Designing and Prototyping a Low-Cost Wind Turbine for Sustainable
Power Generation in Rural Kenya
By Baraka Adrian Kahugu, Peponi School, 12345
Abstract
This project investigated the feasibility of designing and prototyping a low-
cost wind turbine capable of generating sustainable electricity for rural
communities in Kenya. The study aimed to determine whether a small-scale
turbine constructed using locally accessible and affordable materials could
produce sufficient electrical power for basic domestic use. The research
combined contextual analysis of Kenya’s wind energy potential with technical
investigation into turbine aerodynamics, materials, and micro-wind turbine
design.
A practice-based methodology was adopted, involving a cyclical process of
research, design, prototyping, testing, and evaluation. Initial concepts were
developed through hand sketches and computer-aided design (CAD) models
before two prototype turbines were constructed using bamboo, PVC, and
steel components. Experimental testing measured electrical output across
varying wind speeds to assess performance and practicality.
Results showed that the final prototype was capable of generating an
average power output of approximately 130W and remained functional even
at low wind speeds below 3 m/s. While this output would be sufficient to
power small household devices, it would likely require multiple turbines to
meet the full electricity needs of a rural household. Despite limitations
related to cost and power output, the project demonstrates that locally
constructed micro-wind turbines could contribute to decentralized renewable
energy solutions in rural Kenya.
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Introduction
My project involved the design and prototyping of a low-cost, small-scale
wind turbine intended to generate sustainable electricity for use in rural
areas of Kenya. The final artefact takes the form of a physical prototype
supported by design sketches, computer-aided design (CAD) models,
experimental testing, and analytical evaluation. The purpose of the project
was to explore whether an affordable and practical wind turbine design could
be developed using accessible materials while still achieving reasonable
efficiency. The intended users are rural communities in Kenya that
experience limited or unreliable access to grid electricity, and this audience
strongly influenced design decisions, particularly in relation to cost,
durability, simplicity of construction, and suitability for local wind conditions.
The overall aim of my project was to design, build, and test a wind turbine
capable of providing sustainable, clean electrical power in rural Kenya,
primarily for small-scale domestic use. To achieve this, I established several
objectives. These included researching the principles of wind energy,
aerodynamics, and turbine efficiency; applying this research to the design
and modelling of a small-scale wind turbine; constructing a prototype
using appropriate, low-cost materials; and experimentally testing the
turbine’s power output at varying wind speeds. The results were then
compared with theoretical predictions in order to evaluate the efficiency,
sustainability, and practicality of the design for real-world application.
I chose this project due to its strong relevance to both my academic studies
and future aspirations. It directly links to my A-level subjects—Physics,
Mathematics, Further Mathematics, and Economics—by allowing theoretical
concepts to be applied in a practical engineering context. Additionally, I have
a long-standing interest in renewable energy and its growing importance in
Kenya’s development. The project also aligns with my ambition to study
Mechanical Engineering, as it enabled me to develop problem-solving skills,
gain experience in CAD and prototyping, and engage with real-world
engineering challenges.
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Research/Literature Review
The title of my EPQ project was “Designing and Prototyping a Low-Cost Wind
Turbine to Provide Sustainable Electricity in Rural Kenya”. Therefore, I split
my research into two distinct sections: background/contextual research and
technical/design research.
I began my background/contextual research with a local research paper from
the University of Nairobi (“Assessment and Utilization of Wind Power in Kenya
– A Review”, Oludhe C. 2008). The article begins with a general overview of
Kenya’s energy mix, identifying hydropower to account for about 63% of
Kenya’s electricity and emphasizing the need for diversification, especially
towards wind and solar. The article then goes on to discuss Kenya’s local
topography and identifies the main regions that have strong, persistent
winds – Marsabit (Northern Kenya), Turkana, Garissa and Coastal regions.
Hence, I was able to identify these four areas as potential regions for the
application of my project (in theory). After a period of testing, the wind
speeds were found to exceed 10m/s in Marsabit, with wind power densities of
over 1000W/m^2. Hence, this article confirmed the feasibility of my
project. Furthermore, the article highlighted “power shortages due to
drought, [emphasizing] the need for decentralized, renewable systems”.
I then turned my attention to similar projects which have been conducted in
the past, to support my project idea. The “Kijito Wind Pumps” in rural Kenya
were first manufactured in 2002, and since then over 300 have been
installed. Over the past 20 years, these wind pump designs have proven to
be a low-maintenance, low-cost alternative to the traditional diesel pumps
which are commonly found in rural areas. The wind
pumps operate sufficiently even at low wind speeds (starting from about
3m/s, which is significantly less than the 10m/s tested in Marsabit.
