ABOUT US

Based in Tehachapi, California, the birthplace of the modern wind energy industry, HOME WINDPOWER is dedicated to making clean, renewable energy available to as many as possible for the benefit of all of us.

With experience that ranges from landmark industrial and residential installations, to pioneering promotion of wind energy, HOME WINDPOWER is built upon the applied skills and devotions of renewable energy professionals.

Guiding HOME WINDPOWER is Hank Zevallos, who was instrumental in getting Los Angeles County to do what many other wind professionals thought was impossible: raise their prohibitive 30 foot height limit and actively allow the installation of residential wind energy systems.

"It just didn't seem right to me that one of the nation's areas most blessed with good wind, would have to suffer high electric bills because of often extreme weather conditions," says Zevallos. "I was getting more calls from Los Angeles County than our own immediate area, and no one was doing anything about it because L.A. County was supposedly very anti-wind turbines."

"It was obvious to me that what was needed was some honest education about modern wind energy and the advantages it had to offer."

After discussing this with Sanford Miller, who then headed the California Energy Commission's Renewable Energies Program, Zevallos armed himself with a video tape that he shot from the foot of a 10 kW Bergey Excel tower, a letter from the CEC's Sandy Miller, and straight facts.

From May through October of 2000, he took his campaign directly to the people of rural northeastern Los Angeles County, speaking at scheduled meetings of all the various community Town Councils. He was also interviewed on radio, and by various local newspapers which often put his efforts on their front pages.

Demonstrating the need for modern wind energy that was not the noisy dangerous eyesores some thought it was, Zevallos was able to get citizens to vote in favor of raising height limits and making the installation of residential wind systems possible.

This led to L.A. County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich introducing this proposal before the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, which then asked the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission to look into the matter and make a recommendation. Accompanied by other wind energy experts, Zevallos testified twice before the Board of Supervisors, once before the Regional Planning Commission, and hosted a visit by L.A. County Regional Planning Commissioners to Tehachapi area 3 kW and 10 kW residential wind turbine installations. This led to the "impossible" happening, and L.A. County adopted measures that allow private small wind energy system installations.

By invitation, Zevallos has also testified in favor of wind energy before the California Energy Commission in Sacramento, and the Kern County Board of Supervisors. Recent efforts helped lead to an increase in CEC Renewable Energy Rebates for wind energy systems. Having also been interviewed by CNN for a special report, he is regularly asked to write newspaper articles about wind energy.

"This is something I really believe in," he explains. "For the sake of our environment and energy independence, it is something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life."

Jeffrey Kober supervises the technical operations of HOME WINDPOWER, working with select contractors to make sure the high quality of desired work is performed where ever HOME WINDPOWER is asked to assist in needed wind energy projects.

Having personally worked on many industrial wind farm and residential wind system installations, Kober is skilled with a decade of experience that includes industrial wind turbine manufacture, quality control, tech support, and various supervisory and management positions.

As a Safety & Compliance Supervisor, Kober has been responsible for all safety and OSHA related duties, as well as project compliance with local, state and federal regulations. He participated in construction on the FPL '99 Pacific Crest Project/ Cameron Ridge. His duties have included Met-Team leader and project coordinator for tower installations (50m NRG) at Cut Bank, and Hammon, OK.

His resume goes beyond the installation, maintenance and operation of various wind turbine generators including residential units from Southwest Windpower, Jacobs & Bergey, and larger commercial units by Vestas, NEG-Micon and Zond. It also includes G.E. Wind Energy assembly, QC, field operation, plus:

During the initial operation period for the windfarm (LB-1) located in Lake Benton, Minnesota, Jeff performed generator pre-service inspections and in-service change-outs as well as conducting gearbox inspections with vibration testing and analysis. The site, consisting of 143/ Z-48 wind turbines produces 107.25 megawatts.

In 2001 he traveled to Peetz, CO to conduct Quality Control Inspections with Project Manager Kevin Smith of Global Energy Concepts (a private consultant firm based in Washington state). The 29.7 Megawatt wind facility was the first U.S. installation of the NEG-Micon 900 series and consist of 33 turbines mounted atop 237 foot towers with 170-foot-long diameter rotors.

Jeff and Kevin teamed up again the following year and headed South to inspect a 20 MW wind farm located in Tierras Morenas, Costa Rica . The $35 million project consists of 32 NEG-Micon NM 750/44 kW wind turbines, a main switch house and an 11 mile long overhead feeder line constructed over extremely difficult terrain.

HOME WINDPOWER cares and has the background to prove it.

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