Our Team

Bret Benner
Mechanical Engineer

For Bret, working at AllEarth Renewables 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.

Bret’s personal mission is to lessen his dependence on fossil fuels on a professional and personal basis. At AllEarth Renewables, Bret is part of a team that masterminds mechanical solutions to a variety of design assignments on both the Earth Turbine and the AllSun Tracker. At home, he has a wood-fired hot tub, a solar tracker of his own design and a wood fired heating system. He rides his motorcycle or bicycle on a regular basis. His imprint on this planet is minimal.

Before joining AllEarth Renewables, 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.