Internship Renewable Energy Wind Turbines On Site

WindAid projects provide electricity to remote communities utilising wind energy to provide a clean and reliable source of energy in locations where traditional electricity is not available.

• Why is our project important

Access to electricity is a necessity for the quality of life of any human being living today. Many of us don’t even think twice about turning on the light switch in our homes, but energy poverty severely limits the ability and opportunity for those without access to electricity to thrive. We want to change that.

A large part of this population is located in rural areas that do not yet have the support of the Peruvian government.

The people most in need of access to energy in Peru live in remote, rural locations. Due to the difficulties and costs to connect to traditional power grids, 37% of people in these communities have never had electricity in their homes. It is these communities we strive to work with and ensure that they can enjoy the benefits of a life changing resource.

• What is the program about?

With our engineering program, you will gain hands-on work engineer experience while helping these communities to have access to electricity.

Anyone will be able to learn and to participate in building a wind turbine from scratch following all steps of designing, building, and installing a turbine.

You will be part of an international team with participants from all over the world. You will be also constantly in contact with locals and will have the opportunity to fully immerse in the culture.

• How will be your environment?

Our workshop is based in Trujillo, a city situated on the northern coast of Peru. The country’s third most populous city, it has some excellent prehispanic archeological sites to visit, as well as the Historic Center that dates back from the colonial era.

Trujillo is also 30 minutes away form Huanchaco, a popular beach recognized as one of the best places in the world to catch a wave. 

Most importantly, you will travel the country to install the turbines you have built. Either in the mountains or in remote coastal fishing villages in the desert… you will have the chance to discover all the beauty of Peru’s most impressive landscape.

• What do we expect from our participants?

There’s no requirement to have any engineering background. We have students and professionals coming from all over the world. We welcome participants with different backgrounds and we will adapt the project to your experience and what you want to achieve with us.

Participants with an engineering background can also come with their own personal engineering project to help us improving our wind turbines.

We usually ask participants to work from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Below is how your schedule will be with us :

7:00am-9:00am: Begin your morning with a fresh start doing any sports you would like Jogging / Yoga / Surfing.. you will then enjoy a nice Breakfast before starting work.

9:00am-12:30pm: It’s workshop time! Every Monday morning the team explains the plan for the week and makes sure that everyone has a task to do to contribute to the project.

12:30pm-1:30pm: Lunch time! We go to restaurants not far from the workshop and you will have the chance to pick any Peruvian dish that you’d like!

1:30pm-5:00pm: We return to work, before leaving and returning home we like to organise everything in order (except Fridays, we usually finish after lunch)

5:00pm: Time to relax and to do whatever you want! There are plenty of activities that you can do in Trujillo or Huanchaco (beach of the city), from getting classes of dancing or sports, to just having a walk in the historical centre or just having fun with friends in the city.

During your first weeks in the workshop, you will be working and learning with your fellow peers about sustainable energy. This is a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience on mechanical engineering but also to learn how to work among a team on a common project.

The final days, we will go to the community to install the Wind Turbine. Working together with the community, we will be educating them on how the Wind Turbine works and how to maintain it. This is a fantastic way to see your impact you make and immerse yourself in  Peru’s culture.

Immerse yourself in the Peruvian culture.

If you’d like to get really involved in the city you’re staying in, we also have excellent links with other local volunteer organizations, who are always happy to welcome you in some of their projects, or just show you around as you explore the city!

Entertainment in the city everyday!

In the city, there are a wide variety of salsa or bachata schools to try or gyms to keep you in shape, whilst Trujillo has two multiplex cinemas, showing a range of English and Spanish language films, from Hollywood to arthouse cinema.

Peruvians love to party as well! You can always find something happening and a place to dance, from the main city to the beach.

Explore prehispanic culture

The area surrounding Trujillo boasts some incredible history, such as Chan Chan, the largest city of the pre-Columbian era in South America. The local ruins are a great short-getaway for an adventure and the team will always be there to advise you on your travels!

Catch some waves or relax on the beach!