Wind Empowerment

What Wind Empowerment does

Wind Empowerment is a UK-registered charity (Charity Number: 1165510) founded in 2011 at the World Social Forum in Dakar, Senegal. It operates as a global network association for small wind turbine practitioners, connecting 50+ member organizations across 25+ countries. The organization's mission centers on promoting small wind turbines as a tool for rural electrification in developing countries, with more than 1,000 turbines deployed by members since inception.

The organization's core technical output is open-source small wind turbine knowledge: design resources, software tools including OpenAFPM (an axial flux permanent magnet generator design tool), a publicly accessible wiki, technical papers, and field deployment guides. Members work on turbines ranging from approximately 100W to 10kW, with ongoing development of ferrite magnet generators to reduce dependence on rare-earth neodymium magnets. Wind Empowerment coordinates biennial international conferences (WE2014 Athens, WE2016 Namibia, WE2018 India, WE2020 Peru, WE2024 Colombia, WE2026 Tanzania) that serve as the network's primary knowledge-exchange and community-building mechanism. Beyond electrification, the organization has expanded into productive use applications such as the SEPS wind-water pumping project.

Wind Empowerment's business model is that of a non-profit association: revenue comes from donations, institutional grants (from funders including WISIONS, Terre Humaine, and Green Empowerment), and conference contributions, with no commercial product sales. Membership is free, and all technical content is released under open-source terms without patents. The organization employs a lean core team of approximately 6 staff, supplemented by volunteer effort across the global membership. The 2024 strategic goal of installing 1,000 additional turbines over the next decade defines its operational ambition.

Name

Wind Empowerment

Legal name

Wind Empowerment

Website

https://windempowerment.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Wind Empowerment is a UK-registered charity and global network association connecting 50+ member organizations across 25+ countries to promote small wind turbine deployment for rural electrification in developing countries, operating on an open-source, grant-funded non-profit model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electrification / Small Wind Energy (Non-Profit Association)

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Wind Electric Power Generation (221115)

SIC

Engines & Turbines (3510), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Motors & Generators (3621)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Distributed Wind Power Generation (Behind-the-Meter/Small Wind) (EUACAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wind Turbine OEMs & System Integration (Nacelle/Generator/Controls) (EUAMACAC), Wind Blades, Towers & Foundations Manufacturing (EUAMAHAE)

Keywords

• Small wind turbines
• Rural electrification
• Open-source wind technology
• Renewable energy access
• Community wind energy

Headquarters

HQ city

Global (Distributed)

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: Wind Empowerment is a registered UK charity (Charity Number: 1165510). It raises funds through donations that are 100% invested in projects. Membership is free of charge. The association does not generate commercial revenue but relies on donations and project grants.
2. Project funding and grants: The association receives project funding from partners such as WISIONS Initiative (Wuppertal Institut), WEAthens2014 grants from Terre Humane, Green Empowerment, and crowd-source funding campaigns. Funding supports conferences, working group activities, collaborative projects (SEPS), and rural outreach.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Wind Empowerment is a registered UK charity (Charity Number: 1165510) that operates as a global association of 50+ member organisations and hundreds of practitioners focused on developing and promoting locally manufactured small wind turbines for sustainable rural electrification in underserved communities. Its deliverables consist of open-source turbine designs (notably the Piggott turbine), open-source electronics and modeling tools, technical documentation, biennial international conferences (including WE2026 Tanzania), hands-on manufacturing workshops, six active working groups, and a coordinated practitioner network that has collectively built over 1,000 turbines since 2011.

