Who We Are Roger DeNault -  Founder, President and Chairman of the Board With 30 years of solar industry expertise and energy conservation experience, and now having installed hundreds of installations, Roger DeNault is recognized as an industry pioneer.  He has been referred to in the media as a “solar guru”.  He personally has two “patents pending”  which may serve to revolutionize the industry.  Roger brings 30 years of solar expertise and energy conservation experience to Solar Technologies.  Roger came to the field of solar power from a background in Silicon Valley where he was an expert in ultra precise metrology. He was an early pioneer in the solar energy field, having founded the first solar power company in the Santa Cruz, CA area in the 1970s. That first endeavor was called Altenergy. In later years he also founded several other companies in the field of alternative and sustainable technologies. Geotechnology was founded on the premise that one could extract meaningful energy from relatively low temperature geothermal surface features. Using Organic Rankin Cycle turbines, he was responsible for the first commercial geothermal electric power produced in the state of Oregon. Later he went on to develop ElectroAutomotive, a company developing and building electric vehicles and electric retrofit kits. This company is still operated by his ex-partner.  In 1998 Roger went on to found Solar Technologies. In 2001 he co-founded Independent Energy Systems, Inc. Solar Technologies and Independent Energy System exist today as separate companies. Roger is proud of the fact that Solar Technologies has been responsible for building more solar power systems and the largest commercial systems in Santa Cruz, CA - more than any other local company.  Solar Technologies today is one of Northern California’s most successful and respected, profitable solar power system integrators.  Roger continues to guide the company in its development of new and innovative products and processes. Roger holds the company’s C-46 license and is a graduate of the Advanced PV Design and Installation course by Brooks Engineering and of the University of California at Berkeley. Shawn Murphy, PE. - Senior Engineer  Shawn had a solar photovoltaic system installed by Solar Technologies on his house, and liked it so much he decided to work for the company!  Shawn is in charge of all aspects the company’s engineering efforts, from drawings and obtaining permits to performing project management, system design and solar modeling for our larger commercial projects.  Shawn has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Davis, as well as a Certificate in Reliability Studies from Santa Clara University.  He is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of California, is a graduate of the Advanced PV Design and Installation course by Brooks Engineering and is a NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer®.  Bill Peppin, PhD. - Resident Scientist Bill holds two Masters degrees and a PhD in geophysics. Bill is our go-to guy regarding any computer programming, software or image processing issues we may have. He has worked many years as a university professor and a researcher. Bill heads our R&D  division, developing new products and applications for solar projects.   Allison Davis - Operations and Public Utility Rebate Manager Alli joined Solar Technologies after gaining industry experience with a start-up wind energy company.   She then spent three years as an Operations Specialist and Project Manager with another established Silicon Valley solar installation company.   Alli has a BS in Environmental Science from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude . Maura August - Finance Manager Maura joined Solar Technologies as the Finance Manager in early 2008.  Maura is a pro-active, self-motivated team player with over 7 years experience in bookkeeping and accounting. With 5 years invested in the public accounting arena, Maura brings diverse experience in small business accounting and tax matters. Clint Biddle – Sales and Marketing Coordinator  Clint found us in late 2007 and joined the Company as an Intern.  A recent graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, he graduated with a BA in Environmental Studies.  Clint was eager to initiate a meaningful career in the solar industry.  Learning the PV business from the inside out, he has quickly grown to become a valued member of our team. Adrian Romero - Purchasing and Inventory Control Manager Adrian brings eighteen years of entrepreneurship and two years of recent construction experience performing similar tasks to our growing company.  As Purchasing & Inventory Control Manager, he makes sure our installers have the right products and tools to complete each job in a timely manner. Jesse Nichols - Lead Installer/Project Manager Jesse is a graduate of the Advanced PV Design and Installation course by Brooks Engineering and is a NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer®.  Jesse holds a BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz and is our lead installer and project manager. Bevan Perry – Lead Installer Bevan himself  holds a “Class B” Contractor’s License.  He is one of our lead installers, and has been in the general construction business for many years. Don Lofland - Senior Valley Design Consultant Don is one of our sales professionals and a solar educator.  He is our second Ph.D., holding a degree in physics.  He has expertise in financial and cash flow analysis. He teaches environmental science at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA.  Don is in demand as a public speaker, having lectured all over the US. He has written 3 books on innovative learning methods and psychology.