If you want to build your own renewable energy project then the case study by Rod McGregor Mann is essential reading. His home build project earned second place in the 2013 'Eta' Energy Savings Awards held recently in Johannesburg.

The LE-300 provides essential power for this award-winnig renewable energy project

'We were up against a lot of people who were a darned sight more clued up than us such as Energy Consultants and Engineers! And us? I'm a semi retired TV writer and my wife worked mostly in the wine industry; energy boffins we are certainly not' say Rod.

'At the heart of it are three energy saving things: Our Leading Edge wind turbine set-up our solar geyser and our brains! Every thing we have tried has been added incrementally and we watch the consumption like hawks. The cheapest energy unit is the one you DON'T use! The quantitative results that were examined and verified by the Eta Award people show that our grid power consumption has run consistently at 68kwh per month for the past 12 months at a cost to us of ZAR55.00 per month (GBP 3.95 / USD 6.00 / Euro 4.15).'

Read the case study...