provides hostel like self catering accommodation for between 8 and 12 people depending on logistics. Or you can stay at any of the local B&Bs in the area.The course fee includes bed + breakfast, lunch and evening meal, snacks, tea and coffee are also available.

Similar to the course last year's one at the Gyreum
but a different location
800euro
October 5 - 10. 2008 CAT in Wales, UK
Tel. +44 (0)1654 705981
Fax. +44 (0)1654 703605
Email courses@cat.org.uk
book here
"Build your own wind turbine"
Hands-on course building two wind turbines with Hugh
£400-675

Other people doing similar courses:
v3 powerLearn How To Build Your Own Wind Turbine
Location: Hill Holt Wood, Lincolnshire
Dates:
 
June 13th-15th
August 29-31st

Course Fee: £ 250 (discounts available)
Number of Places 12
The course begins at 7pm on the friday evening (although look to arrive 5 ish to set up tents and have dinner). Runs 9am - 9pm on the Saturday and 9 am to 4 pm on the Sunday. Participants will have direct and significant hands-on experience carving blades, wiring copper coils, soldering the stators, construction the magnetic plates and welding the metal frame. Lectures will include in-depth knowledge of wind power and aerodynamic theory and includes course hand-outs.
The final day involves erecting a working wind turbine (ideally the one built that weekend) and how to monitor its performance. The fee includes two nights accommodation and food.

For further information email: info@v3power.org or call Tom 07730 594580

French (stage en France en Francais) course
Livrée aux mille hurlants
Aux voleurs de poussières
Une dame de pales
En costume rafale
Prête ses trois oreilles
à l'amant rugissant

Trois aiguilles à recoudre
Dans le ciel déchiré
Un soleil clignotant
Aux allures de vautour
Une faucheuse obsession
De moissons circulaires

Enfante des syphons
Trois p'tits tours et s'en vont
Les troupeaux d'électrons.

Apprendre à fabriquer une éolienne
Lundi 26 au vendredi 30 mai 2008
à la Maison A.I.M.E.
Laurac-en-Vivarais, sud Ardèche


Date
  progetta costruisci e installa il micro eolico
Location/contact
Details
price
15-19 July 2008
Matera - Italy
info@casasoleil.it
cell. (0039) 338 3653377
    
   
Corso italiano di autocostruzione di un generatore eolico da 1 KW secondo il metodo di H. PIGGOTT, coordinato dall’ing. Antonio CECERE.
Programma e modulo di prenotazione su:
http://www.casasoleil.it/corsi/formazione/corsiinaula2.htm

  
 360 €  (workshop + 4 coffee break + 5 lunch)
Hotel convenzionato (escluso)



Some
previous courses photo pages:
2001 Scoraig Aug 2001
SEI Guemes Island WA USA Oct 2001

2002 Scoraig May 02

CAT October 2002

2003 Scoraig May 03
SEI Guemes Island
WA USA April 2003
CAT October 2003
Four Winds Edinburgh February 03
2004
Scoraig May 2004

SEI Guemes Island
WA USA April 2004  

and 3 web diaries:

blueEnergy

Matt Bartmann

Dan Fink

EnterpriseWorks Ghana July 2004 Four winds Edinburgh March 2004
2004 continued...
  CAT October 2004
Krug SARL, Limoux, France
15-20 November 2004
2005 There were several more courses in 2005 including Inverness, Krug SARL in Limoux and CAT in Wales. 
Sorry I did not get pages up for these courses. 

Durika community - Costa rica February 2005

Green Loops Liverpool January 2005
four winds 05
Four Winds Edinburgh March 2005

2006
sabbatical year



2007
Scoraig June
scoraig
Guemes Island USA(1 2 3) in May
sei
Ireland September
gyreum ecolodge workshop

CAT October facebook group with photoscat
France August

2008
Holland February 15-20
helvoirt
Scoraig April






Some of the feedback
from the 2004 SEI homebuilt wind workshop at Guemes Island, WA USA
(Just for the record, all of this stuff was spontaneous.  I can't take all the credit...  I think this sort of event attracts people who know how to have a good time and get things done together. - Hugh)

-------
i just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the workshop. we all had an amazing time.  i feel like i learned more in that one week than in any other week of my life.  the entire package was inspiring - from the group to the shop work to the late night music sessions.
-----

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the workshop. for me it truly was a dream come true.  your passion, patience, and accessibility are amazing and inspiring.  thank you for all the time you spent explaining things to us and for all the materials you provided to us.  i hope we get the chance to meet again soon.

