Thomas seeks inspiration by experimenting with wooden models of windmills.	Thomas is familiar with every detail of windmill production, and often works directly with staff in the workshop.	The American can often be seen zipping around Wuhan on his motorbike.

NO! This type of screw should never be used!” says Thomas R. Conlon to a worker. Strict and zealous, this American professor (Chinese name Kang Deming) is in China to help bring windmill technology to rural residents. “Though this kind of screw won’t harm the machine, we haven’t tested it,” Thomas explains to the worker in broken Chinese. “It would be irresponsible to our customers if problems emerge in the future.” The incident is indicative of Conlon’s high standards and dedication.

Though there is evidence that windmills were invented in China, the nation doesn’t take full advantage of wind technology at present. It’s for this reason that Thomas gave up his comfortable life and prestigious position as a professor at the University of Hawaii to help establish modern windmill technology in the PRC. He now lives in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province in central China.

Thomas first became interested in wind technology after seeing a windmill-powered water pump in the American desert. Over the years he has become an expert in the field. Part of the challenge he faces introducing wind power to China is changing attitudes. Unlike most people in the West these days, the majority of Chinese farmers regard windmills as a backward form of technology – many regard them as little more than a form of rural adornment. “As a matter of fact, the non-polluting windmill is an ideal way to pump water and generate electricity, especially in impoverished areas,” claims Thomas.

The American has contributed to windmill projects in a range of remote regions. A wind-operated water pump in Dachishan Township, Weihui City in Henan Province, for example, gives local farmers access to clean drinking water. Windmills aren’t only useful in rural locales, however. Thomas has also established a windmill water pump in an urban residential district, recycling water from the area’s man-made brook.

Thomas is always looking for new challenges – he regards life as a windmill that continuously blows fresh air. A keen photographer, he is often found on the streets of Wuhan with his camera. He has snapped over 5,000 pictures during his three years in the city, and knows his way around better than local taxi drivers. His Japanese-born wife initially thought developing windmills in China was a crazy idea, but instantly fell in love with the country when she arrived. As well as building windmills, Thomas and his wife are now raising their 16-year-old son as a future “China hand.”