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If you consider yourself pretty handy, there are various build-your-own plans available, or turbine-building courses you can attend. Depending on your skills and the components you use, your finished turbine may or may not be as efficient as a manufactured one, but could be a lot of fun to make, and probably a good deal cheaper.
 Hugh Piggot, of Scoraig Wind Electric in Ross shire, Scotland, is something of a guru in the DIY turbines area, having been making and refining his own machines for over 25 years.
He's written a 64 page step-by-step booklet called "How to build a wind turbine - the axial flux plans", which you can order directly from his website for £11 including postage. There are full lists of materials, suppliers and tools for the job. This involves carving blades and welding a frame, so it does sound like you need to be fairly practically minded.
Hugh also runs workshop courses on building wind turbines at various locations including the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales.
Small Wind Turbines are expensive because of a number of reasons. Compared to their larger counterparts or wind farms, economies of scale alone dictate that bigger means cheaper, albeit per unit. Furthermore, larger wind turbines are more efficient in harnessing wind resources. However, building a wind turbine yourself is no easy task.
Hugh Piggott has written a factsheet on it for the BWEA and here we list several things to consider if you were thinking of building your own turbine:
• Wind Resource
Obviously this is what makes everything go round, so to speak. Wind resource varies a great deal geographically. Urban locations can be very turbulent due to obstructions caused by trees and buildings, which can break the force of the wind. Rural locations tend to provide the most unobstructed sites, as a result.
• Generator Type
This is a vital piece of the turbine, of which you can either get grid-tied or battery charger types. Battery charger types are less complex as grid-tied would need a qualified installer to do it. The battery charge provides stand-alone power away from the grid. Commercial turbines use permanent magnet motors that are purpose-built. Car alternators have been known to be modified to do a job, although they are very inefficient because wind turbine rotors normally produce 100-200rpm, whereas car engines produce around 2000rpm.
• Blades
It is possible to buy ready-made blades; however, with a lot of research, it may be possible to make them out of wood. Among the qualities required are durability and strength, as well aerodynamic properties. the size and length of the blades are important factors to consider, as well as whether it can be supported by the whole unit. Efficiency and usability of the wind turbine also depends on the blade design.
• Charge Controller
This is needed to control everything, particularly any excessive energy generated, and prevents overcharging of the battery.
• Inverter
A wind turbine generates AC current and an inverter converts this into DC, which is what a battery needs.
• Tower
The turbine is usually mounted on this and, generally, the taller they are then the better access you will have to higher wind speeds and less turbulent wind. However, if your tower is over 15 metres then it may be subjected to planning permision.
• Neighbours
Although as a wind enthusiast, you may find wind turbines an elegant sight to behold; your neighbour may find them a condireabl blot on the landscape. They are definitely important to remember as they may affect any planning procedures that you need to get through.
Of course there are a lot more finer time and money consuming details to consider such as ground works, any maintenance issues that may arise and the potential headache of acquiring planning permission , which stresses again the gravity of the task.
Experimenting with smaller generators
Also worth a look is Ben Jandrell's pages on low cost DIY generators at www.gotwind.org . He's focussing on DIY turbines from scrap parts for under £100. These aren't likely to ever power your home, you'd be amazed at what you can do with a few old bicycle dynohub generators. There are also some handy tips on finding and using old motors to generate a bit of energy here.
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