The kite engineer striving to revolutionise DIY wind power

Could portable spinning kites offer a greener solution to generating electricity?

Inventor Rod Read has spent more than a decade pioneering “turbine kite” technology on Scotland’s islands.

Gusts of wind rotate lightweight kite blades connected to a ground generator - offering a cheap and portable alternative to traditional static turbines.

Rod builds the “mesmerising” devices by hand using lightweight fabrics. In testing he's been able to charge his electric van with the system.

Video by Morgan Spence

Footage: Windswept and Interesting, external