| Department Heads | Curriculum | Sponsors |
2012 Fellows
2012 Department Heads
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John Anderson |
Steve Berens |
Eric Drummond |
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Wayne Greenberg |
Sam Jaffe |
Jeff Lints |
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Andy Minden |
Robert Welch |
Debra Wilcox |
2012 Curriculum
| Foundational Curriculum
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Advanced Transportation Curriculum
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| Capstone Project Curriculum
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Clean Energy Generation Curriculum
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| Energy Efficiency and Building Technologies Curriculum
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Storage Technologies Curriculum
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| Technology Transfer Curriculum
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2012 Sponsors
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Henry Mouton
Fort Collins, CO
Former COO and Director of Sustainability at the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant Henry Mouton is an environmentally focused senior executive with over twenty years experience in development, planning, branding and launch of six hospitality ventures. Although he holds a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin, Henry is passionate about clean energy and sustainable practices. As COO, Director of Sustainability of the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant chain, Henry guided the company in doubling its size in five years to its current six locations in Colorado. He also helped launch the new upscale, Oaxacan inspired restaurant in Fort Collins, El Monte Grill and Lounge. With expertise in operations, management, and organizational development, Henry oversaw 7 business locations and 550 employees. As the company grew, he conceived and implemented a decentralized management structure, empowering area managers to make business decisions in the areas of finance, staff development, and marketing. As lead in organizational development he directed he administrative offices, with direct responsibility of IT, HR, and operations. He was a member of the advisory board, participating in the visioning and in strategic planning. As Sustainability Director, Henry oversaw the development and implementation of environmental policy and procedures for the company. He initiated the creating of a sustainability management system, and completed foundational work on the program. The company was awarded platinum level rating for their environmental sustainability program, and achieved “green vendor” certification for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. They also support green power by offsetting 100% of the electricity used in the restaurants.
Fort Collins, CO
Former COO and Director of Sustainability at the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant Henry Mouton is an environmentally focused senior executive with over twenty years experience in development, planning, branding and launch of six hospitality ventures. Although he holds a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin, Henry is passionate about clean energy and sustainable practices. As COO, Director of Sustainability of the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant chain, Henry guided the company in doubling its size in five years to its current six locations in Colorado. He also helped launch the new upscale, Oaxacan inspired restaurant in Fort Collins, El Monte Grill and Lounge. With expertise in operations, management, and organizational development, Henry oversaw 7 business locations and 550 employees. As the company grew, he conceived and implemented a decentralized management structure, empowering area managers to make business decisions in the areas of finance, staff development, and marketing. As lead in organizational development he directed he administrative offices, with direct responsibility of IT, HR, and operations. He was a member of the advisory board, participating in the visioning and in strategic planning. As Sustainability Director, Henry oversaw the development and implementation of environmental policy and procedures for the company. He initiated the creating of a sustainability management system, and completed foundational work on the program. The company was awarded platinum level rating for their environmental sustainability program, and achieved “green vendor” certification for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. They also support green power by offsetting 100% of the electricity used in the restaurants.
“One of the things that I like about being in this space is that I get to work with like-minded people and nearly everyone I run into is passionate about what they’re doing. At a base level, we’re all similar in that way because it’s so necessary and it’s incredibly interesting.”
Focus on the Fellows:
Interview with Henry Mouton
With over half of the Cleantech Fellows Institute curriculum completed, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the Fellows and the progress they have made to date. This first installment of our Focus on the Fellows looks at Henry Mouton, a successful Fort Collins businessman with 26 years of experience in the restaurant industry and a deep passion for sustainability. On track for an engineering career in the oil industry, Henry took a class his senior year called “Ethics of Engineering.” This class illuminated the challenges between the oil companies and the environment and came to be the catalyst in his shift of focus away from traditional energy development and towards environmental stewardship. The second career-altering event came soon after he graduated, with an invitation from his older twin brothers to move to Colorado to ski for a season and help out at their newly founded Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant. Whether it was the great snow or the Rio’s impressive success, Henry stayed longer than a year, 26 to be precise, becoming the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Sustainability while the Rio grew to 8 locations, employing 575 Coloradans at its peak. Having recently retired from the Rio, Henry notes only one regret - that he would have devoted even more of his efforts towards corporate sustainability earlier in his career. The experienced restaurant businessman is now returning to technology, specifically to cleantech. In this industry, he believes that determination is the key attribute for an individual to succeed and his environmental emphasis is Henry’s main motivator. “For me, reducing my carbon footprint is critical, so I think that’s the biggest driver for me. I think that can be my biggest contribution.” Since being in the Cleantech Fellows Institute program, he views energy efficiency and building technologies as the most promising area in cleantech, short-term, because many of our buildings are at the age where retrofits are needed, regardless of whether clean technologies are integrated or not. He cites notable examples such as the Empire State Building retrofit, and locally, the Byron Rogers Federal Building retrofit, which the Fellows Institute toured in late October. In these cases, developers were able to take advantage of new financing strategies and better ROI’s to make energy efficiency plays attractive and economical. Energy efficiency can also be increased by behavioral modifications, which companies such as Green Button and Tendril emphasize. Henry believes the nation is moving in the right direction in terms of accepting cleantech, but wishes the industry wasn’t labeled as a high-risk venture for investors. He says, “The way I see it is, if it’s a great idea and if you have the right people at the table, then you’re going to end up with a successful company. So whether it’s cleantech or not, the basic tenets apply.” Henry’s capstone project for the Fellows Institute is a low energy, low water usage system for growing local, organic leafy microgreens, using LED’s as the main technology. LED’s require little energy, they emit low amounts of heat, which helps with low water usage, and they only use blue and red frequencies, the two frequencies that plants need. While short growth cycles for the targeted microgreens adhere to the low energy, low water goal, Henry hopes to eventually expand into larger greens as well. Henry has also gained building-technology inspiration from a tour of a near-zero energy greenhouse built by Boulder company, Synergistic Building Technologies. By using concentrators to bring in and distribute heat and sunlight, the company created an extremely efficient building envelope while using minimal glazing. Even when Colorado’s temperatures dip to below freezing, the greenhouse still measures 55°F. Henry is well aware that the restaurant industry is one of the highest commercial energy users, in terms of energy density per square foot. He has long-term goals in pursuing energy efficiency in the restaurant industry, and his current venture seems like a great starting place. The Fort Collins native’s excitement for what he is pursuing and enjoyment of the industry is contagious. “It is one of the things that I like about being in this space; I get to work with like-minded people and almost everybody that I run into is very passionate about what they’re doing.” Henry is pleased that his involvement in the cleantech space has become an inspiration for others. “Since I’ve been in this program, I’ve had at least 5 acquaintances, who have been executives in other businesses for a long time, hear what I’m doing and they say, ‘Yeah, I want to do that too; I want to figure out how I can play a bigger part in making a brighter future.’” He also graciously gives credit to the Cleantech Fellows Institute saying, “We’ve been exposed to such great people, an amazing array of technologies and an incredible wealth information. The quality of the presenters and the quality of the volunteers is just so critical to our success through the program.” We’re glad to have him with us.
