Dr. Richard Komp, co-founder of Skyheat, currently serves as Director. Surely few people can match both the enthusiasm Dr. Komp has brought to solar energy as well the length of his career around solar technologies. While he didn’t start working professionally with solar energy until 1960, as far back as 1951 he had worked with passive solar and radiant heating technologies. He has taught literally hundreds of workshops around the world, and has dozens of publications to his name—from academic papers to his current book “Practical Photovoltaics”. He is also the editor for the Maine Solar Energy Association’s quarterly newsletter and their guide to backyard solar entitled “The Maine Solar Primer”.
His workshops have included such themes as: PV module assembly and solar micro-drip irrigation. He has pioneered PV as a “cottage industry” in Nicaragua, Mali, and Haiti (and soon Jamaica and Rwanda), making use of cells that are rejected by major manufacturers to do low-tech assembly of PV panels. Currently groups in these countries are assembling dozens of panels per year for a total of over 10 kilowatts per year.
Richard has had a deep career in the academic and research worlds. He received his PhD in Physical Chemistry from Wayne State University in Michigan and later was an associate professor at Kentucky University. He also has been an adjunct or visiting professor at several other universities, including currently the national engineering university (UNI — Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería) in Managua, Nicaragua where he spends 2-3 months per year. Earlier in his career he conducted extensive research at Xerox’s Materials Research Laboratory, resulting in about a dozen patents on such things as nanoparticle photoreceptors. That said, Richard is far more than just an “academic”. He is just as “hands on” as he is cerebral and he lives in an off-the-grid solar house that he built himself far “down east” in Jonesport, Maine (the only place a solar scientist could afford coastal real estate). The house is decked out with many of the technologies he has taught in workshops, including photovoltaics, solar thermal hot water (via his “hybrid” system), and rain water catchments. It allows him to lead a simple, inexpensive, and fruitful life that many would envy.
His involvement in several organizations speaks to his commitment to share his knowledge and skills with younger generations, as well as to make a difference in the world. He currently is involved in the following organizations:
- Skyheat Associates – Director & Co-Founder
- Maine Solar Energy Association – President
- Sunwatt Corporation – Founder
- Grupo Fenix – Scientific & technological Advisor,( group of Nicaraguan organizations)
- SeedTree – Treasurer
- Northeast Sustainable Energy Association – Chapter Board Member
- Great Auk Land Trust – Board Member
Dr. Richard Komp’s travels have taken him to Canada (Falls Brook Centre), Europe, Haiti, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mali, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and San Andreas (Colombia)
His hobbies include Astronomy and building telescopes, sailboat racing out of Gross Point Yacht Club with GM physicists.
He is expected to be on our Science and Technology faculty.