Our Instructors

Amy joined Alt E in 2007 and has earned the title "Queen of Solar Thermal" in only a short time. When she isn't in the office helping people design water and space heating systems, she can be found tinkering with new ways to put solar on her home.

Bob Ramlow, Artha Sustainable Living Center/Focus on Energy
Bob is co-owner of Artha Sustainable Living Center LLC, a lead consultant for the state of Wisconsin's Focus on Energy program and a founding member and senior instructor for the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. He is the author of Solar Water Heating, A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems, the first book of it’s kind written in over 20 years. Bob is an ISPQ Independent Master Trainer in Solar Thermal and an NABCEP Certified Solar Thermal Installer. Bob has more than 30 years experience designing and installing solar systems and has been a driving force in the growth of solar thermal use in the mid-west. Bob not only consults and educates on renewable energy, he leads by example living in a home that is powered by the sun and built with sustainable materials.

Chris LaForge is a NABCEP certified installer who owns his own renewable energy installation business, Great Northern Solar, in Wisconsin. Chris has been teaching advanced solar electric training and installation for several years.

Dave draws on his experience growing up in a solar family to add real world examples to the classes he teaches. We are happy to have Dave teach classes in Columbus, and often we are lucky enough to have him teach PV classes in Massachusetts as well. If Dave looks familiar, you may have seen him on stage. He is invited on occasion to play percussion with the Westerville Symphony.

Eric Pedersen joined AltE in late 2007 and has been fast becoming our in-house sales expert for Solar Electric. He has a marketing degree from University of Texas and a passion for working towards worldwide resource sustainability. When he made the career switch to renewable energy, he made a choice to learn as much as he can so he can pass that learning on to others. In his free time Eric can be found wandering about outside somewhere soaking up all that good clean nature.

Coming soon!

James joined the AltE team in 2005 and is currently our Sales Engineer, specializing in Photovoltaic system design. James earned his degree in Renewable Energy from San Juan College in New Mexico. He is responsible for the prepackaged systems on our website as well as being the lead of our technical support team. James is also tireless in his ability to talk and teach renewable energy to anyone who will listen! When he's not working with renewable energy, he is likely refereeing soccer games, or doting over one of his Volkswagens.

Joey joined AltE in 2008 and is doing her best to spread the green wave in Ohio. Come by and meet her in one of our 101 classes in Columbus.

Peter joined AltE in the summer of 2007. Although new to the industry, he has been practicing and advocating for renewable energy for much of his adult life. Growing up on a farm allowed him to have a deep appreciation for working in concert with nature. This has spilled over to his use of alternative and renewable energy strategies. His home incorporates geothermal for space heating and cooling, solar collectors for domestic hot water, and a small wind turbine for electrifying the chicken coop. Peter works with various types of photovoltaic modules and wind turbines to better understand their application. He is also actively involved in local town governance and the creation of ordinances relating to renewable energy use for the community. Peter is one of our wind specialists and continues to pursue knowledge in this field.