Interview with Henry Mouton
With over half of the Cleantech Fellows Institute curriculum completed, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the Fellows and the progress they have made to date. This first installment of our Focus on the Fellows looks at Henry Mouton, a successful Fort Collins businessman with 26 years of experience in the restaurant industry and a deep passion for sustainability. On track for an engineering career in the oil industry, Henry took a class his senior year called “Ethics of Engineering.” This class illuminated the challenges between the oil companies and the environment and came to be the catalyst in his shift of focus away from traditional energy development and towards environmental stewardship. The second career-altering event came soon after he graduated, with an invitation from his older twin brothers to move to Colorado to ski for a season and help out at their newly founded Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant. Whether it was the great snow or the Rio’s impressive success, Henry stayed longer than a year, 26 to be precise, becoming the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Sustainability while the Rio grew to 8 locations, employing 575 Coloradans at its peak. Having recently retired from the Rio, Henry notes only one regret - that he would have devoted even more of his efforts towards corporate sustainability earlier in his career. The experienced restaurant businessman is now returning to technology, specifically to cleantech. In this industry, he believes that determination is the key attribute for an individual to succeed and his environmental emphasis is Henry’s main motivator. “For me, reducing my carbon footprint is critical, so I think that’s the biggest driver for me. I think that can be my biggest contribution.” Since being in the Cleantech Fellows Institute program, he views energy efficiency and building technologies as the most promising area in cleantech, short-term, because many of our buildings are at the age where retrofits are needed, regardless of whether clean technologies are integrated or not. He cites notable examples such as the Empire State Building retrofit, and locally, the Byron Rogers Federal Building retrofit, which the Fellows Institute toured in late October. In these cases, developers were able to take advantage of new financing strategies and better ROI’s to make energy efficiency plays attractive and economical. Energy efficiency can also be increased by behavioral modifications, which companies such as Green Button and Tendril emphasize. Henry believes the nation is moving in the right direction in terms of accepting cleantech, but wishes the industry wasn’t labeled as a high-risk venture for investors. He says, “The way I see it is, if it’s a great idea and if you have the right people at the table, then you’re going to end up with a successful company. So whether it’s cleantech or not, the basic tenets apply.” Henry’s capstone project for the Fellows Institute is a low energy, low water usage system for growing local, organic leafy microgreens, using LED’s as the main technology. LED’s require little energy, they emit low amounts of heat, which helps with low water usage, and they only use blue and red frequencies, the two frequencies that plants need. While short growth cycles for the targeted microgreens adhere to the low energy, low water goal, Henry hopes to eventually expand into larger greens as well. Henry has also gained building-technology inspiration from a tour of a near-zero energy greenhouse built by Boulder company, Synergistic Building Technologies. By using concentrators to bring in and distribute heat and sunlight, the company created an extremely efficient building envelope while using minimal glazing. Even when Colorado’s temperatures dip to below freezing, the greenhouse still measures 55°F. Henry is well aware that the restaurant industry is one of the highest commercial energy users, in terms of energy density per square foot. He has long-term goals in pursuing energy efficiency in the restaurant industry, and his current venture seems like a great starting place. The Fort Collins native’s excitement for what he is pursuing and enjoyment of the industry is contagious. “It is one of the things that I like about being in this space; I get to work with like-minded people and almost everybody that I run into is very passionate about what they’re doing.” Henry is pleased that his involvement in the cleantech space has become an inspiration for others. “Since I’ve been in this program, I’ve had at least 5 acquaintances, who have been executives in other businesses for a long time, hear what I’m doing and they say, ‘Yeah, I want to do that too; I want to figure out how I can play a bigger part in making a brighter future.’” He also graciously gives credit to the Cleantech Fellows Institute saying, “We’ve been exposed to such great people, an amazing array of technologies and an incredible wealth information. The quality of the presenters and the quality of the volunteers is just so critical to our success through the program.” We’re glad to have him with us.
“Since I’ve been in this program, I’ve had at least five acquaintances in C-level positions at non-cleantech businesses hear what I’m doing and they say, ‘Yes! I want to do that too. I want to figure out how I can play a bigger part in making a brighter future.’”
Duer Reeves
Boulder, CO
Former Senior Director of Marketing and Customer Operations at Sun Microsystems and Managing Director of GreenLite Labs Duer is currently a member of the founding team and serves as Managing Director of GreenLite Labs, a Boulder based, mentorship driven seed-stage investment program for cleanweb, smart grid, and smart infrastructure startups. GreenLite Labs will fund 8-10 companies per year and match them with successful cleantech entrepreneurs and investors. From 1998- 2010 Duer held numerous positions at Sun Microsystems. As Senior Director, Market and Customer Operations, he created and delivered an integrated 360 degree view of all Sun customers and partners, and used this capability to inform corporate strategy, field resourcing strategy, marketing campaigns, and annual account planning while driving short term revenue attainment. He built a web-based customer intelligence delivery platform to securely reach nearly 1,000 employees worldwide. Prior to this he transformed transactional service data in to a set of global, consistent, trusted metrics, analysis and reporting for Sun's $3 billion/year Services business. Duer was instrumental in aligning Sun’s market and operations personnel and intellectual property with Oracle’s go-forward business strategy. Duer holds a B.A. in Political Philosophy and Mathematics and an MBA from The Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Boulder, CO
Former Senior Director of Marketing and Customer Operations at Sun Microsystems and Managing Director of GreenLite Labs Duer is currently a member of the founding team and serves as Managing Director of GreenLite Labs, a Boulder based, mentorship driven seed-stage investment program for cleanweb, smart grid, and smart infrastructure startups. GreenLite Labs will fund 8-10 companies per year and match them with successful cleantech entrepreneurs and investors. From 1998- 2010 Duer held numerous positions at Sun Microsystems. As Senior Director, Market and Customer Operations, he created and delivered an integrated 360 degree view of all Sun customers and partners, and used this capability to inform corporate strategy, field resourcing strategy, marketing campaigns, and annual account planning while driving short term revenue attainment. He built a web-based customer intelligence delivery platform to securely reach nearly 1,000 employees worldwide. Prior to this he transformed transactional service data in to a set of global, consistent, trusted metrics, analysis and reporting for Sun's $3 billion/year Services business. Duer was instrumental in aligning Sun’s market and operations personnel and intellectual property with Oracle’s go-forward business strategy. Duer holds a B.A. in Political Philosophy and Mathematics and an MBA from The Thunderbird School of Global Management.
