Our Team

Alison Mason

Principal

Alison’s work in the field of solar energy was recognized in 2004 by the American Solar Energy Society with the first ever “Women in Solar Energy” (WISE) award. Alison earned her B.S. in Materials Science from Rice University and her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, with an emphasis on solar thermal technologies, from Colorado State University in 1993. She learned how to design and install photovoltaic systems at Solar Energy International (SEI) in Carbondale, CO in 2003. Alison served as the Chair of the Fort Collins Electric Board from 2001 to 2004 and, in that capacity, led the development of the City’s Renewable Energy Policy – the first policy of its kind in the state. Alison consults on a Tribal Energy program for Trees, Water, and People; lectures to building professionals on the implementation of solar technologies; and is the director of SolarBound, the Million Solar Roofs Initiative for Northern Colorado. In 2002, Alison successfully led an effort to establish the Northern Colorado Renewable Energy Society – a subchapter of the American Solar Energy Society that advocates the use of renewable energy technologies through outreach and education. Alison’s work with solar heating on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was featured in the Spring 2006 Edition of the Worldwatch Institute Journal and on the CNN program “Global Challenges”.

Andy Walker

Andy Walker has twenty four years of experience in the fields of solar energy engineering and building science. Andy has provided renewable energy system design assistance, energy efficiency and renewable energy feasibility studies, and energy modeling for dozens of projects including commercial, multi-family residential, industrial, laboratories, and remote sites. Andy is Senior Engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where he provides design assistance to Federal buildings, and Adjunct Professor at colleges in Colorado, where he has taught energy conversion, solar engineering, design of solar buildings, advanced heat transfer, applied thermodynamics, and advanced energy technology.

Andy earned his Doctors of Philosophy, Masters of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University. For his dissertation, he modeled, built, and optimized the economics of a self-pumping solar water heater. Andy is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado. He has written many articles on solar water heating, natural ventilation, photovoltaics, performance contracting, measurement and verification, financing options for renewable energy and distributed generation, green building project planning and cost estimating, advanced metering, and procuring architectural/engineering services for sustainable buildings. Andy has been recognized with awards from ASHRAE, ASME, ASES, ISES, USDOE, NREL, Colorado Governor Roy Romer, US President Ronald Reagan, and others.

Andy is most active in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, where he is currently the Associate Editor of the Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Previously, he was the Renewable Energy sub-committee Chairman for the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol. He is active in the American Solar Energy Society and the International Solar Energy Society.

Andy’s previous work experience includes technology manager for the NREL FEMP Program, task leader for the NREL Building America and Exemplary Buildings Programs, renewable energy coordinator for the Colorado Office of Energy Conservation, research assistant for the Colorado State University Solar Energy Applications Laboratory, renewable energy instructor for Remote Power, and energy rater for the City of Fort Collins.

Mark Thornbloom

Mark Thornbloom has spent his entire career in solar energy.  He worked for thirteen years at the UCF Florida Solar Energy Center in solar thermal applied research and development. There, he was Test Manager for the FSEC Testing Labs, where he conducted solar thermal collector testing and certification, tested solar equipment to ASHRAE and ISO standards, maintained the testing facility with the computer engineer and technicians, and assisted international universities in developing solar thermal testing labs and certification programs.  He also conducted research on the LiBr absorption cycle to allow low generator temperatures; designed built and analyzed a test bed for a Liquid Desiccant Collector/Regenerator, and built a demo unit of a residential solar liquid desiccant dehumidifier.  For over a decade he has been principal of Kelelo Engineering, a consulting firm providing sustainable solutions through micro-enterprise.  There, he has provided technical assistance in D.R. Congo and central Africa in diverse projects such as micro (<5kW) hydro-mechanical turbines and waterwheels, small (<500kW) hydroelectric maintenance and overhaul, PV lighting and pumping, vaccine refrigeration, micro-enterprise, solar air conditioning, solar thermal for the poultry industry, biomass gasifier specifications.  Past clients include World Wildlife Fund, Communaute Evangelique en Ubangi-Mongala, UNIDO, and Solarsa.  He has also given workshops overseas and around the US on various solar thermal applications and is a regular workshop presenter at the annual ASES conference.  Most recently, he has worked as a Solar Project Manager for Schuco USA LP, where he conducted siting and sizing of solar thermal and PV systems for residential and commercial applications, installed systems as a manufacturer’s rep and for OJT training, helped integrate European equipment into the US market and conducted training for factory-trained solar thermal installers.  He now is solar team manager for Viessmann Manufacturing where he oversees the implementation of the company’s solar activities throughout the US.

Mark is a NABCEP certified solar thermal installer, a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Florida and holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University where his thesis was on the impact of flow rates on heat exchange effectiveness in solar thermal systems.  He also holds a BSME from University of Illinois and a BA in Physics from North Park College, is fluent in French and Lingala, and has written several research papers.  He has served the ASME Solar Energy Division as a member of the Executive Committee, Chair of the Heating and Cooling Technical Committee and chair of several technical conferences.  He was a charter member of the ISES International Consultant’s Network.  But his proudest achievement is becoming a Life Member of the American Solar Energy Society.