Vamos a Regresar a Nicaragua Mañana

So today is the big day. We leave at about 3 am for the Detroit airport and are flying out at 6 am. Today is a bit of a scramble collecting any final materials or supplies we may need over the next few months. I'll be picking up some flange bearings, loop terminal connections, and some 10 AWG wire. It always seems the case when dealing with this project that when in doubt -- buy two of everything. It was comical the number of times during our last stay down there that we would be short two tiny items like washers or bolts and would have to wait until we returned to Chinandega to purchase more.

So our plan is to arrive in Managua around 1 pm and catch a local bus to Chinandega where we will stay the night at our favorite hotel San Cristobal. Then we'll run around the city the next day collecting food, building materials, and household items. It will be nice to see the confused faces of the men working at the hardware stores once again - for anyone who hasn't been to a Nica hardware store before they are fantastic -- exactly the way a hardware store should be. You can find virtually anything you would need for building and there is only one aisle. Hundreds of items zip-tied to the walls from tools to wire connections its all there.

Anyways, wish us luck as we pack our bags and prepare for the second term of work at the Venecia Wind Energy Research Center.

¡Vamanos!

       The Venecia Wind Energy Research Centre, or VWERC, began in October of 2010. Named after the remote village of its location, the centre recently undertook a project involving the construction and use of an affordable, practical vertical-axis wind turbine that will eventually power a charging station for the residents of Venecia, Nicaragua.

       Venecia is located in the department of Chinandega in the northwestern area of the country. The picturesque departamento is comprised of rolling lowlands, volcanoes, and estuaries. The village of Venecia, approximately 75 families in size, is located adjacent to the Padre Ramos estuary which contains an ecosystem that is crucial for the migration and breeding of over one hundred species of birds, and is home to numerous other species.

      The extremely remote location of Venecia enables the area to retain its pristine environment and viability for sustainable agriculture. However, this remoteness has greatly limited the potential for connecting to the national grid of electricity. Rather than perpetually wait for a connection to this expensive and unreliable power grid, a group of young Canadians have an answer to the dilemma of providing affordable, reliable, and clean electricity -- wind turbines.

      The Canadians are four recent graduates from the University of Windsor, consisting of various academic disciplines: mechanical & civil engineering, business, and history & music.  We had ventured to Venecia at the beginning of October and remained in the country for 71 days. When we were not touring other parts of Nicaragua we were able to live in a friend's house that was recently built near the beach. We eventually designated this house the temporary headquarters of the research centre. We are very grateful to our friend for the use of this house, as its position in the heart of Venecia has enabled us to become quite immersed in the community and has made this project entirely more possible.

       During those 71 days a vertical-axis wind turbine was built, erected, and observed to be fully-functional when connected to the existing off-grid system at the house. Unfortunately due to our schedules we had to return to Canada before extensive testing could be complete. However, as of January 12th, 2011 two of the Canadians -- Kyle Bassett and Jessica Mills, are returning to Venecia to complete more testing, research, and construction. All the while we hope to keep enjoying life, Nicaraguan style!