Furthermore, the wind pumps do not require any fuel. This renewable aspect
is key to fulfilling the “sustainability” aspect of my project
question. However, during the early stages of adoption, there were several
challenges faced, including: logistics/installation difficulties, maintenance
skill gaps, financial limitations, local skepticism and corruption. Hence, in
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order to minimize some of these challenges in my project, I chose
to emphasise the following in my technical/design research: use of local
materials, durable to minimize maintenance, small-scale designs for local
use and prioritizing reliability over efficiency (which is critical for rural
environments).
Having narrowed down the technical design requirements for my wind
turbine, I began the second phase of my research with a review from the
ABDU Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, which discussed the
“design of micro wind turbines” with an emphasis on “low wind speed
areas”. The review identified the benefits of a micro wind turbine, including
low setup costs, minimal maintenance, rooftop adaptability and practicality
in remote areas. The review also discussed the potential benefits of HAWTs
(Vertical Axis Wind Turbines), which I had not previously
considered. However, VAWTs are not ideal for the uneven terrain of rural
Kenya, hence, I opted for the more traditional horizontal design. Other design
features which I choose to adapt from this review include: 3-blade design,
PVC blade materials (cost-effective), permanent magnet generator, and a
lightweight steel/bamboo shaft.
Whilst a low-cost, easy maintenance and reliability were core focuses of my
project, I did not want to neglect the efficiency of the turbine completely.
Therefore, I consulted a research paper from the scientific
journal “Energies”, which was titled “Advancing Wind Energy Efficiency: A
systematic review of aerodynamic optimization in wind turbine blade
design”. The review often delved into more complicated techniques that may
be out of my capacity, such as AI-accelerated design, CFD, and use of
composites that I cannot obtain. However, the review also gave insight into a
wide range of potential features that I could include in my final prototype.
These may include: variable twist designs, winglets, hinged tower base, etc.
To conclude my technical research, I needed to finalize on the specific
materials that I would use in my prototype. Hence, I turned to the MDPI
Scientific Journal and discovered a paper titled: “Innovations in Wind Turbine
Blade Engineering: Exploring Materials, Sustainability and Market
Dynamics”. Similar to many scientific research papers, it often delved into
the use of advanced composites, carbon fiber and fiberglass, due to their
high-performance attributes. However, through comparison with
my previous research notes and further peer consultation/collaborative
research, I was able to identify the materials that I would use in my
prototype. Bamboo would be used as the main structural material as it
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mimics the high strength-to-weight ratio of steel and is widely available in
rural Kenyan regions. PVC would be used for
lightweight components and blades and steel would be used for structural
support.
As I moved onto the practical stages of my project, which primarily involved
designing, building and testing the wind turbine, I conducted further research
regarding the use of CAD in building a wind turbine and AI integrated design
to improve the quality of the designs and accelerate the overall process. I
discovered an article from the NeuralConcept scientific journal titled
“Enhancing Design Efficiency with Artificial Intelligence CAD solutions” which
explored the benefits of AI in CAD and the various challenges and limitations.
The main advantages included automation, minimizing human error,
generative design features and early detection of structural weaknesses.
However, the articled emphasized the overreliance on AI-generated
optimization may produce “algorithmically-biased designs” and would
“reduce human understanding of design mechanics”. Nevertheless, based on
my research, I will most likely make use of CAD and AI integrated design
during the development, building and testing of my wind turbine.
Planning and Methodology
I adopted a practice-based methodology that combined experimentation with
reflective evaluation, following a cycle of research, design, testing, and
refinement until the final product was reached.
The first phase was my research, which is more outlined in more detail in the
previous section of my report. My research is what informed how I would
design the wind turbine, what materials I would use and what alternative
methods would be available in case my initial approach yielded
unsatisfactory results. Furthermore, my research included local case study
references (Kijito Pumps) and primary research (at Kengen) to better
understand the specific requirements of a wind turbine in Kenya and how to
go about designing it.
With all my research at hand, I moved into the next phase – designing. The
initial designs were unsophisticated, generic sketches on paper, mainly
outlining the physical features of the wind turbine, but not necessarily
representative of how the final outcome would look. Along with hand-
sketching, the initial design featured the use of CAD to make more refined,
professional designs, as well as the use of integrated AI design for
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presentability, ease of use and any technical considerations which my hand
drawn sketches may have left out.