“During the program, I have made contacts with organizations such as the Colorado Motor Carriers Association and the Colorado DOT; with weather companies active in Colorado; with lawyers and attorneys that have deep expertise in policy, regulation, and liability; with entrepreneurs that are skilled in manufacturing and systems development; and with entrepreneurs who are very savvy in the steps required to start a business, positioning it for long term success.”
Focus on the Fellows:
Interview with Duer Reeves
In this installment of our Focus on the Fellows 2012 series, we look to New Jersey native and Boulder resident, Duer Reeves. With a BA in Political Science from Williams College and an MBA in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management, Duer’s background lies mainly in computer systems, spending the majority of his career in various roles at Sun Microsystems, a developer of enterprise computer systems. Aided by Sun’s supportive internal learning and development culture, Duer moved among the company’s divisions from finance to manufacturing operations and planning, to marketing, and then to services. His last move to the services division came with a change in location, which brought the Bay Area resident to Boulder, Colorado where he helped Sun open a new office. When Oracle acquired the company in 2010, Duer decided to branch out on his own and take his passion for large data and analytics with him. The ensuing years as a planning and strategy consultant were where his interest in cleantech really began. Cleantech appealed to Duer because he recognized the application of his vast experience at Sun to the cleantech industry; he saw an abundance of data produced by the cleantech infrastructure but little actual application of the data. “I learned by working at Sun that you can take data that traditionally has been a byproduct, in Sun’s case it was the data from the transactions system, and apply it to increase efficiency and make a profit.” Duer immersed himself in Colorado’s ecosystem of VC’s and executives, and launched GreenLite Labs, a local business accelerator for web mobile internet companies that are engaged in the transportation or energy industries. Around this time, Duer met Wayne Greenberg, Director of the Cleantech Fellows Institute and Chris Shapard, Executive Director of CCIA, the parent organization of the Cleantech Fellows Institute. Through his participation in the Fellows Institute, it became clear to Duer that the program provided unprecedented insight into the cleantech industry and its opportunities, so he and his associates decided to put GreenLite Labs on the backburner so that he could focus on his capstone project. Duer’s project focuses on the intersection of cleantech and large data, creating a company called WeatherCloud. The concept is based on the vehicle translator initiative at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which is designed to treat cars and trucks on the road as mobile weather sensors. It will then take the data, interpret it, and gain insight into the conditions of the road. WeatherCloud aims to significantly decrease highway-related mortality and increase the overall efficiency and safety of the transportation infrastructure. Duer has incredible faith in large data and cleantech. “All of this data exists, it is just how you can take techniques that have been pioneered in other industries and apply them to energy and transportation.” Clearly passionate about bringing his project to fruition, Duer kindly credits the Fellows Institute for instigating the relationship that spawned between WeatherCloud and NCAR. “One of the real strengths of the Cleantech Fellows Institute is the recognition that Colorado has a lot of foundational institutions, whether they are universities, research institutions, or national labs. The Institute has provided the Fellows with access as well as impetus to dig into these institutions.” But he doesn’t just leave it at that. He appreciates the network created by the Fellows Institute, people and organizations such as the Colorado Motor Carriers Association and the Department of Transportation, weather companies, attorneys with expertise in policy, regulation, and liability, as well as entrepreneurs skilled in startups, manufacturing and systems development. “The quality of the curriculum that the Fellows Institute put together, as well as the quality of the faculty, has been a real plus. The diversity of topics that were covered in the program, everything from the Denver Zoo Waste To Energy Program, to SolarTAC, Front Range Airport and the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory at Colorado State University – it was a tremendously broad curriculum and I think that CCIA and the Fellows Institute have done a great service, not only for the Fellows, but I think it has been a real benefit for the professionals who have participated as well.” Duer is optimistic about cleantech but also recognizes the challenges of the decreased flow of equity to drive new ventures in cleantech. “I think that one challenge that we all have in terms of cleantech is to continue to reach out both to adjacent industries, such as software, and also to adjacent geographies to start to attract more money into Colorado from both coasts and to nurture the investment culture in Colorado and cleantech.”
