Ben Rider completes his first self build windmill as part of his energy efficient projects

It is not a glider and it is not a plane but it is all the way up high in the sky. Ben Rider’s latest project, a 32 foot high self build windmill, is up and running with the wind.  The windmill will turn 350 RPM before it safeties off due to too much wind.

“It sounds like a soothing smooth gliding kite,” the Ingram valley man said. “It puts out the power they said it would, and it fills in all the times when I need it to.”

The Ingram Valley man made headlines in 2008 because of his zero $ energy bill. He made noumerous other energy efficient improvements to his home. He first installed a solar panel unit which now only adds to his electric needs. He also managed to agree on a net metering contract with the city under which the council is buying his excess power at a wholesale price. His power consumption from the local electricity board has since dropped to zero $.

After the solar panel project, Rider continued to experiment with alternative energy setups. But the wind mill project was his favourite and simplest task to complete.

He said that was quite simple to assemble. The windmill only required a lift and some ingenuity, since he had no one to help him with the final assembly.

Now rider says that he feels that the city is embracing the idea of alternative energy.

“If only 8-10 % of the city’s energy bill were covered by alternative sources such as windmills, the concil would never need to buy power from the local electricity board,” Raider said.

This could have an affect on lower council tax bills for everyone in Ingram Valley as “In excess of $25,000 a day could be saved by avoiding the extra demand used by the council.”

Ward says the relatively small amount of time spend building the windmill will recouperate itself during just one winter season.

All in all Rider is extremely pleased with his newly selfbuild windmill and its performance by far exceeds his expectations. In hindsigh,t Rider says that the solar panels were probably a bit of a wasted project and an unnecessary investment would he have known the windmill generated power output of just one propeller unit. The addition of a second windmill to provide energy for his secondary home estate one mile down the road is already in the planning for this upcoming spring.