Norman Ehrlich

Founder, Chairman and CEO/CTO of Trendsetter Solar Products, Inc. (TSSP).

Beginning in 1980, Norm and his company designed and installed all aspects of residential and commercial solar thermal systems, hydroelectric and wind energy systems, off- off-grid and on-grid photovoltaic systems and Four Seasons passive solar sun rooms. He is proficient in computer simulation of energy efficient structures and alternative energy systems and is a LEED® Accredited Professional.

Norm has a strong commitment to alternative energy, ecology, and cost-saving energy efficiency. His extensive career prior to starting Six Rivers Solar (now TSSP) includes such positions as (1) Manufacturing Engineer for Westinghouse Aerospace, (2) Icebreaking Project Engineer for the US Coast Guard Office of Research and Development, (3) Consulting Engineer for Arctec, Inc., (4) Project Engineer for San Francisco Mining and Engineering Company and (5) Trial Attorney for the for the U.S .Consumer Products Safety Commission. He maintains a part time practice as an intellectual property attorney specializing in patents, copyrights and trademarks.

He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Pratt Institute (1968) and earned a Juris Doctor Degree (1973) from the University of Baltimore. Norm has been a member of the Maryland State Bar, the US Patent Bar, and the California State Bar and is also a licensed General Contractor.

NORM’S WORDS

During the 1960's I was employed in manufacturing components for the aerospace industry. In 1964 I participated in a work study program where I studied mechanical engineering at Pratt and worked part time at Grumman Aerospace. I worked in the plant converting drawings to parts for the first moon lander. After graduating in 1968 I was employed at Westinghouse Aerospace manufacturing radar systems.

Applied Research and Development – In 1971 the aerospace industry went through massive layoffs and I either went off to war or into the Coast Guard. In the Coast Guard I was assigned to headquarters in Washington DC where I worked for the Office of Applied Technology. I was assigned as a project officer for icebreaker R&D division where I developed new technology for icebreakers. I participated in the first scientific exchange with the Soviets under Nixon. The process of bringing an idea to fruition by performing theoretical analysis, testing scale models and then full scale icebreaker modification and or construction was invaluable for developing our new Piggyback system and proposed solar collector manufacturing facility in Reno.
Legal Training and Experience – During my assignment at Coast Guard HQ I was able to attend law school at night which eventually led me to my first attorney job at the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. My technical skills as an engineer gave me a strong advantage in litigating cases and writing regulations. My four years at the CPSC helped me acquire valuable insight into the regulatory process and maneuvering around Washington DC agencies. As Project Officer at the Coast Guard I gained insight into the procurement processes of government. In 1976 I studied and passed the Patent Bar before moving to the West Coast. I am also licensed to practice in California and have specialized in intellectual property law ever since.
Entrepreneurial Spirit – During the next four years was when I became a bonefied entrepreneur. First I spent a year in Alaska as a consulting engineer on the Alaskan pipeline. The next three years were spent gold mining in Mexico constructing a 100 ton per day refinery on a claim in a remote site in Northern Sinaloa.
Six Rivers Solar, Inc. - After Mexico I decided not to return to the city life. I moved to beautiful Humboldt County in Northern California and had to make a living somehow. Energy was high on the agenda in the late 70's and I saw an opportunity to make a living doing something challenging …that was alternative energy. I obtained a contractor’s license and began installing solar water heating systems and off grid electrical systems. We had a weatherization and insulation blowing division as well as a passive solar “greenhouse” construction operation. The company grew rapidly through 1985 until our leaders decided that energy was no longer a problem and withdrew support for the maturing energy industry. I maintained the business by reinventing ourselves and specialized in construction of energy efficient buildings. During the next 15 years we learned everything there is to know about the construction business and dealing with building officials. During this time we serviced our solar systems and learned a great deal about what works and what doesn't work and why. This would form an invaluable tool to refine solar thermal design strategies. In the late 1990's and early 2000's it became “legal” to connect solar PV to on grid homes. California offered generous rebates to homeowners when the utility grid became overburdened and a scramble to increase grid capacity during peak hours ensued. We became active in installing utility inter-tie PV systems as well as 10K Bergy Wind Turbines for farmers.
Trendsetter - I clearly understood the value of solar thermal technology and learned from all of the good and bad experiences encountered by the solar industry in the pioneering days of solar. I developed state of the art solar storage and a distribution system that was simple and reliable as well as versatile. We have been building and selling these systems since the early 1990's and have updating our products continuously incorporating feedback from our customers. Today Trendsetter has a following of solar contractors and designers using our tanks and heat exchangers. Trendsetter has the largest and most versatile solar thermal products certified by the SRCC (Solar Rating and Certification Corporation). In 2005 we partnered with Eric Hawkins of the UK to manufacture a Trendsetter evacuated tube solar collector in China. We are currently in the process of manufacturing the same collector in the US. A patent is being prosecuted for the new mass produced Piggyback® residential water heater.