Interview with Duer Reeves
In this installment of our Focus on the Fellows 2012 series, we look to New Jersey native and Boulder resident, Duer Reeves. With a BA in Political Science from Williams College and an MBA in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management, Duer’s background lies mainly in computer systems, spending the majority of his career in various roles at Sun Microsystems, a developer of enterprise computer systems. Aided by Sun’s supportive internal learning and development culture, Duer moved among the company’s divisions from finance to manufacturing operations and planning, to marketing, and then to services. His last move to the services division came with a change in location, which brought the Bay Area resident to Boulder, Colorado where he helped Sun open a new office. When Oracle acquired the company in 2010, Duer decided to branch out on his own and take his passion for large data and analytics with him. The ensuing years as a planning and strategy consultant were where his interest in cleantech really began. Cleantech appealed to Duer because he recognized the application of his vast experience at Sun to the cleantech industry; he saw an abundance of data produced by the cleantech infrastructure but little actual application of the data. “I learned by working at Sun that you can take data that traditionally has been a byproduct, in Sun’s case it was the data from the transactions system, and apply it to increase efficiency and make a profit.” Duer immersed himself in Colorado’s ecosystem of VC’s and executives, and launched GreenLite Labs, a local business accelerator for web mobile internet companies that are engaged in the transportation or energy industries. Around this time, Duer met Wayne Greenberg, Director of the Cleantech Fellows Institute and Chris Shapard, Executive Director of CCIA, the parent organization of the Cleantech Fellows Institute. Through his participation in the Fellows Institute, it became clear to Duer that the program provided unprecedented insight into the cleantech industry and its opportunities, so he and his associates decided to put GreenLite Labs on the backburner so that he could focus on his capstone project. Duer’s project focuses on the intersection of cleantech and large data, creating a company called WeatherCloud. The concept is based on the vehicle translator initiative at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which is designed to treat cars and trucks on the road as mobile weather sensors. It will then take the data, interpret it, and gain insight into the conditions of the road. WeatherCloud aims to significantly decrease highway-related mortality and increase the overall efficiency and safety of the transportation infrastructure. Duer has incredible faith in large data and cleantech. “All of this data exists, it is just how you can take techniques that have been pioneered in other industries and apply them to energy and transportation.” Clearly passionate about bringing his project to fruition, Duer kindly credits the Fellows Institute for instigating the relationship that spawned between WeatherCloud and NCAR. “One of the real strengths of the Cleantech Fellows Institute is the recognition that Colorado has a lot of foundational institutions, whether they are universities, research institutions, or national labs. The Institute has provided the Fellows with access as well as impetus to dig into these institutions.” But he doesn’t just leave it at that. He appreciates the network created by the Fellows Institute, people and organizations such as the Colorado Motor Carriers Association and the Department of Transportation, weather companies, attorneys with expertise in policy, regulation, and liability, as well as entrepreneurs skilled in startups, manufacturing and systems development. “The quality of the curriculum that the Fellows Institute put together, as well as the quality of the faculty, has been a real plus. The diversity of topics that were covered in the program, everything from the Denver Zoo Waste To Energy Program, to SolarTAC, Front Range Airport and the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory at Colorado State University – it was a tremendously broad curriculum and I think that CCIA and the Fellows Institute have done a great service, not only for the Fellows, but I think it has been a real benefit for the professionals who have participated as well.” Duer is optimistic about cleantech but also recognizes the challenges of the decreased flow of equity to drive new ventures in cleantech. “I think that one challenge that we all have in terms of cleantech is to continue to reach out both to adjacent industries, such as software, and also to adjacent geographies to start to attract more money into Colorado from both coasts and to nurture the investment culture in Colorado and cleantech.”
“The quality of the curriculum that CFI put together as well as the quality of the Fellows Institute faculty has been a real plus. The diversity of topics that were covered in the Fellows Institute, everything from the Denver Zoo, SolarTAC, to the Front Range Airport, the Engines and Energy Lab in Fort Collins, and the tour down in Fort Carson. It’s a tremendously broad curriculum and I think that CCIA has done itself a great service, not only for the Fellows but I think its been a real benefit for a lot of the professionals who have participated.”
Tony Formby
Fort Worth, TX / Vancouver, BC
Cofounder of Squirrel POS Systems and angel investor Tony Formby is an entrepreneur with experience in product development, marketing, sales and finance, with over 25 years experience in start-up companies. In the 1980’s and early 90’s he co-founded Postech Corp and helped develop the Squirrel Touch-Screen POS System. As VP of Sales and Marketing, Tony led the company to great success as they introduced the first commercial application of touchscreen technology. The Squirrel System serves as the blueprint for many commercial and industrial touch screen and process control systems today, and remains a major player in the international hospitality industry. As Founder and CEO of Merrimac Hospitality Systems (1992 – 2002), Tony used his extensive technical background to design and manufacture the Fusion computer workstation that is used in hotels around the world. He also led the development of the first open architecture LCD display, touch screen workstation to be used commercially. Since 2002, he has invested in numerous companies, such as NGRAIN Corp. (Vancouver), Ravenbrick, Inc. (Denver), and SunCentral Inc. (Vancouver). He was an investor and Managing Partner of craft brewery Rahr & Sons Brewing LP in Fort Worth. Tony is a graduate of Vancouver College and holds a BA in History from the University of British Columbia. He was awarded the Clear Channel Excellence in Business award as Fort Worth entrepreneur of the year in 2009.
Fort Worth, TX / Vancouver, BC
Cofounder of Squirrel POS Systems and angel investor Tony Formby is an entrepreneur with experience in product development, marketing, sales and finance, with over 25 years experience in start-up companies. In the 1980’s and early 90’s he co-founded Postech Corp and helped develop the Squirrel Touch-Screen POS System. As VP of Sales and Marketing, Tony led the company to great success as they introduced the first commercial application of touchscreen technology. The Squirrel System serves as the blueprint for many commercial and industrial touch screen and process control systems today, and remains a major player in the international hospitality industry. As Founder and CEO of Merrimac Hospitality Systems (1992 – 2002), Tony used his extensive technical background to design and manufacture the Fusion computer workstation that is used in hotels around the world. He also led the development of the first open architecture LCD display, touch screen workstation to be used commercially. Since 2002, he has invested in numerous companies, such as NGRAIN Corp. (Vancouver), Ravenbrick, Inc. (Denver), and SunCentral Inc. (Vancouver). He was an investor and Managing Partner of craft brewery Rahr & Sons Brewing LP in Fort Worth. Tony is a graduate of Vancouver College and holds a BA in History from the University of British Columbia. He was awarded the Clear Channel Excellence in Business award as Fort Worth entrepreneur of the year in 2009.
“You know that these technologies work but you also know that they have to work a little bit better and you have to be clever about how you commercialize them. So it’s a real challenge but when you get one to work, it’s gratifying and rewarding because A, it works and you can earn a profit but B, you’ve also made a change.”