The next phase of my project was the actual building of the wind turbine,
based on my initial sketches and designs. As I built the wind turbine, the plan
was to test it in environments which simulate rural Kenya. Based on various
test results such as voltage, power output, durability, ease of use (and
others) I would then make appropriate changes and then test it again. There
will be greater detail on this in the next section of this report. Furthermore,
this phase included active evaluation of challenges I was facing in building
the prototypes.
I chose to use this cycle approach/methodology because it allowed me to
actively test my artefact, which allowed me to refine it consistently over time
for the purpose of achieving (or coming as close as possible) the goal of my
epq – “designing and prototyping a low-cost wind turbine to provide
sustainable electricity in rural Kenya”. The alternative would have been a
linear approach, where research and design were all concluded prior to the
building of my wind turbine. Whilst this may have improved the time
efficiency of my project, I believe it would have led me to make compromises
on the wind turbine and produce a subpar artefact.
Development Process
The initial concept of my EPQ was to design and develop a low-cost wind
turbine that could be used by households in rural Kenya to generate
sustainable electricity for daily use. The idea was inspired by my love for
engineering and problem solving, along with my keen interest in renewable,
sustainable alternatives to traditional energy forms. After reviewing several
research papers about the feasibility of wind energy in rural Kenya and
analysing wind data from a few sample regions, I began my project in
earnest.
The first stage of my project was a 4-5 week research period, in which I spent
time reviewing previous similar, successful projects that had been conducted
in rural Kenya, with a focus on the various challenges that they faced and the
design features which I could adapt for my EPQ. Furthermore, I made sure to
collect comprehensive wind data from local meteorological studies (e.g.
Oludhe C. 2008) in order to identify potential sites for my wind turbine and
hypothesize the power outputs that could be achieved in these regions. I also
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researched aerodynamic optimization, materials and design features that
would help improve the efficiency of my final wind turbine. Based on my
research, I decided to focus on Northern Kenyan regions such as Marsabit
and Garissa, where wind speeds are highest. The next phase of my project
involved 3-4 weeks of designing and refinement until I had a design that
balanced the low-cost objective with power-efficiency.
My first wind turbine design was hand-drawn and heavily inspired by similar
projects that had been conducted in rural Kenya, including the Kijito Wind
Pumps (as mentioned earlier) and KenGen wind farms. These designs were
mainly generic, featuring the classic 3-blade, straight-shaft, horizontal-axis
wind turbines that are mainly used for large-scale electricity generation.
Furthermore, these designs referenced materials such as carbon fiber,
fiberglass and foam blades. Although these materials provided the best
durability and performance, they were out of my budget and certainly not
feasible for application in rural Kenya, so, I turned my attention to findings
alternatives for these materials that could be locally sourced. Following a
brief period of research and teacher consultation, I switched the main
structural materials of the wind turbine to bamboo, steel and PVC. Then, with
these materials in mind, I created another hand-drawn sketch of my wind
turbine. These changes helped lower the cost of the project and helped align
it better with “rural Kenya” aspect of my project brief. However, these
sketches still lacked dimensions, profiles and part-specific drawings. I
presented my first two sketches to a few relatives at an architectural firm
and consulted with my physics teacher before moving onto creating the final
designs. The feedback I received suggested that I make use of Computer-
Aided Design for the final sketches to improve clarity, presentability and
reduce the potential for human error. Therefore, I extended my design period
by one week to create the final design for the wind turbine. The final designs
included: a fully annotated 3D sketch of the turbine, a non-annotated 2D
sketch for simple visualization and a comprehensive sketch of the blades
that I would use. Although the use of CAD slowed down the overall designing
process, the final outcomes were more detailed, dimension-specific and
material-specific, which is exactly what I would require when it came to
building the wind turbine.
Having finished the designs for my wind turbine, I spent the following week
building the first wind turbine based off the initial designs. As expected, this
wind turbine was structurally weak and not very power-efficient due to the
generic nature of the designs and the lack of adaptability to the rural Kenyan
landscape. For example, the blades on this wind turbine lacked the angular
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slant which is required for better wind catch. This wind turbine recorded
below 100W on average at an average wind speed of 3-5m/s and was
susceptible to physical damage due to the lack of reinforcement. Therefore,
based on the test results I concluded that this wind turbine would be
unsuitable for household use in rural Kenya.
After the disappointing outcome of my first wind turbine, I took some time to
reflect and consult experts on how I could improve the wind turbine.
