The residents of Gatuamba village in Nyeri have embraced green energy with wind power systems supplying them with power. These wind power systems, installed as backup power, in their homes is the idea of Dalton Mathenge, a jua Kali artisan who stays in Naromoru, four kilometers from Gatuamba village.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Education and starting his business
Dalton pursued a certificate in metal work and welding at Laikipia Polytechnic. He joined a garage workshop before establishing his own company. Today, he runs Dalton Green Energy Kenya.
The company went from making chain link fencing materials, posho mills and automobile repairs to constructing wind power energy systems.
Construction of the wind turbine
The innovator’s inspiration was as a result of growing up without electricity. Electricity reached his village in 2019 thanks to the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (Rerec).
He had unsuccessfully tried to work on a wind powered system until 2016 when his luck changed. Students from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands paid a visit to his jua Kali workshop in Naromoru.
They informed him they were collecting motor vehicle spare parts to assemble a wind power energy project for their final examination. Upon showing them his unfinished wind turbine, they promised to help.
They were able to get Ksh20 million funding from a global environmental organization. After a year of hard work, the project was completed and tested locally.
When the students returned home, he was left with the requisite skills to undertake the project on his own. His first client was a UK-based Kenyan with a home in Naromoru.
The client had planned to import the needed materials and hire a technician until he encountered Dalton. He designed the system at a cost of about Ksh200,000 and presented it to the client. Since then, he has gained numerous clients due to referrals.
How it works
Speaking to Daily Nation, he said his innovation is no different from modern wind turbine. It is made up of a metal tower, blades formed from hardwood, and an alternator generator made of magnets and kept inside the base of the wind turbines.
A tail that controls the direction of the blades rotation is fitted into the turbines. The blades are connected to a shaft that is connected to the generator.
When the blades turn, the shaft also turns thus releasing mechanical energy. The turbine is connected to a control room that optimizes and managed the electrical power received from the wind.
The shaft turns a number of magnets around a coil of wire in the generator making it produce electrical energy that goes into the control room.
The 55-year-old told the local daily that the energy in the control room is converted into direct current which can be preserved in batteries for use at later time.
Excess energy is automatically converted back into alternating current that can be used by appliances in a home. The turbines, which produce 1000 watts of electricity each, have no noise.
Clients and Opportunities
The current turbulent electric power that consists of very expensive prices and power outages has worked to his advantage. He charges Ksh350,000 for the installation of the wind turbines. His clients include technical and vocational colleges, ranchers in Laikipia, hotels and large scale farmers.
Prior to installation, he conducts a site visit to identify a viable location for the turbine. He said the location needs to have consistent and strong winds with speeds of three meters per second or more. He also puts into account the population of birds as they could intersect with migratory flight paths and spinning blades risking their lives.
The innovation had opened him up to a lot of opportunities. He has been invited to teach engineering students at Strathmore University and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.
Though yet to be certified, he is working with the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute to ensure the innovation is at par with national standards. He has also applied for intellectual rights property registration through the Kenya Industrial Property Institute.