Focus on the Fellows:
Interview with Tony Formby
For this edition of our Focus on the Fellows we are highlighting Tony Formby, a Vancouver, B.C. native who has lived throughout North America and played an instrumental role in the development of touch screen user interface technology before becoming an angel investor, focusing the majority of his attention on cleantech. Tony started his professional life in Ottawa, working as an aid to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. After five years, he realized he had become jaded in his views and wanted different career opportunities. So in his late twenties he moved back to Vancouver, teamed up with a partner, and entered into the restaurant business, owning two restaurants and running a third on behalf of the owners. During the recession of 1980, the restaurant industry was hit hard and only one of Tony’s restaurants survived the tumult. Around this time Tony and his partner decided to move into the computerization of restaurant point of sales (POS) systems. In 1985 they commercialized Squirrel Systems, the first PC-based, touch-screen user interface. Today, Squirrel POS systems is used by heavyweights such as Apple, Holiday Inn, and Applebee’s. After significant success with Squirrel Systems, Tony and his partner decided to sell the company and as Tony says, “I saw the opportunity to integrate flat panel display touch screens and customized mother boards with various controllers built into them to create a low profile computer system that could be used in a multitude of process control scenarios, for instance on factory floors or at hotel front desks.” Truly an entrepreneur, Tony worked from home, had no employees, and created contracts with companies that needed products designed for them and then contracted out to a team of engineers and a manufacturer that shipped the product directly to the end user. After another successful business venture, Tony was able to retire in 2002 and focus his efforts toward investing, with an emphasis on cleantech. Tony attributes his interest in cleantech as a “...result of growing up in probably one of the most beautiful cities in the world and seeing how we in North America tend to waste energy as compared to Europe, where energy is much more expensive.” Some of Tony’s investments include:
For this edition of our Focus on the Fellows we are highlighting Tony Formby, a Vancouver, B.C. native who has lived throughout North America and played an instrumental role in the development of touch screen user interface technology before becoming an angel investor, focusing the majority of his attention on cleantech. Tony started his professional life in Ottawa, working as an aid to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. After five years, he realized he had become jaded in his views and wanted different career opportunities. So in his late twenties he moved back to Vancouver, teamed up with a partner, and entered into the restaurant business, owning two restaurants and running a third on behalf of the owners. During the recession of 1980, the restaurant industry was hit hard and only one of Tony’s restaurants survived the tumult. Around this time Tony and his partner decided to move into the computerization of restaurant point of sales (POS) systems. In 1985 they commercialized Squirrel Systems, the first PC-based, touch-screen user interface. Today, Squirrel POS systems is used by heavyweights such as Apple, Holiday Inn, and Applebee’s. After significant success with Squirrel Systems, Tony and his partner decided to sell the company and as Tony says, “I saw the opportunity to integrate flat panel display touch screens and customized mother boards with various controllers built into them to create a low profile computer system that could be used in a multitude of process control scenarios, for instance on factory floors or at hotel front desks.” Truly an entrepreneur, Tony worked from home, had no employees, and created contracts with companies that needed products designed for them and then contracted out to a team of engineers and a manufacturer that shipped the product directly to the end user. After another successful business venture, Tony was able to retire in 2002 and focus his efforts toward investing, with an emphasis on cleantech. Tony attributes his interest in cleantech as a “...result of growing up in probably one of the most beautiful cities in the world and seeing how we in North America tend to waste energy as compared to Europe, where energy is much more expensive.” Some of Tony’s investments include:
- CalCars, a group that was pushing car makers to create plug-in hybrids and did the first conversion of a Prius to a plug-in hybrid;
- RavenBrick, a Denver developer of thermochromatic window film;
- Rahr & Sons Brewing Company; and
- SunCentral, a company innovating natural light distribution within buildings.
“I’ve experienced times when I’ve thought I was knowledgeable about an industry and then I would get into a company and then think ‘Wow, I really wish I had known this 18 months ago.’ The Cleantech Fellows Institute helps take away some of that ‘if only I’d known.’”
John Tuttle
Malta, NY
Founder and former CEO of Skypoint Solar Dr. John R. Tuttle has over 25 years experience in the semiconductor & photovoltaic industries. He was the co-founder of DayStar technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: DSTI) and formerly its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. Dr. Tuttle capitalized the Company through private & public totaling over $45M, and transitioned it from R&D to production with over 100 employees. His primary expertise lies in understanding the relationship between technology, markets and long-term competitiveness. Prior to founding DayStar, Dr. Tuttle held the position of Senior Scientist at NREL from 1986-1997 where is focus was thin film CIGS-based solar cells. His research guided the fabrication of PV devices with world-record efficiencies. Previously, he worked on process & production of integrated circuits and discrete power semiconductors. He has authored over 70 publications, 14 Patents and Patent applications, and conducted in excess of 100 presentations in the area of thin film solar cell technology and business development. Dr. Tuttle holds a Ph.D. in EE from the University of Colorado, an MS from the Colorado School of Mines, and a B.S. in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University.
Malta, NY
Founder and former CEO of Skypoint Solar Dr. John R. Tuttle has over 25 years experience in the semiconductor & photovoltaic industries. He was the co-founder of DayStar technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: DSTI) and formerly its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. Dr. Tuttle capitalized the Company through private & public totaling over $45M, and transitioned it from R&D to production with over 100 employees. His primary expertise lies in understanding the relationship between technology, markets and long-term competitiveness. Prior to founding DayStar, Dr. Tuttle held the position of Senior Scientist at NREL from 1986-1997 where is focus was thin film CIGS-based solar cells. His research guided the fabrication of PV devices with world-record efficiencies. Previously, he worked on process & production of integrated circuits and discrete power semiconductors. He has authored over 70 publications, 14 Patents and Patent applications, and conducted in excess of 100 presentations in the area of thin film solar cell technology and business development. Dr. Tuttle holds a Ph.D. in EE from the University of Colorado, an MS from the Colorado School of Mines, and a B.S. in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University.
“Most people I know that are working in cleantech are doing it as a life choice and a life-style choice. Its almost as if rather than just being a job, its my life’s work. Therefore it sometimes makes it a little difficult to separate work from everything else but I think that’s just the nature of people who are passionate in this industry. They realize that they’re fighting to create solutions and opportunities that have a positive implication on other lives.”