Eric R Hawkins

Co-founder of Apricus and founder of Suntech

Technical

Have maintained a high level of depth and breadth in the knowledge in all aspects of solar thermal heat energy, related products and technologies and in associated skills in building solutions, designing and developing end products and systems. My overall focus has been in the design and development of evacuated tube heat pipe and flat plate panels with a key difference to that currently offered across the world wide market.

Strategy – Specialist in solar thermal heating collector designs and development, to final implementation and readiness for global exports.
Design - using my 18 years in solar collector designs to bring about an attractive design, good colour match to the roof tiles, with as much importance to increased performance that allows for a higher end user price to be achieved.
Technologies - The Suntech Solar brand of evacuated tube and super heat pipe collectors provide for a much improved heat transfer between the super heat pipe, improved coatings on the inner all glass tube to the all copper heat exchanger inside a highly insulated aluminium casing. A second collector design, using super heat pipes, but designed in a way that allows the importer/buyer to self assemble the collector with no more that a Philips screw driver.
Associated products All solar thermal collectors are only as good as the balance of high quality components that can deliver the solar heat to storage of water. To this affect much time has been spent evaluating such components over many years before identifying which of these components best matched with the whole life performance of a range of systems to suite many applications.
System Design - As with all types of solar thermal heat collectors produced across the world, from low cost, simple to over engineered to achieve in essence the same thing. System design is about providing a package of components that matches to the collector design and its end use. It should be simple to follow through the installation and for the buyer, should be a system which is understood and requires no maintenance.

Management

Very experienced in managing people within the work place of the manufacture of the components’ assembly line to the front administration office having been involved over 35 years of creating start up businesses in many countries besides the UK. Also experienced in technology transfer to Chinese companies through interpreters and some times directly where the benefits are mutual. My experience also includes fund raising from both the private sector and a PLC over the years in order to finance the end product range ready for exporting.

My skills are wide and varied with an ability to communicate with almost any culture anywhere in the world where the interest by a person or a corporate entity is to do with all aspects of micro renewable energy, energy efficiency and water conservation. Technology Strategy - Intimately familiar with both short and long term planning of technology directions, especially with strategic application of the said technology to provide global solutions.

Development - Very experienced in delivering quality finished well packaged products and on time within the terms and conditions offered.
Running the Business - Very comfortable in being part of the executive team an in contributing in all parts of the running of the business
Project Management - Experienced and skillful at putting together a project plan and driving it based on milestones and deliverables with possible external dependencies.
Development/Technical Lead - Good experience in leading technical teams as part of a large project. Enjoy being associated with technical teams on projects, with particular emphasis on the growth of individual team members and the work done at the same time.
Quality Assurance Experienced in QA approach in preparation to testing applications as was carried out in China, prior to samples selected by an appointed body, then shipped to the UK before being freighted to a testing institute in Germany readiness for the 4-5 month testing of the Suntech Solar collector to achieve Solarkeymark ( A accredited EU testing to conform with current directives)
Management Systems Good experience in meeting all requests presented to me by a registered body where by a chart was produced to show responsibilities for inward and outward goods, checking of components prior to be assembled. Also included were the drawings for each of the components incorporated into the Suntech Solar brand of collectors. This German written exercise was necessary prior to the samples being selected before being sent to the UK, then onto Germany.

Customer

Have worked with people in many countries across the world in this solar energy business over 18 years, such as Cyprus, Malta, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sth Africa, Canada, USA, China, India and Australia, the experience gained from this is invaluable.