Tips and Advice from RE Guru Windy Dankoff!
Windy Dankoff has been in the residential renewable energy industry since before it was actually an industry. Fascinated with electrical engineering since childhood, he experienced his environmental awakening after his high school graduation when he saw the ravages of technology in urban landscapes. During his final year in school he was tasked with a hands-on project and he found an article in Mother Earth News about a man who had built a wind machine out of pieces of "junk." He joined the author in his work and his career took shape.
Although his initial core business was rehabilitating wind machines from the 1940's, he ultimately moved into residential solar panels in the 1980's when they first came onto the scene. His in depth knowledge of energy management and consumption from installing wind systems for off grid residences parlayed perfectly into working with PV.
When solar panels first came on the market, Windy actually bought a half school bus and moved into it so that he could fully understand the power production of his first two 35 watt solar panels and so he could understand his own power consumption. Windy lived with only a few power loads; the lights from the buses (to which he added switches), a 2 cubic foot refrigerator which he made more efficient with additional insulation and the bus radio.
Ultimately, Windy went on to develop several solar water pump designs as he identified a real need in the marketplace. Focusing on pump efficiency and consistent but slower pumping of deep well water, some of Windy's designs are still for sale today serving ranches with remote cattle herds and farms in need of far flung crop irrigation.
During his long career in the renewable energy industry, Dankoff pinpointed the most powerful aspect of renewable energy; awareness. Consumers need to really understand their energy consumption and their actual needs every day through education.
So what are some of Windy's tips for getting into the renewable energy industry?
1. Study history to learn the industry! - Don't dive into any industry without diving into its history. If you're really interested in getting into RE, start in the 1930's when the first commercial wind generators were developed. The engineers of the 30's and 40's had a fresh outlook on this technology and in fact, a lot of the new ands wacky ideas you see today were disproved way back then. Find out how ideas were developed and when they were originally developed - go to original sources, original experiments. Look at competitive products, ups and downs of the industry. When you enter the field, if you know the history you'll be able to steer a course in your career and find success. You'll have insight most people don't have.
2. Learn with your hands; learn by doing.
3. Find a way to make a living through identifying the needs of consumers. If you're in the trenches you'll find the one problem everyone has and if you can come up with the solution, you'll have a business on your hands.
Advice for the DIY Renewable Energy folks out there?
1. Learn energy management. You can't even identify what kind of renewable energy you need unless you know what you need.
2. Be prepared to adjust your consumption habits in order to properly size an affordable renewable energy system. Energy efficiency and consumption must be the first priority!
3. Do an honest assessment of what you can and can't do yourself. Even for the most experienced do-it-yourselfer there are parts of every renewable energy installation with which you'll probably need professional help. Educate yourself as to what is really involved and then make your plan.
4. If you are looking to install one system on your home and its your first system, you'll spend more time discovering mistakes and problems rather than enjoying successes. That can be fun for someone really interested in investing a lot of time into renewable energy but it isn't for everyone. If you decide that installing it yourself isn't your path, find a well reputed professional service and really look at their work. Get references and see if you can see any of their installations. Or get a referral from a reputable supplier.
5. If there aren't any reputable local installers, find a company like AltE - a remote supplier who will invest time and energy into ensuring that you're educated and a good energy manager before you invest in any technology.
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