 I just wanted to say how much I truly appreciate your efforts and commitment to the course and evolving your personal life vision as well.  Your clear communication, amazing level of patience with us all, and your mellow manored, friendly personality, has made my experience quite epic.  For all this and more I truly give thanks.

-------
 Thanks so much for your guidance and inspiration, Hugh.  You may be more famous than you realize, but you are less famous than you deserve.  Ian, the same can be said for you. 
I know that my personal understanding of self only evolves with meaningful experiences that stretch the limits of my abilities.  After your workshop(s), I felt all stretched out and both more ignorant and more enlightened.  I'll treasure my experience at Guemes wherever my feet take me, and wherever the wind propels my spirit.

Thanks again for sharing your week up on Guemes!  We all had a great time... (of course!) - and learned a good bit!  It's such an unusual opportunity to learn and make good freinds.
Its wonderful that you put on such amazing events.  I had a great week.  the weather/people were more than we could've hoped for. 

---------------
Just wanted to drop a line and say thank you.  The workshops were a success; good people, great instructers, lots of nuggets to be gleaned.  It's always good to visit Guemes, find her to be a reminder of where i hope to be heading.  Looking forward to October's installation, believe i'm signed up- i'll check and make sure we're all in the know.  If Hugh is still around please pass on my thank you, it was a  privledge to accept what he had to offer. Take care, see you in another six months-
 



Scoraig 12-18 July 2008
The cost of the Scoraig course is probably £600 per head, including accommodation at Shanti Griha.  Concessionary rates may be negotiable.  There may also be space for partners/friends to stay at Shanti Griha during but not partaking of the course.

This will be the seventh year we hold a course here on Scoraig at the
Shanti Griha site.  The courses are small (about 7-8 people) but lively
and successful.  We always complete one wind turbine during the project, and make
progress in the construction of others.  The main project is a 2.4
metres diameter wind turbine with wooden blades and a permanent
magnet alternator.  Output is about 500 watts electrical.

To book a place on the Scoraig course, please send me Hugh Piggott  a deposit of £100 at

Hugh Piggott
Scoraig
Dundonnell
Ross shire
IV23 2RE
Keep in touch closer to the time to arrange for car-sharing from nearby railway stations.  I will meet you with a boat and take you across to Scoraig from Badluarach jetty.  I shall also take your gear to Shanti Griha by quad bike and trailer.  Meanwhile you can walk the two miles and enjoy the views of many small wind turbines along the way.

There is no shop on Scoraig so you are recommended to bring supplies of personal luxuries such as beer or tobacco to last you out. However there is some alcohol available at Shanti Griha.  Weatherproof clothing including rubber boots are a good idea even though you will probably not need them.  Depending on the season there may already be some small biting insects called midges which drive some people wild.  You may wish to bring repellent of some sort.

When driving to Scoraig, take the A9 to Inverness, then follow signs towards Ullapool.  Follow the Ullapool road as far as Braemore junction and turn left for Dundonnell.  (Do not turn left onto the A832 Gairloch road at Garve - wait until Braemore where you see the sign for Dundonnell.)  After Dundonnell, watch out for signs to Badluarach, and take a right turn down to the jetty.


Purpose of the Build your own wind turbine workshop courses :To inspire, empower, and inform participants who wish to build small wind turbines.  To cater for people from all backgrounds, age-groups, nationalities, and educational levels.  To provide some basic theoretical understanding, and to develop the necessary workshop skills and confidence to enable participants to undertake small wind turbine construction projects safely.
  Course at Liverpool in 2000.

Scope of workshop course - goal and objectives:
A six day course in which the participants learn as much as they are personally capable of learning about small wind turbine design and construction.  Each day, a modest amount of theoretical introduction will lead to workshop sessions with opportunities to gain hands-on experience of carving wooden blades, winding coils and fitting magnets into purpose built alternators for windpower, wiring, fabrication, erection and all aspects which can be covered as time allows.  Participants who bring their own ideas and materials to the course will be welcomed and given assistance where possible.

We would hope to complete one wind turbine during the project, and make progress in the construction of others.  Where participants have brought the materials, they will be able to take the complete (or partially complete) components (blades, alternators..) home with them.  Other work in progress will remain on site for use in future courses.


 

More information about Hugh