New graduate to build wind turbine in Peru

A graduate engineer from the University of Bath is taking his skills to Peru this summer to build a wind turbine that will provide villagers with their first source of electricity.
Ben Lane, 23, from Harrogate, is working with a charity called WindAid to spend five weeks building a wind turbine that will provide villagers with a sustainable source of energy to transform their everyday living.
Ben initiated a project at the University which taught students how to build a wind turbine.
Ben, who is graduating on Tuesday 5 July at Bath Abbey with a First Class Honours degree in mechanical engineering, also scooped the Chancellor’s Prize for being the best final year undergraduate, and is using the prize money to help fund his trip.
He was inspired to join the South American scheme having organised a team of 30 engineering students at Bath on a project that taught the theoretical and practical issues involved in building wind turbines.
The student-led project took place over three weekends and built a wind turbine from scratch, culminating with the completion of a one kilowatt, ten metre tall turbine, capable of producing enough power for half a standard UK home.
Ben initiated the scheme at the University, organised by wind turbine specialists V3 Power in conjunction with the international development organisation Engineers Without Borders and is a prototype for a similar scheme planned for the developing world.