Success Story

AWEA (American Wind Energy Association)
Small Wind Success Story

Illinois Farmer Can't Stop at Just One Turbine

Ashton, IL – Jim Kohlert loved his 1kW small wind turbine so much that he added a second 3 kW wind turbine on his 3-acre farm in Ashton, Illinois. “Since I moved out here in 1995, I kept thinking to myself: ‘Boy is it windy,’” says Kohlert.

“I got into wind power as a hobby, a fun project to give me something to do. I always had a dream about building my own wind turbine. Then, as I got older, I began to change my way of thinking. Why not just buy one?”

Kohlert wanted his small wind turbine to blend in with the rustic character of rural Illinois. He placed his first machine on top of a 50-foot tower he salvaged from an old wind water pumper he found lying on the ground a few miles from his home. Nine months later, in February, 2003, Kohlert went further, adding a second small wind turbine on a 65-foot tower next to his first wind generator.

He isn’t exactly sure how much the two turbines have reduced his electricity costs because he keeps adding new electricity loads (such as a hot tub), has incorporated energy efficiency measures such as better light bulbs, and has added a solar photovoltaic array. Kohlert estimates that his 4 kW of wind and 3.6 kW of solar generation reduce his electricity costs by half.

Interestingly enough, Kohlert has discovered that the second, larger, 3kW wind turbine cranks out about 10 times as much electricity as the first 1kW wind turbine in low wind speeds. The smaller wind turbine doesn’t pick up momentum until wind speeds get stronger, he notes.

Kohlert says his turbines have received no complaints from the local community. “My neighbors love it, love watching it, and love renewable energy,” he says.

Adapted from AWEA Article