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October 24th, 2024
Solar Industry: Engineering & Installing Solar Arrays
Engineering, procurement, and contract professionals manage solar installation from final design to the actual work on the array site. This includes working on the final design, selection and sourcing of market available equipment, contracting with all of the different subcontractors associated with the installation of a solar array; electricians, pile driver operators, and day laborers, to name a few. Panelists will share the challenges and opportunities with prepping for and installing a solar array. Join us for a behind the scenes look into the solar industry that is rarely discussed in public.
Location: University Ballroom (level 300), The Lory Student Center - Colorado State University, 1101 Center Ave Mall, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Time:
5.30 pm - 8.00 pm
Doors Open at 5.00 pm
Parking at CSU: Please park in the LSC Engineering Parking Lot 310
Transport Information: The transport will leave SEEC building (by the bike racks) at 4.00pm and will leave the Lory Center on the CSU campus at 8.00pm, returning to SEEC (Boulder).
Parking at SEEC: Those with cars should park in the short-term parking Lot 550 - please note, this is a paid lot until 7pm ($2/hr). For those with a CU parking account, a short-term daily permit for Lot 556 might be cheaper ($5)
Please register your attendance so that we can adhere to venue capacity restrictions and ensure adequate catering.
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Session Speakers
Aaron Ray
Guest Moderator
Assistant Director for Energy Innovation
Aaron Ray is Assistant Director for Energy Innovation at the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, where he leads the transition from traditional to renewable energy sources across the Department. He is currently serving as Interim Director of the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission. Prior to joining DNR, Aaron led the Energy Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures, served as Deputy Director for Policy in the Colorado Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting, and was a Program Examiner in the White House Office of Management and Budget with responsibility for Department of the Interior programs. Aaron teaches graduate environmental policy and management courses at the University of Denver and has served as a researcher at the Georgetown Climate Center and the Pew Research Center. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from American University and an MPP in Environmental and Regulatory Policy from Georgetown University.
Colorado Department of Natural Resources
Martin Beggs
With more than sixteen years of experience in the solar industry, Martin has overseen the engineering, development, contract negotiation, project financing, procurement, and installation of tens of MW over hundreds of sites across the mountain west. During his career, Martin has worked with numerous public and private sector clients to develop technically viable and financially sound projects involving both on-site and off-site system design strategies. As the Mountain Region Renewables Project Director for McKinstry, Martin is responsible for seamlessly integrating renewable energy solutions into larger, comprehensive energy packages that help clients achieve their sustainability and financial goals.
Project Director - Renewables
McKinstry
Bryan Wegman
Lead Electrician
While working as a commissioning engineer for Data Centers Bryan began to feel discouraged by the amount of energy the industry was consuming. He decided it was time to make a change and take his experience to the clean energy side. Bryan has worked with the Commercial team at Namaste Solar as a Project Manager to help projects get successfully built for Tech companies, Airports, and airplane manufacturers. He made his start in renewables on the Operations and Maintenance team, where he learned what works and what doesn't. He used this knowledge to help construct and shape projects that would be successful long-term assets for system owners. Recently Bryan transitioned back to the Operations and Maintenance team as the Director of O&M Operations, where he works to help system owners easily manage and maintain their systems to continue to run efficiently for years to come.
Namaste Solar
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Dan Frey is the Master Electrician for Sandbox Solar and has 10 years of experience in the solar industry. Throughout his career, Dan has taken on various roles, starting on rooftops under the hot Colorado sun he now oversees the electrical aspects of residential, commercial, and agrivoltaic solar projects. He has witnessed the immense value and flexibility that solar energy brings to communities, helping clients achieve energy independence. Dan has been a key player in many innovative projects, particularly agrivoltaics where he gets to collaborate closely with local farmers to maximize land use to support both food and clean energy production.