Mike Leonard began his career in alternative energy at the age of 14 when he designed, cast and fabricated a Pelton turbine hydro plant to power his grandfather's cabin at Silver City, Idaho. After taking a few years off to complete his formal education Mike began privately building diesel generators for telecommunications sites. In the course of repairing dysfunctional solar installations for his diesel clients he found himself repeatedly "building a better mousetrap." In 1985 Aurora Power & Design was formed as a full-service, alternative power generation company in Boise, Idaho. By the end of 2008, Mike and his Aurora team had over 2000 systems up and running. Projects range from 1/4 Watt to over 1 Megawatt of power generation provided by means of solar, wind, hydro, thermal and hybrid systems. Mike Leonard has become a recognized expert throughout the NorthWest Region of the Country and is often asked to consult by both public and private concerns.