Subject: --Small Turbines in Zimbabwe

From: Tom Gray <[email-masked]>
Date: 30 Mar 93 12:38 PST

/* Written  6:04 am  Mar 29, 1993 by [email-masked] in igc:en.energy */

WIND GENERATORS LIGHT
ZIMBABWE HEALTH CLINICS
 
     Small British wind turbines with a rotor diameter of one meter
are providing lighting to rural health clinics in the African
nation of Zimbabwe for emergency operations at night and to extend
visiting hours, according to the journal New Scientist.
 
     Before the advent of the mini-turbines, the article said,
doctors were forced to operate by the light of candles or paraffin
lamps, since over 75 percent of Zimbabwe is not served by an
electric power distribution grid.
 
     Eastern Zimbabwe is a hilly region with some exposed sites
suitable for wind.  Wind speed measurements are taken before
installation to ensure that the turbines will produce the desired
level of electricity, the article said.
 
     Wind power, it added, is a relatively recent addition to
Zimbabwe's energy plans, which has previously thought only in terms
of solar power when considering renewable energy technologies.
 
     The British machines are described by Nick Murgatroyd, a
consultant with the United Kingdom's Overseas Development
Administration, as easy to install and maintain.

===============================

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*******************************************************************
Tom Gray                                 EcoNet/PeaceNet: tgray@igc
Internet/Bitnet: [email-masked]            UUCP: uunet!cdp!tgray