Mitchell County, IA- We're seeing more and more signs of renewable energy projects sprouting up across North Iowa and Southern Minnesota.
Now farmers in our area are utilizing green energy projects on a smaller scale.
Jim Koenigs owns two typical Midwest hog buildings just west of McIntyre, IA, but starting this week, the electricity powering the machinery to keep these pigs fed and warm is a little greener thanks to two newly installed wind turbines.
"These sites use about 4,000 kw a month and it's a pretty steady demand and these two turbines should produce about 80 to 90 percent of what the site needs," Koenigs said.
He plans on installing 20 kilowatt turbines at four other sites he owns.
The idea came from Keith Heimer who owns Klapperich Farm Systems in Stacyville, IA.
"There is a lot of interest first of all in wind technology there's also a lot of misconceptions at what's available and product and incentives," Heimer said.
Heimer says each turbine produces 20,000 kilowatts a year. Each one costs about $40,000 to install.
He figures it's producing enough power to pay itself back within roughly seven years. He says it's good news for farmers losing money on hog production.
“In any business whether its agriculture or commercial good times or bad you should be looking to exploit your profits," Heimer said.
Koenigs qualified for federal grants and tax credits that are providing about half of the project's cost.
Both Heimer and Koenigs say they won't work for everyone, you first need quality wind.
Ironically the day we decided to venture up to the usually windy part of Mitchell County we didn't have the required 6 mile per hour wind speeds to see Jim’s turbines spinning, the commercial turbines in the area weren't spinning either.
But when the wind starts blowing, like it usually does in this area, Koenigs will start reaping the green benefits, and he thinks others will follow.
"People will see the same things and people have the same circumstances that we have which motivated us, a lot of people have them they just need to be more ware that this opportunity is available," he said.
Both Koenigs and Heimer say you don't want to produce more power than you consume. They say power companies have to pay you for excess electricity production, but it's not enough to cover the cost of installing a turbine.