Therefore, I made a visit to the KenGen wind farm and I was able to gather
up-to-date, relevant tips on how to improve my initial designs. For example,
reinforcing the shaft, tilting the blades, etc. Furthermore, as this advice came
from local sources, the improvements that were suggested were all highly
relevant to my focus on rural Kenya.
With this fresh perspective and improved designs, I began building my
second and final wind turbine. The process of building this turbine was
significantly more meticulous as this model implemented several new
features to improve stability, power output and sustainability. I sought out
the help of a carpenter to help me accurately carve out the PVC blades and
increased my initial project budget to buy electrical tape (which has excellent
resistance to moisture and abrasion, helping to reduce long-term
maintenance costs). I reinforced the shaft using bamboo props and
lubricated the D.C motor to increase the RPM. Lastly, I reinforced the hub of
the turbine with plywood to minimize weathering.
After testing this second wind turbine, I found that the power output had
increased to an average of 130W. Even at lower wind speeds (<3m/s), the
wind turbine maintained a power output above 100W. These test results
suggest that the final wind turbine would be able to power small household
devices such as bulbs, laptops, wifi routers, etc. However, larger domestic
devices like fridges and microwaves would require at least 2-3 of these wind
turbines to function properly.
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Evaluation Section
As outlined in my project proposal form, the title of my project was
“Designing and Prototyping a Low-Cost Wind Turbine to Provide Sustainable
Electricity in Rural Kenya”. Therefore, I will begin by evaluating my final
outcome.
The final model of my wind turbine was able to generate electricity, even at
very low wind speeds which simulate the conditions in most regions of rural
Kenya. However, the power output of the wind turbine was unlikely to meet
the electrical needs of the average rural Kenyan household. My test results
suggested that a minimum of 2-3 of these turbines would be required to
provide sufficient electricity to a household. Furthermore, the cost of the final
model was significantly higher than I had intended, due to the difficulty in
finding a good quality, high-voltage, durable DC motor for the turbine. Also,
the steel shaft certainly raised the cost, but provided a more sturdy
framework. Therefore, the main challenge of the final model was achieving
sustainability, without increasing the cost too much. In order to ensure that
the wind turbine generated a reasonable amount of electricity and required
minimal maintenance, I was forced to increase my expenditure on materials
and supplies. The design of the turbine was relatively simplistic and I was
also able to create a brief guide/manual to enhance the ease of use and
make minor repairs a simple task for users of the wind turbine in rural Kenya.
Hence, I believe that I was able to build a sustainable, easy-to-use wind
turbine that could certainly be used by rural Kenyan households. However,
the higher-than-expected cost and low power output are critical limitations.
I faced several challenges during the research and review stage of my
project. Firstly, it was very difficult to find credible articles or research papers
that discussed the current state of wind technology in Kenya, and particularly
the current state of wind technology in rural Kenya. Therefore, I was forced
to use older research papers (Oludhe C. 2008) to gather data about wind
speeds, ideal locations for the turbines and reasons to justify my project
brief. Furthermore, it was very difficult to find comprehensive data about
previous projects that had been conducted in rural Kenya in the recent past.
Therefore, I decided to use a case study (Kijito Wind Pumps) about “wind
pumps”, which effectively use the same technology as wind turbines, hence,
I believed that the challenges faced and various design aspects would be
quite similar. However, to cover for this deficit in contextual research, I also
visited a KenGen wind farm in rural Kenya and I was able to gather up-to-
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date, relevant information about the current state of wind technology and
the requirements for wind turbines that are used in rural Kenya.
I rarely faced challenges during my technical and design research. However,
I found several of the research papers I used to be overly detailed and
extremely long. Therefore, it was very difficult to scan these papers for
relevant information and create cohesive personal research notes from them.
Furthermore, as I researched the aerodynamic and material aspects of my
design, my sources often delved into highly complex and expensive
techniques, which were certainly out of my budget and technical capabilities.
Therefore, whilst this was highly informative and helped expand my general
knowledge, it certainly slowed down my progress. So, I took the liberty of
uploading the longest of these research paper into an AI tool which was able
to highlight the relevant pages in the document, saving me the extra
reading, which would have certainly taken several hours. Upon reflection, I
may have benefited from taking more time to find sources that were directly
relevant to my project, however, I was drawn to research papers from
universities and scientific journals due to their credibility and authenticity.
