Fresh off a record-breaking 2019, we have made several significant hires in our technical advisory team to enable continued growth and to further strengthen capabilities in independent engineering and technical due diligence, bolstering both the company’s capacity in North America as well as its service offerings across all renewable energy sectors.
Recent additions to the team include Chris Mertes as Head of Advisory and Matthew Filippelli as Offshore Services Lead, as well as several specialist principal engineers and project managers to increase the team bandwidth.
Jim Adams, Natural Power’s President of North American Operations, said: “During 2019, our US-based advisory team provided technical due diligence on nearly 15GW of renewable project capacity within North America, including 11.5GW of late-stage, pre-construction wind projects and 1.3GW of late-stage, pre-construction solar.
He continued: “We have demonstrated 50% growth year on year, which outpaces the market in general. This not only reflects the healthy state of the renewable energy buildout underway in North America but also Natural Power’s growing reputation as a provider of reliable, expedient and efficient diligence reviews for project sponsors and investors alike.”
Holly Burnett, Senior Vice President, added: “With these strategic hires and the growth of Natural Power’s global team to more than 400 staff, we are well qualified to serve as independent engineer of record on an increasing volume of wind, solar and storage projects simultaneously.”
New key staff:
Chris Mertes, PE – Head of Advisory, North America
Chris has been involved in the renewable energy industry for more than a decade and has led and supported technical advisory teams at some of the largest energy consultancies. He has steered dozens of advisory, technical due diligence and independent engineering engagements for solar and wind energy projects, having reviewed or contributed to in excess of 4,000MW of projects during the last few years. Chris has led and supported engagements with scopes that included siting, conceptual design, procurement support, contract negotiation, design review, technology evaluations, resource assessment and construction monitoring. He is a licensed engineer (mechanical) in several states and holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wyoming.
Chad Homuth, PE – Senior Project Engineer
Chad Homuth is a senior civil engineer, providing due diligence and independent engineering services for wind and solar projects. Chad is responsible for conducting technical reviews and independent assessments of civil and structural foundation design, conducting on-site construction monitoring, and building strong client relationships. He has more than six years of experience in engineering consulting, primarily serving the hydroelectric and wind power industries. His experience includes the development of structural calculations, design drawings, and technical specifications for wind turbine foundations constructed across the United States and various water retaining structures at hydroelectric facilities in the Midwest. Chad holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, with a structural emphasis, from Michigan State University.
Matthew Filippelli – Principal Engineer & Offshore Services Lead
Matthew Filippelli has been engaged with wind energy consulting and engineering since 2003. His experience in site assessment, wind technology, and project design bolsters Natural Power’s advisory and construction services in the US and internationally. In his role as Principal Engineer, Matt works with a diverse cross-section of clients including developers, investors, owner/operators, government agencies and academic institutions. His experience spans a variety of projects including commercial development support, investor advisory engagements, forecasting and R&D programs. Globally, Matt’s efforts have advanced wind projects across North America, Asia, and Europe.
Matt participates in several onshore and offshore wind industry working groups related to wind site characterization and turbine design, including the IEC 61400-15 Wind Resource and Site Assessment standards working group and the AWEA Offshore Wind Technical Advisory Panel. He holds a dual degree in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is currently working on a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Clarkson University.
Valerie Marquis – Senior Project Engineer, Turbine Technology
Valerie is a wind industry professional with more than 14 years of engineering, consulting, training, HSEQ, people and project management experience. In the past, she has worked as a wind turbine test engineer and fronted an industry-leading team focused on technical testing of utility-scale wind turbines, including power performance, mechanical loads, acoustic noise and power quality testing. Prior to pursuing her passion for renewable energy, Valerie started her career as a hydraulic systems development engineer where she tested hydraulic systems on various large construction equipment models. Valerie received her BS in Mechanical Engineering from Bradley University.
Reece Enderson, PE – Senior Project Manager
Reece brings a decade of energy engineering and project management experience to Natural Power’s advisory team. Reece’s past work ranges from supporting feasibility studies for renewable energy projects, to lead mechanical engineer for a 138MW hydropower EPC project bid, to managing a portfolio of more than 20 major capital refurbishment projects for one of the largest investor-owned utility in the United States. Reece’s client-focused approach and expertise in project management and business operations has built a track record of delivering successful energy projects.
Danielle Burns – Senior Project Manager
Danielle has nearly a decade of experience in the renewable energy industry where she has served in a variety of consultative roles for both public and private clients. She has managed more than 60 projects during this time, often five or more simultaneously, and is quite comfortable balancing multiple client and project needs at the same time. Danielle’s experience includes performing due diligence reviews to evaluate the technical, financial and contractual merits of solar and wind projects on behalf of investors, IOUs and state agencies. Danielle holds an MA from the University of Massachusetts.