Our Team

Bret Benner
Mechanical Engineer

For Bret, working at Earth Turbines puts him closer to his passion of designing and constructing wind turbines. At the age of 11 he built his first wind turbine with his grandfather in their New Haven shed. Constructed of wood blades and a car alternator, his first turbine was built and rebuilt until he determined the proper gear ratios to spin the alternator and produce electricity for his TV and stereo.

Today, Bret continues to express his passion for electro-mechanical projects on a professional and personal basis. His latest projects include building his own electric vehicle, which he drives to work on clear days, and a robotic 4-wheel-drive rover, an exploration vehicle designed to move across difficult terrain.

Before joining Earth Turbines, Bret worked for NRG Systems, a manufacturer of wind energy measurement systems, as a mechanical engineering technician. He previously worked for Tensolite, formerly Vemco, for 11 years as an engineering technician, and for two years as an engineer technician at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. Bret received an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering from Vermont Technical College.