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Business Dev & Design Entertainment | Social Media Tech Web Video |
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Business Dev & Design Entertainment | Social Media Tech Web Video |
Develops commercial utility-scale, grid-tie solar inverters.
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Address: | Toledo, OH 43617 |
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Company URL: | http://www.nextronex.com |
Many are hoping its just the beginning of green projects here in Ohio.
A local companys product will soon help power the largest solar field in Ohio. The field is at the Air National Guard base at Toledo Express airport. And many are hoping its just the beginning of green projects here in Ohio.
The solar field at the 180th Fighter Wing is the largest in the entire state. Its not fully operational yet and it already generates a quarter of the power for the base. Norm Johnston the chairman of Ohio Advanced Energy says "The shortest day of the year when there wasnt a blue spot in the sky and everything was covered with snow I came out here and it was producing electricity for the 180th Air National Guard."
All of the labor used to build the solar field is from Ohio. Ninety-three percent of the products and materials used are from Ohio companies but both numbers are about to stand at 100 percent because this invertor made by a northwest Ohio company will soon be part of the field. "Most people think of solar power and they think of the panels. Well the panels put out DC electricity and you have to convert that into AC electricity to feed the power grid and thats what our inverter does" says Pete Gerhardinger the chief technology officer at Netronex.
Nextronex is one of only 2 companies in the U.S. making this kind of product and one of only 4 worldwide. Company leaders say their product is more efficient more reliable and more cost effective than others on the market. Right now there are 9 employees but thats about to change. "When we are fully up and running here about a year from now near the end of 2010 we will be somewhere between 40-60 new jobs."
And this solar field could be the template for others in every Ohio county. Leaders of Ohio Advanced Energy are now lobbying the governor to spend some of the federal stimulus money on similar projects. Theyre banking on the fact that green energy will generate lots of green for Ohio workers. "That would put 2000 Ohioans to work for 7 years on jobs that believe me arent hamburger flipping jobs& We can deliver electricity out of this cheaper than you can get it from First Energy" says Johnston.
Johnston says if youd like to see some of the stimulus money spent on projects like the solar field contact the governors office or your state lawmaker.
At least one of the Nextronex invertors will be up and running at the Air National Guard base by the end of this year. The invertors are also being installed at the University of Toledo.
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Rocket Ventures,Undisclosed Firm
Peter Gerhardinger Mr. Gerhardinger is the Chief Technology Officer of NES. He started his career with Libbey-Owens-Ford Co. Inc. (LOF, now Pilkington) in 1977. He advanced through a series of technical positions in the Solar Energy Lab, Photon Power Inc., El Paso TX, a joint venture between LOF and CFP, and the LOF Glass Coatings Group, working in the team that positioned LOF as a world leader in atmospheric pressure coating vapor deposition (APCVD) glass coatings. Mr. Gerhardinger advanced through a series of senior engineering positions in Architectural Technical Services, joining the marketing department in 1990 as Manager of New Products Technology.
In 1998, Mr. Gerhardinger was recruited to lead the new product development effort for Engineered Glass Products of Chicago, a specialty glass manufacturer, obtaining 12 patents and 8 UL files for the company. Mr. Gerhardinger is currently a member of Intellectual Property Dynamics, LLC, an investor in Nextronex Energy Systems, and he continues to consult for EGP. Mr. Gerhardinger holds a Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toledo, holds 15 patents, and has authored numerous technical publications and articles.
James Olzak Mr. Olzak is in charge of all manufacturing, scheduling, scale up and field service activities associated with the commercialization of the solar inverter. He received his technical training in Advanced Electronics, Nuclear Power Theory and Practice, and performed the functions of Nuclear Power Operator and Instructor from the U.S. Navy between 1975 and 1983. Following his honorable discharge, Mr. Olzak managed government contractor services for Tracor Applied Sciences, and as Field Engineer, managed Special Operating Forces, electronic design projects for C-Cubed Corp. Mr. Olzak joined Automation Engineering in 1995 as COO, and assumed the role of President, following the retirement of the founder in 2002.
He has overseen the design, construction and servicing of Industrial Electronic systems including Ion Nitriding Power Supplies, VFD systems, precision and control electronic systems and power supplies. Since 2003, Nextronex has concentrated on two core areas; servicing and upgrading the large ion nitriding power supplies, located throughout the Unites States and 4 foreign countries (32 of which were built in the 1980’s), and developing products and processes under contract with Engineered Glass Products (EGP). Additionally, a steady business of contract engineering, servicing, manufacturing and assembly work continued to play a role in the company’s activities. Mr. Olzak holds one patent for the development of a process application.