[EVIDENCES REQUIRED HERE]
Reflection Section
The EPQ project created an opportunity to explore my strengths, revealed my
weaknesses and challenged me to develop several critical skills, including
research, source analysis project/time management, structured writing and
documentation. In my reflection, I will outline my key takeaways and learning
points, consider areas for improvement and reflect on my personal growth
and learning throughout this journey.
At the very beginning of my project, my first task was to come up with a
project title. However, this was not as simple as choosing a random topic and
creating an artefact in that field. I had to evaluate my current skills, identify
fields of interest and narrow it down until I had a brief that would allow me to
explore my interests and grow as an academic. As I created the project
proposal form, I quickly realized that this project would require detailed
planning and keen time management. Therefore, aside from the critical
thinking, evaluation and foresight required in creating a project brief, the
early stages of my EPQ project helped me practice project planning,
including identifying research questions, project aims and time allocations for
each section of the project.
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During the research/review stage of my project, I was able to practice source
analysis and evaluation. I began my research with simple google searches,
random clicking and reading articles upon articles. However, I soon realized
that in order to create reliable, accurate, up-to-date and relevant research
notes, I would have to exercise greater scrutiny when choosing sources. This
realization led to use more academic sources, backed by university research
facilities and scientific journals, which was ideal due to the technical nature
of my project. One challenge which I faced during this section of my project
was information overload. Upon reflection, I realize now that my project title
was ambiguous in terms of the type of wind turbine I would be building, the
scale and the specific uses of the wind turbine. This ambiguity lead me to
explore several sources in the early stages of my research which were not
necessarily relevant to the final product (for example, researching on VAWTs
whilst my final product was actually a HAWT). I believe that I should have
specified that the turbine would be “small-scale”, “horizontal axis” and used
for “low power domestic functions” in the title. Another challenge which I
faced was difficulty summarizing information and creating focused research
notes. Although scientific journals which I chose to use were more accurate
and detailed in their information, a lot of the topics discussed were not
relevant to my project and some articles were hundreds of pages long,
leading me to spend extended periods of time just reading. Upon reflection, I
realize now that having a wider range in the types of resources I was using
may have helped to alleviate this stress and possibly elevate the quality of
my research notes.
During the initial development process of my wind turbine, I was able to
practice sketching designs and using CAD, both of which are core skills in the
field of engineering. The process of hand sketching was often quite tedious,
and the final sketches were usually messy and incorrectly scaled. On the
other hand, using CAD software required me to spend a lot of time watching
online tutorials and practicing with simpler artefacts (e.g. bolts) before
progressing to modelling a wind turbine. Hence, both means of designing
presented their own challenges, which is why I decided to use a mix of both
in order to develop my skills in both areas. During the building process of my
wind turbine, one of the main challenges I faced was difficulty in finding the
required materials. Upon reflection, I realize now that a better approach
would have been to identify the most accessible, available materials that I
could use for the wind turbine before deciding upon which specific materials I
would use. However, this approach may have compromised the
performance/efficiency of the wind turbine. Furthermore, I was not able to
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conduct some of the building process myself due to safety concerns and
inexperience. For example, the cutting of PVC pipe to produce the wind
turbine blades required the use of a power cut-off saw, which I could not
safely operate. Upon reflection, I realize now that if I had taken time to plan
out the building process, I would have been able to take note of these risks
and take the appropriate measures so that I could conduct the whole process
by myself. Nevertheless, aside from these challenges, I was able to
effectively document the development process and produce a functional
wind turbine, that (mostly) aligned with my project title.
Overall, completing my EPQ has been one of the most formative academic
experiences I have undertaken. Beyond producing my final artefact, I have
developed greater independence, resilience and self-awareness as a learner.
I now have a clearer understanding of how to approach complex, open-ended
tasks: by refining a focused question, applying evaluation throughout and
adapting when initial plans fail. The project has strengthened my ability to
think critically, make informed decisions and persist through theoretical and
practical challenges alike.
My main takeaway is the importance of clarity from the outset, as this
determines the efficiency and direction of research and development. I have
also learned that effective planning is not a one-time action, but a process
that requires regular review. Additionally, I have gained a deeper
appreciation for balancing ambition with practicality.
There are clear areas for improvement. In future project, I would like to
prioritize planning, more selective research strategies and proactive risk
assessment during practical stages. I would also like to manage time more
strategically to maximize productivity.
Ultimately, the EPQ has not only enhanced my academic skills but also
prepared me for the demands of university-level study, equipping me with
the ability to independently research, design and execute a sustained
project.
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