System design and process heat integration
A solar thermal plant is a system: the heliostat field, the receiver, thermal storage and the industrial process it serves. I help you size those pieces together, model how the plant performs across a year, plan how it will operate, and test whether the economics work before you commit.
Owner’s advisor for solar heat and CSP projects
If you’re an industrial facility, utility or government planning a project, I work on your side. I help define what you need, write the specifications and RFP, evaluate the bids, and translate each vendor’s technical claims into plain terms your decision-makers can weigh.
Heliostat and field engineering
Heliostats are often the largest single cost in a power tower plant. I bring hands-on experience with field layout, tracking and controls, canting, optical error budgets and flux modeling. I also review heliostat designs and serve as the field expert on FEED studies.
Advancing the state of the art
Concentrating solar still has a lot of room to improve, and I enjoy helping push it forward. I support R&D projects and new technology development, from early concepts and prototypes through on-sun testing. I advise national laboratory research programs and help set research priorities, as with the national heliostat technology roadmap. I also help teams win DOE, SBIR/STTR and state funding, as technical lead or red-team reviewer, from work breakdown and milestones to hardware budgets.
Startup and executive advisory
For hard-tech startups and the people who fund them: technology roadmaps, go-to-market and fundraising strategy, fractional CTO support and technical due diligence. This work isn’t limited to solar. I’ve also built robots, 3D printers, concentrating PV systems, and studied gas power with carbon capture.
Engagements
Ways to work together
- Advisory retainer
- Project-based study or design review
- FEED study subject matter expert
- Proposal teaming and red-teaming
- Fractional CTO or systems architect
- Technical briefings for boards, executives and investors
- Technical due diligence
Discuss your project
Tell me about your project. A short note is the best way to start.