Type Of Business:
Nonprofit Organization
Marketing Area:
International
Expertise:
Mr. Eckhart's expertise is in operation management.
Major Product/SVS:
Membership Services, Production of Electricity, Hydrogen, Fuel and End-Use Energy
Hobbies/Sports:
Golfing, Sailing
Education Degrees:
Master of Business Administration, Harvard University; Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Purdue University
Affiliations Awards:
American Solar Energy Society Inc.; Co-Head, North American Secretariat, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; World Council for Renewable Energy
Industry:
Renewable Energy
Work History:
Chief Executive Officer, United Power Systems, Inc.; Vice President, Arete Ventures Inc.; Strategic Planner, Power Systems Sector, General Electric Company; Principal, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.; Submarine Service, U.S. Navy
Throughout the duration of your career, what was the one highlight that stood out the most?:
The highlight of his career was creating a joining venture between Shell Escom the electric utility in South Africa and electrified 10,000 homes with solar energy.
Charity:
Volunteer, Clinton Global Initiative; Governing Bureau, Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Oyster Recovery Partnership
Number Of Years In Profession:
34
Number Of Years In Current Position:
8
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
He attributes his success to his education and hard work.
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
He became involved in his profession after gaining experience working in an original energy consulting practice and through his educational background in emerging energy technologies.
Extended Bio Profile:
Mr. Eckhart previously developed finance for solar energy under the SolarBank initiative through which he trained over 1,000 bankers in India on the financing of solar PV, and for which he was named Renewable Energy Man of the Year of India in 1998. He also worked extensively in South Africa, founding the Shell-Eskom solar PV joint venture in 1997 that implemented PV on 10,000 rural homes. He is the founding president of the American Council on Renewable Energy a Washington DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with organizational members covering wind, solar, hydro, ocean, geothermal, biomass, bio-fuels and waste sources of electricity, thermal energy, hydrogen and fuels. At American Council on Renewable Energy, he has established a board of directors, an advisory board of 35 national leaders and a membership of over 700 organizations, and it is a convener, producing the Renewable Energy Finance Forum in New York and San Francisco, the RETECH business conference and trade show, and the American Council on Renewable Energy national policy conference in Washington, DC. It also has working membership committees that address policies and market issues, seeking to bring renewable energy into the mainstream of the United States. He was the official United States observer at the founding of the International Renewable Energy Agency and has produced the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference world meeting in 2008.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Overseeing US-China Program, Maintaining Working Relationships in Europe, India and Africa, Serving on the Advisory Committee to Prince Charles’ Rainforest Project
Awards/Honors:
Corporate Responsibility Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2009); Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2008); Good Deal for All Award, RSF (2006); Renewable Energy Man of the Year in India (1998)