CHEYENNE -- Michael Crook describes himself as an “alternative energy hobbyist.”

But his pastime could eliminate your monthly utility bills.

Beginning June 24, he will lead a second round of Laramie County Community College classes focused on residential alternative energy. The non-credit life enrichment course allows participants to learn about energy options and how to get started.

“Making your own power -- there’s a neat feeling to it,” Crook said.

His home off of South Greeley Highway features a 42-foot windmill, solar panels and solar heat collectors. The combination generates about 1,000 kilowatt hours a month, and Crook uses half of that. He also earns utility credits for the extra energy he produces, since he remains connected to the electricity transmission grid.

Every Wyoming utility company offers net metering, allowing customers to sell back their energy excess, said Rob Morris, manager of energy services at Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power. Participants are paid a wholesale energy rate for power that is put back into the system.

“Some months they will use more of our electricity, and other months they will use more of theirs,” he said. Morris added that Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power had about five customers who fell into this category in March. Today, about 12 customers generate some kind of renewable energy. He said the company also collects about one serious inquiry each week from other customers.

Crook said while he leads LCCC’s alternative energy course, he is not a teacher or an engineer. But he is someone who learned how to install these systems on his own.

He put up solar panels on his home in California, and when he moved to Cheyenne five years ago, he decided to continue pursuing alternative energy.

“This is the perfect environment,” he said. “There is lots of wind and sun.”

The windmill and solar panels cover his household energy needs, while the solar heat collectors provide a steady supply of hot water. But this is not a project for everyone. It does take time and money.

Crook’s solar panels cost $12,600, while the windmill totaled $9,000. The price tag also increases if homeowners hire extra help, and alternative energy assistance isn’t always easy to find. But the systems could pay for themselves after 10 to 15 years of virtually nonexistent utility bills.

He said people who are still interested should start by designing a system to meet their energy needs. He encourages class members to bring in proposed projects and share what they’ve learned. Once homeowners determine what they want, the next steps are to buy the equipment and possibly hire professional contractors.

Crook said most of what he learned was through his own research. While he was familiar with solar panels, he didn’t add the windmill until a year ago. It was difficult finding a home-sized unit that could handle Wyoming’s stronger wind speeds.

He added that while wind power provides more bang for the buck, these systems have more moving parts. This means there is more potential for something to go wrong.

“If you want to put something up and not think about it, maybe go with solar instead,” Crook said.

His last class attracted 35 participants and a waiting list equally long, said Veronica Pedersen, community liaison for Workforce and Community Development at LCCC. People can sign up for the summer session up to June 24, but it’s likely a third round will be added if interest remains high.