Focus on the Fellows:
Interview with John Tuttle
Our Fellow highlighted in this Focus on the Fellows series is John Tuttle, our resident solar expert from Malta, New York. John’s interest in renewable energy began in high school when he became aware of international energy and economic issues. The recognition that many energy-poor nations were essentially being held hostage by energy rich nations intrigued him and presented him with the challenge of finding a solution. “The desire for energy independence and cleaner energy sources was really what drove my passion in renewable energy.” After graduating from Cornell, John, a passionate skier, spent some time skiing in Vermont before moving to Colorado to pursue his masters degree at the Colorado School of Mines. During his time at Mines, John was introduced to SERI, the Solar Energy Research Institute (now NREL), while doing research for his thesis. Upon completion of his masters, John was drawn back to the east coast where he worked in Boston’s power semi-conductor industry. Eventually SERI/NREL lured him back to Colorado to work at the lab while pursuing his Ph.D. in electrical engineering. John’s research was focused on thin-film compound semi-conductor solar cell materials, mostly CIGS, Copper Indium Gallium Selenide. CIGS showed great promise in the 80’s and John found success, adding a series of world records in efficiency to his name for solar cells he and his associates produced. The patents associated with the processes for creating these cells are still used today. John’s transition out of NREL began when an entrepreneur approached him with an idea to use thin film solar cells for his invention, which was a low-level concentration optics scheme. This led them to become innovators of a methodology to use a particular solar cell material on flexible metal substrates, a process that nearly a half dozen companies are currently pursuing. The ball started rolling and in 1996 John and his associates started a company called DayStar Technologies. The company experienced success and entered into buyout discussions with Enron’s solar company, Amoco. However, the deal didn’t go through, and in the late 1990’s the company shifted it’s focus to thin-film CIGS on metal substrates as a solar cell drop-in replacement for crystalline cells, enabling vendors who bought crystalline cells to also buy DayStar’s solar cells. To increase funding, DayStar Technologies received an SBIR grant from NASA to produce solar cells on lightweight titanium substrates for use in satellites. A company called Dutch Space also wanted to apply DayStar’s materials to satellites. Unfortunately, the SBIR funding dried up, and the company refocused again on terrestrial applications. In 2003, DayStar Technologies went public and during the three years that John served as CEO and chairman, the company raised almost $45 million, built a pilot production facility in NY, and started producing and packaging solar cells on flexible media. In 2007, John left DayStar Technologies to start a company called Skypoint Solar to pursue large-scale thin-film production using off-the-shelf technology. However, the combination of restructuring the company and the downturn of the economy in 2008 hit Skypoint hard, and John began to explore areas of cleantech outside of solar where he could leverage his expertise. “I think the process of rowing upstream, which is how I would categorize my process in my first company where people really thought that clean energy was a great idea but it wasn’t going to be ready for a long time, really helped me understand the ecosystem of energy and economics and how it is that clean energies and sustainability need to be the primary driving factors.” After experiencing the hardships of the solar industry, it would be easy to be discouraged from entering back into cleantech, but John enjoys being in the industry and the challenges that come with it. “Rather than being a job, it’s my life’s work. Therefore, it sometimes makes it a little difficult to separate work and play, and work and other issues, but I think that’s just the nature of people who are passionate about this area. They realize that they’re fighting to create solutions and opportunities that have a positive implication on other people’s lives.” He is also optimistic about the industry. “I think that ultimately, whether it’s saving energy, or generating energy in a clean fashion, or doing other things in a cleaner fashion, these efforts will be viewed as the most economical and smart way to do things rather than the alternative.” For his capstone project, John has migrated from energy generation to energy storage, a complement to solar power and yet another challenging area in the cleantech industry. After evaluating the possible plays in energy storage, he chose a technology from the University of Colorado. A few professors and at least one advisor have been working with this technology for nearly a year, and John is assessing its potential to determine if the technology is at a point where it makes sense to pursue private capital. John views this project as an evaluation of how one would construct a company around a technology as well as a technical and market diligence effort. As for the technology itself, it is a solid-state battery based on lithium-ions with the potential for a very high energy density. Because it is a solid-state electrolyte, the safety of the battery, which is a crucial aspect, is also significantly enhanced and increases the range of potential applications of this battery. Overall, John is cautious but positive about his project. “I’m not sure where this particular project will lead, but the process has been valuable and whether it is this particular project or something else that comes along, I feel pretty good about it.” When asked about what he most appreciates about the Fellows Institute John points to three main elements. “First is the curriculum, the content; second is the ecosystem or the ‘instant rolodex;’ and third is the capstone project. The curriculum was fabulous, which of course led to the enhancement of the networking opportunities and then to the opportunity to pursue this particular project. I guess the curriculum is sort of at the base; that was a very solid element of the program.”
Interview with John Tuttle
Our Fellow highlighted in this Focus on the Fellows series is John Tuttle, our resident solar expert from Malta, New York. John’s interest in renewable energy began in high school when he became aware of international energy and economic issues. The recognition that many energy-poor nations were essentially being held hostage by energy rich nations intrigued him and presented him with the challenge of finding a solution. “The desire for energy independence and cleaner energy sources was really what drove my passion in renewable energy.” After graduating from Cornell, John, a passionate skier, spent some time skiing in Vermont before moving to Colorado to pursue his masters degree at the Colorado School of Mines. During his time at Mines, John was introduced to SERI, the Solar Energy Research Institute (now NREL), while doing research for his thesis. Upon completion of his masters, John was drawn back to the east coast where he worked in Boston’s power semi-conductor industry. Eventually SERI/NREL lured him back to Colorado to work at the lab while pursuing his Ph.D. in electrical engineering. John’s research was focused on thin-film compound semi-conductor solar cell materials, mostly CIGS, Copper Indium Gallium Selenide. CIGS showed great promise in the 80’s and John found success, adding a series of world records in efficiency to his name for solar cells he and his associates produced. The patents associated with the processes for creating these cells are still used today. John’s transition out of NREL began when an entrepreneur approached him with an idea to use thin film solar cells for his invention, which was a low-level concentration optics scheme. This led them to become innovators of a methodology to use a particular solar cell material on flexible metal substrates, a process that nearly a half dozen companies are currently pursuing. The ball started rolling and in 1996 John and his associates started a company called DayStar Technologies. The company experienced success and entered into buyout discussions with Enron’s solar company, Amoco. However, the deal didn’t go through, and in the late 1990’s the company shifted it’s focus to thin-film CIGS on metal substrates as a solar cell drop-in replacement for crystalline cells, enabling vendors who bought crystalline cells to also buy DayStar’s solar cells. To increase funding, DayStar Technologies received an SBIR grant from NASA to produce solar cells on lightweight titanium substrates for use in satellites. A company called Dutch Space also wanted to apply DayStar’s materials to satellites. Unfortunately, the SBIR funding dried up, and the company refocused again on terrestrial applications. In 2003, DayStar Technologies went public and during the three years that John served as CEO and chairman, the company raised almost $45 million, built a pilot production facility in NY, and started producing and packaging solar cells on flexible media. In 2007, John left DayStar Technologies to start a company called Skypoint Solar to pursue large-scale thin-film production using off-the-shelf technology. However, the combination of restructuring the company and the downturn of the economy in 2008 hit Skypoint hard, and John began to explore areas of cleantech outside of solar where he could leverage his expertise. “I think the process of rowing upstream, which is how I would categorize my process in my first company where people really thought that clean energy was a great idea but it wasn’t going to be ready for a long time, really helped me understand the ecosystem of energy and economics and how it is that clean energies and sustainability need to be the primary driving factors.” After experiencing the hardships of the solar industry, it would be easy to be discouraged from entering back into cleantech, but John enjoys being in the industry and the challenges that come with it. “Rather than being a job, it’s my life’s work. Therefore, it sometimes makes it a little difficult to separate work and play, and work and other issues, but I think that’s just the nature of people who are passionate about this area. They realize that they’re fighting to create solutions and opportunities that have a positive implication on other people’s lives.” He is also optimistic about the industry. “I think that ultimately, whether it’s saving energy, or generating energy in a clean fashion, or doing other things in a cleaner fashion, these efforts will be viewed as the most economical and smart way to do things rather than the alternative.” For his capstone project, John has migrated from energy generation to energy storage, a complement to solar power and yet another challenging area in the cleantech industry. After evaluating the possible plays in energy storage, he chose a technology from the University of Colorado. A few professors and at least one advisor have been working with this technology for nearly a year, and John is assessing its potential to determine if the technology is at a point where it makes sense to pursue private capital. John views this project as an evaluation of how one would construct a company around a technology as well as a technical and market diligence effort. As for the technology itself, it is a solid-state battery based on lithium-ions with the potential for a very high energy density. Because it is a solid-state electrolyte, the safety of the battery, which is a crucial aspect, is also significantly enhanced and increases the range of potential applications of this battery. Overall, John is cautious but positive about his project. “I’m not sure where this particular project will lead, but the process has been valuable and whether it is this particular project or something else that comes along, I feel pretty good about it.” When asked about what he most appreciates about the Fellows Institute John points to three main elements. “First is the curriculum, the content; second is the ecosystem or the ‘instant rolodex;’ and third is the capstone project. The curriculum was fabulous, which of course led to the enhancement of the networking opportunities and then to the opportunity to pursue this particular project. I guess the curriculum is sort of at the base; that was a very solid element of the program.”
