Solar Enterprises
Winamac, Indiana
Small-Scale Wind
$15,375 Grant
2009
Glen White found that his 35-acre farm in northern Indiana could be a prime location for renewable energy growth. REAP provided the seed that allowed his family’s business to grow during a recession.
Mr. White is now in the solar and wind power business in addition to livestock and construction. Glen first tried solar water heating on his farmstead, using evacuated tube collectors, with success. He decided solar was ready for the market and has been selling and installing solar systems for years for several years.
By the way his flag snapped in the breeze Glen knew he also had a wind energy resource he could tap. He made a winter project out of researching wind power resources around the world. Ultimately, Glen decided to purchase a Bergey 10 kw wind turbine. A local metal fabricator built the tower and is now ready to make more.
The wind turbine has performed as well as the solar, producing enough power to meet the electricity needs of his Indiana farmstead. And the construction and energy businesses have created more employment for him and his workers to fill out the year.
Investing in a new venture in early 2009 was risky given the dire economic conditions. REAP incentives made his wind turbine feasible. Glen has since plowed his clean energy savings back into growing a clean energy enterprise.
“We can see steady growth in this field but we need to educate people on the possibilities,” said Glen.