Product overview

Wind Empowerment is a global association focused on the development and promotion of locally manufactured small wind turbines for sustainable rural electrification. The organization does not offer a commercial product in the traditional sense, but rather operates as a knowledge-sharing network and resource hub. Its offerings include open-source wind turbine designs (notably the Piggott turbine), educational materials, maintenance manuals, technical documentation, working group resources, and biennial international conferences. The association connects member organizations worldwide through collaborative projects, research initiatives, and capacity-building activities focused on small wind system technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wind Empowerment Membership Free membership for organisations (cooperatives, NGOs, social enterprises, research groups, training centres) and individual practitioners working on small wind energy. Members gain access to the international network, working groups, conferences, project collaboration, and the open-source knowledge library.
• Biennial International Wind Empowerment Conferences Multi-day international conferences combining theoretical sessions, hands-on manufacturing workshops, working group meetings, association discussions, and project planning. WEIndia 2018 (Chennai) drew 150+ participants from 40 countries and included an 8-day workshop with 100+ participants constructing two wind turbines. WETanzania2026 is hosted at Barefoot College Zanzibar and the University of Dar es Salaam.
• Wind Empowerment Working Groups Six structured collaboration spaces (Technology, Maintenance, Delivery Models, Market Assessment, Education, Measurement) that provide ongoing forums, shared projects, and develop methodologies (e.g., Market Assessment methodology applied in Ethiopia, Malawi, Nicaragua, Nepal) for the member network.
• Open-Source Piggott Turbine Design (A Wind Turbine Recipe Book) Step-by-step manual for manufacturing small wind turbines with rotor diameters from 1.2 to 4.2 metres using basic tools and locally available materials (wooden blades, car wheel hub bearings, AFPM generators with neodymium magnets cast onto steel rotor discs using resin). Distributed freely through the network.
• Market Assessment Methodology Methodology for conducting initial site studies in target locations, passed to the Delivery Models Working Group for implementation and financing strategy development. Forms a structured pipeline from assessment to project delivery through member organisations.
• SEPS Wind-Water Pumping Prototype Hybrid wind-water pumping system prototype that operates without batteries (or with a small battery bank for voltage stabilisation), representing an innovation for rural water access. Produced under the WISIONS-funded Sustainable Energy Solutions (SEPS) project.
• Wind Empowerment Document Library and Wiki Freely accessible online repository containing academic papers, market assessment reports, maintenance manuals in multiple languages (English, Spanish, French), technology guides, and other technical documentation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 small wind turbines built since 2011
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Barefoot CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner for the WE Tanzania 2026 conference. Hosting the practical workshop component (4th–12th October 2026) at Barefoot College Zanzibar, where conference participants will build small wind turbines.
• Moving WindmillsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner for the WE Tanzania 2026 conference, involved in planning East Africa projects to coincide with the biennial gathering.
• Tanzania Renewable Energy Association (TAREA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner for the WE Tanzania 2026 conference, bringing local expertise and network connections in Tanzania for renewable energy development.
• Powershift AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner for the WE Tanzania 2026 conference, contributing to the planning of East Africa projects and bringing continental African energy expertise.
• University of Dar es SalaamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Host venue for the Technical & Scientific Conference component (2nd–3rd October 2026) of the WE Tanzania 2026 conference.
• NIWE (National Institute of Wind Energy) – IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Jointly organised the WEIndia 2018 conference (November 30–December 14, 2018) with Wind Empowerment. Hosted the 8-day hands-on manufacturing workshops at NIWE's warehouse and conference areas. Provided financial support and the Wind Turbine Test Station for field testing of constructed turbines. This was the first major co-organised international event between WE and a national government agency.
• National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) / RurERGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHosted the WEAthens 2014 conference at NTUA's facilities. RurERG (Rural Electrification Research Group at NTUA) served as a local organiser alongside Nea Guinea.
• Nea Guinea (Greece)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Greek Wind Empowerment member and co-organiser of the WEAthens 2014 conference. Represents the association in Greece and has conducted multiple local wind energy projects and workshops.
• EriGRID (European Research Infrastructure for the Smart Electricity Grid)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAPEG (Wind Empowerment member from Nepal) accessed EriGRID's transnational access programme to conduct lab tests of their AFPM generator at ICCS-NTUA in Greece. This partnership enables WE members to access advanced testing facilities.
• Ampère Laboratory (France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganised a scientific workshop day at WEFrance 2022 focused on raising Small Wind Turbine issues from the field to the scientific community, highlighting applicable scientific works and making connections within the SWT community.