“In regards to three highlights of the Cleantech Fellows Institute, I’d point to three major elements of the program. First, is the curriculum, the content. Second, is the ecosystem, the instant Rolodex. And third is the capstone. The curriculum to me was fabulous, which of course led to the enhancement of the networking opportunities and also led to the opportunity to pursue my particular project. It all tied together so nicely.”
Tom McKinnon
Boulder, CO
Professor Emeritus at the Colorado School of Mines and Director of InventWorks Tom McKinnon has over 10 years experience with early-stage cleantech startups. In addition to founding and co-founding five companies, he has taught and conducted research at the University of Colorado, and is Professor Emeritus at Colorado School of Mines. Most of Tom’s startup companies have been explicitly directed at addressing climate change. Novare biofuels developed carbon neutral (could even be carbon negative) technology to convert cellulosic biomass into drop-in biofuels such as gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel. As co-founder of Fullerene Sciences, he developed and patented a process to make carbon nanomaterials for lithium ion batteries. Finally, Boulder ElectroRide developed a high-performance electric motorcycle. The company tag line says it all: “Ultra-low carbon personal mobility – and kickass fun.” Tom helped organize the Clean Energy Progress ballot initiative to put a small carbon tax on electricity and natural gas in Colorado. While on the faculty at CSM, he organized a three-day “Climate Action Days” event to raise student’s awareness of the urgency of global climate change. He began a series on KGNU Radio called “It’s Getting Hot in Here”, which evolved into the weekly “How on Earth” science and technology show where he creates features related to climate change. Tom holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from MIT.
Boulder, CO
Professor Emeritus at the Colorado School of Mines and Director of InventWorks Tom McKinnon has over 10 years experience with early-stage cleantech startups. In addition to founding and co-founding five companies, he has taught and conducted research at the University of Colorado, and is Professor Emeritus at Colorado School of Mines. Most of Tom’s startup companies have been explicitly directed at addressing climate change. Novare biofuels developed carbon neutral (could even be carbon negative) technology to convert cellulosic biomass into drop-in biofuels such as gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel. As co-founder of Fullerene Sciences, he developed and patented a process to make carbon nanomaterials for lithium ion batteries. Finally, Boulder ElectroRide developed a high-performance electric motorcycle. The company tag line says it all: “Ultra-low carbon personal mobility – and kickass fun.” Tom helped organize the Clean Energy Progress ballot initiative to put a small carbon tax on electricity and natural gas in Colorado. While on the faculty at CSM, he organized a three-day “Climate Action Days” event to raise student’s awareness of the urgency of global climate change. He began a series on KGNU Radio called “It’s Getting Hot in Here”, which evolved into the weekly “How on Earth” science and technology show where he creates features related to climate change. Tom holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from MIT.
“The most important challenge that humankind faces is climate change. Right now we’re just getting news about the 2% rise in GHGs so within cleantech, the environmental impact is really where I tend to focus my efforts.”
Focus on the Fellows:
Interview with Tom McKinnon
In our second installment of Focus on the Fellows, we highlight Tom McKinnon, managing director of InventWorks Inc. and Professor Emeritus at Colorado School of Mines. Tom has followed a fascinating career path that has included work at NREL (when it was the Solar Energy Research Institute); TDA Research, a small contract research company; University of Colorado; Colorado School of Mines, researching combustion biofuels, “green” fire suppression, and new materials for lithium batteries; Fullerene Sciences Inc., a nanomaterials company; Novare Biofuels; and Boulder ElectroRide, which made high-performance electric motorcycles. Tom even has experience on the legislative side from when he cofounded a bill for the Colorado ballot to place a small carbon tax on natural gas. So how did Tom find his way to the field of cleantech? Energy had been on Tom’s mind for quite some time, and the field of alternative energy was of particular interest to him but he wasn’t sure where to start. Fate seemed to intervene when he went to a job interview in Boston during his senior year at Cornell University and shared a cab with a man who would eventually become his boss at SERI. After a few years at SERI, he went east to get his PhD in Chemical Engineering at MIT, researching combustion, and then continued to follow a path in research and energy. So, entrepreneur or academic? “I would have to say both,” he says, “In our seminars, the stuff that lights me up the most is the stuff that has an academic nature to it. I like to see things applied. I am a widget-oriented person. I make stuff.” In addition to his academic interest in the cleantech and energy industry, Tom is also driven by the importance he places on reducing our carbon footprint. “For me, the most important challenge that humankind faces is climate change. Within cleantech is where I tend to focus my efforts, and in the past where I have entirely focused my efforts.” His passion for applying technology and addressing climate change is a powerful combination and a great motivator. Like many others, Tom would like to see the playing field in which the cleantech industry competes changed for the better. He takes issue with people criticizing cleantech for being on the public dole while the incumbent energy industry has enjoyed a plethora of subsidies, direct and indirect, and the subsidies that cleantech does receive are a fraction of the size and are much less permanent. For example, Tom points to the wind production tax credit (PTC) that may be allowed to sunset in the end of this December. “If I could change anything, it would be to make a truly level playing field in energy and then let the best portfolio of technologies win.” The other change that Tom would like to see is in the policies that encourage, or discourage, the growth of the cleantech market. “We have the technology, we’ve had the technology for over a decade, and we have the money, we just don’t have the political will to do it.” For his latest challenge, the Fellows Institute Capstone Project, Tom has set his sights on a technology that would increase accessibility to water for remote villages like those in Morocco. The origin of this project comes from a dinner Tom had with a friend who works for an NGO in Morocco. This friend described how women from many Moroccan villages spend a large portion of their day walking to and from a distant water source. In some areas, villages can leverage a process called fog harvesting to obtain water but where it is more arid, that method is no