Self Sufficiency 1976

So easy to operate, even older folks could easily walk to one side and guide the Troy-Bilt garden tiller with just one hand. Often imitated but never equaled, it brought health and self-sufficiency to over two million families. Click Here to learn more about Lyman Wood, direct marketing, and the impact of Garden Way.

Tracking the Sun 2008

Yours truly, next to a state-of-the-art, sun-tracking photo-voltaic array for residential and small businesses. Technology, costs, and government incentives are rapidly changing. Reach out to an expert who can help ensure that you are part of the future.

Industry Shows 2009

You meet the nicest people at Solar shows. At this one in CA, we spent some time meeting the capable folks at SunWize, one of the nation's leading makers and suppliers of high quality solar PV systems.

Other Alternative Fuels

To learn more about our involvment with fuel cells, Click Here.

Rebuild America
Let's rebuild America. Here, I'm doing my part (this photo was back while working my way through college as a licensed electrician.) With our current economic recession, costs are lower and it's an ideal time to install solar and other renewable solutions.

Always Learning
Having been an electrician in an earlier life, I've been attending seminars and taking classes for the past four years to keep abreast of solar technologies. Spent a week learning solar from the Conergy folks; and, as of October 2011, I completed 70 hours of intermediate and advanced solar training at HVCC, passed the NABCEP Intro to PV test and they have declared me to be an official "beginner" (yipee!) Currently studying for my solar PV NABCEP installer certification, specializing in roof, ground and pole mount PV arrays of 5 to 20 KW. My theory is that you can’t be an effective executive unless you know what it’s like to walk in the shoes of your customers.

Green, Renewable Energy:
Solar PV, Thermal Heating, Wind and other Green Solutions

Where is the world headed? Will you be part of the future?

Are you in the green industry? Are you looking for a Chief Marketing Officer-for-hire who can help your team create a better marketing strategy, find new business partners, and increase your sales?

I was there -- back in the 1970’s, developing new products and bringing them to market. It was in the midst of the back-to-the-land movement, the boom in gardening, doing more for yourself, and the two major energy crises. Troy-Bilt rototillers had a cult-like following because of their performance and the company’s over-the-top customer service. Garden Way marketed some of the first energy efficient greenhouse/sunrooms and high-efficiency wood stoves, and started a catalog of self-sufficiency items. Some of my later business development projects included solar-powered products like the photovoltaic robotic lawnmower shown at right.

Now it’s the 21st century, and the rest of the world has finally caught up with the realization that using the sun, the wind, and other green energy sources are the best source for our energy independence.

Where would you like to go?

What’s your vision? What’s your technology? What’s the stage of your organization? You probably need more than just an expert marketer; you need a tech-savvy guy who has marketed and sold complex mechanical and electrical products, who has set up and operated key dealer networks that played nicely with factory-direct channels, and who knows how to mentor and lead a sales and marketing team to success.

If you are in the solar or wind industry, chances are that I have successfully helped companies through the same growth stage you are now entering. If you need expert help to get it to the next level -- to find the best way to market it -- to develop the product and teamwork -- then please give me a call. I guarantee you’ll get some good ideas, just from our first chat. -CW

The Path to Solar Success 2011

Here, I'm photographing my Solar Pathfinder tool which shows how much insolation reaches the site of this future ground/pole mount PV array I'm designing. With 14 KW of power, it will test several technologies, such as 7 KW of AC micro-inverters as well as 7 KW of DC and conventional inverters, plus a battery back-up system. Also creating a small-scale test of fixed vs adjustable vs 2-axis tracking arrays. The more electricity we create from distributed generation, the better for our homes, communities and country.

Need A Good Solar Dealer Program?
For details on how my concepts helped a company double its sales, Click Here to see the results for Garden Way/ Troy-Bilt.

Good Organizations to Know

ASES (American Solar Energy Society)
NESEA (NE Sustainable Energy Association)
SEPA (Solar Electric Power Association) and
AWEA (American Wind Energy Association)

Back to more Portfolio Case Histories!
(Or go forward to Next Page to see Fuel Cell.)

Solar Tour Organizers: Promotional Tips.

Recommended Reading

There are hundreds of books and magazines on solor, but if you want a technical textbook that gives you the true nuts & bolts of how PV installations work, this is it. Photovoltaic Systems by Jim Dunlop.