• Hugh Piggott (Scoraig Wind Electric)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHugh Piggott is the creator of the open-source Piggott turbine design (A Wind Turbine Recipe Book) that forms the foundation of Wind Empowerment's technical approach. He is a widely acknowledged small wind turbine expert and founding inspiration of the network. His design has been translated into 10+ languages and embraced by practitioners globally.
• Tripalium (France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA French Wind Empowerment member that runs the La Maladière farm collective (host venue for WEFrance 2022), develops open-source wind electronics, and has been active in the SEPS wind-water pumping project. Tripalium coordinator Gaël serves as Maintenance Working Group coordinator.
• WindAid Institute (Peru)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Wind Empowerment member from Peru that has conducted multiple community wind workshops (Playa Blanca project), contributed fiberglass blade manufacturing techniques to the WE network, and participated in educational programmes.
• 500RPM (Argentina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Wind Empowerment member in Argentina that has led the Rural Development with Wind Energy Program in Patagonia, wind-water pumping activities, and participated in the SEPS project exchange.
• KAPEG (Kathmandu Alternative Power, Nepal)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Wind Empowerment member from Nepal that conducted the Nepal National Market Assessment in collaboration with Alfie Alsop, accessed ERIGrid transnational testing facilities, and implemented PV/Wind hybrid systems for rural health posts.
• Comet-ME (Palestine)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Wind Empowerment member from Palestine that has implemented small wind turbine projects (Shaeb al Buttum village electrification, October 2011) providing clean energy access in challenging contexts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WISIONS Initiative: WISIONS is WE's most significant historic funder and operates as a comparable mission-driven initiative supporting sustainable energy projects in developing countries. Both share a focus on small-scale, community-owned renewable energy deployment and overlap on funded projects such as SEPS and market assessments.
• Barefoot College: Barefoot College is a WE partner (hosting the WE Tanzania 2026 practical workshop at its Zanzibar campus) and shares WE's grassroots training model for rural renewable energy skills. Both train local practitioners — particularly from underserved communities — to deploy and maintain small-scale renewable energy systems using appropriate technology.
• Practical Action: Practical Action is an international NGO working on technology justice and energy access for poor communities in developing countries. It is directly comparable in mission, methodology (appropriate technology), and target beneficiary profile (rural off-grid communities), though its energy portfolio is broader and not wind-specific.
• Green Empowerment: Green Empowerment is a longtime WE financial partner and a peer organisation that supports small-scale renewable energy projects with rural and indigenous communities in the Global South. Both share an appropriate-technology, community-led model and overlapping geographic focus across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
• SELCO Foundation: SELCO Foundation focuses on sustainable energy access and livelihoods for underserved households in India and similar contexts, paralleling WE's rural electrification mission. While SELCO emphasises solar-based energy services, both organisations address productive uses of energy, financing models, and capacity building for last-mile communities.
• WindAid Institute: WindAid Institute is a WE member organisation that builds small wind turbines in Peru and other Latin American countries, sharing WE's open-source community-led approach. Both train local practitioners, deploy turbines in rural off-grid settings, and contribute to WE's collaborative knowledge base (e.g., fiberglass blade techniques).
• Energypedia: Energypedia is an open-access knowledge platform for the energy access community, comparable to WE's wiki and document library. Both serve as knowledge-sharing hubs for practitioners working on energy access in developing countries and host training resources, though Energypedia's scope is broader across all renewable technologies.
• Power for All: Power for All is an advocacy organisation promoting decentralised renewable energy to universalise energy access by 2030. It is directly comparable in mission framing — distributed, community-owned, small-scale renewables — though its focus is broader than wind and oriented more toward policy advocacy than technical deployment.
• Scoraig Wind Electric (Hugh Piggott): Scoraig Wind Electric is Hugh Piggott's own small wind business and the originator of the Piggott turbine design that underpins the entire WE network. It is the foundational peer: WE's open-source technology lineage traces directly to Scoraig, and Piggott remains a core inspiration for the network's approach.

Broad incumbents

• SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: SNV is a large international development organisation with a significant renewable energy access portfolio across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It overlaps with WE's rural energy access mission but operates at a much larger scale with broader thematic scope (agriculture, water, climate).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WindEmpowerment
• Facebookfacebook.com/WindEmpowerment
• Instagraminstagram.com/windempowerment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wind Empowerment