longer an option. Following an Institute HVAC webinar, Tom realized he might have found a solution using one of NREL’s desiccant-enhanced evaporative air conditioner (DEVAP) technologies. A follow-up tour of NREL’s HVAC lab increased his confidence. The basic idea that Tom has in mind takes a very concentrated salt solution, 30%-40% salt, and then exposes it to air so the water in the air will go into the salt solution. Using solar thermal, you can then effectively boil the water out of the salt, concentrating the salt back to its original form and producing very pure water. Of course there is still plenty of tweaking of the process left to do, but this is where the relationship between the Cleantech Fellows Institute and NREL comes into play. As part of NREL’s partnership in the Fellows Institute, they have offered in-kind support that includes the ability for the Fellows to work with the NREL scientists. Tom greatly appreciates the help he has received from NREL. “The in-kind support will be extremely important so that I can access help from these experts. The other great resource is simply the credibility attached to the NREL name. When I make a pitch to a foundation to build one of these systems in the field, I can acknowledge that it is from NREL – and that carries a lot of weight.” To say the least, the CFI capstone project is a challenge, especially in only 17 weeks. But Tom is geared up to tackle the opportunity and in terms of what he values most out of the program, he places the Capstone Project at number one. “People always perform best when there’s a little bit of pressure. And we’ve got Capstone Department Head Steve Berens breathing down our necks!”
Interview with Tom McKinnon
In our second installment of Focus on the Fellows, we highlight Tom McKinnon, managing director of InventWorks Inc. and Professor Emeritus at Colorado School of Mines. Tom has followed a fascinating career path that has included work at NREL (when it was the Solar Energy Research Institute); TDA Research, a small contract research company; University of Colorado; Colorado School of Mines, researching combustion biofuels, “green” fire suppression, and new materials for lithium batteries; Fullerene Sciences Inc., a nanomaterials company; Novare Biofuels; and Boulder ElectroRide, which made high-performance electric motorcycles. Tom even has experience on the legislative side from when he cofounded a bill for the Colorado ballot to place a small carbon tax on natural gas. So how did Tom find his way to the field of cleantech? Energy had been on Tom’s mind for quite some time, and the field of alternative energy was of particular interest to him but he wasn’t sure where to start. Fate seemed to intervene when he went to a job interview in Boston during his senior year at Cornell University and shared a cab with a man who would eventually become his boss at SERI. After a few years at SERI, he went east to get his PhD in Chemical Engineering at MIT, researching combustion, and then continued to follow a path in research and energy. So, entrepreneur or academic? “I would have to say both,” he says, “In our seminars, the stuff that lights me up the most is the stuff that has an academic nature to it. I like to see things applied. I am a widget-oriented person. I make stuff.” In addition to his academic interest in the cleantech and energy industry, Tom is also driven by the importance he places on reducing our carbon footprint. “For me, the most important challenge that humankind faces is climate change. Within cleantech is where I tend to focus my efforts, and in the past where I have entirely focused my efforts.” His passion for applying technology and addressing climate change is a powerful combination and a great motivator. Like many others, Tom would like to see the playing field in which the cleantech industry competes changed for the better. He takes issue with people criticizing cleantech for being on the public dole while the incumbent energy industry has enjoyed a plethora of subsidies, direct and indirect, and the subsidies that cleantech does receive are a fraction of the size and are much less permanent. For example, Tom points to the wind production tax credit (PTC) that may be allowed to sunset in the end of this December. “If I could change anything, it would be to make a truly level playing field in energy and then let the best portfolio of technologies win.” The other change that Tom would like to see is in the policies that encourage, or discourage, the growth of the cleantech market. “We have the technology, we’ve had the technology for over a decade, and we have the money, we just don’t have the political will to do it.” For his latest challenge, the Fellows Institute Capstone Project, Tom has set his sights on a technology that would increase accessibility to water for remote villages like those in Morocco. The origin of this project comes from a dinner Tom had with a friend who works for an NGO in Morocco. This friend described how women from many Moroccan villages spend a large portion of their day walking to and from a distant water source. In some areas, villages can leverage a process called fog harvesting to obtain water but where it is more arid, that method is no longer an option. Following an Institute HVAC webinar, Tom realized he might have found a solution using one of NREL’s desiccant-enhanced evaporative air conditioner (DEVAP) technologies. A follow-up tour of NREL’s HVAC lab increased his confidence. The basic idea that Tom has in mind takes a very concentrated salt solution, 30%-40% salt, and then exposes it to air so the water in the air will go into the salt solution. Using solar thermal, you can then effectively boil the water out of the salt, concentrating the salt back to its original form and producing very pure water. Of course there is still plenty of tweaking of the process left to do, but this is where the relationship between the Cleantech Fellows Institute and NREL comes into play. As part of NREL’s partnership in the Fellows Institute, they have offered in-kind support that includes the ability for the Fellows to work with the NREL scientists. Tom greatly appreciates the help he has received from NREL. “The in-kind support will be extremely important so that I can access help from these experts. The other great resource is simply the credibility attached to the NREL name. When I make a pitch to a foundation to build one of these systems in the field, I can acknowledge that it is from NREL – and that carries a lot of weight.” To say the least, the CFI capstone project is a challenge, especially in only 17 weeks. But Tom is geared up to tackle the opportunity and in terms of what he values most out of the program, he places the Capstone Project at number one. “People always perform best when there’s a little bit of pressure. And we’ve got Capstone Department Head Steve Berens breathing down our necks!”
“The capstone project...it’s an incredible challenge - both good and bad. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince. But we’ve got a fire under our behinds and we have to do something....create something....and people always perform best when there’s a little bit of pressure.”