Rob Slack
When did you join Natural Power?
November 2021.
What did you do prior to joining Natural Power?
I have been working in renewable energy engineering since 2002 where I contributed to sensing, dynamic loads controls and operational controls for a major wind turbine manufacturer, taking a core technology set from the R&D stage all the way to operations. I spent several years in wind energy consulting, prototyping several novel systems and leading a team in wind turbine controls, loads simulations and accredited loads measurements. I have also performed Independent Engineer work, site visits, energy estimates, code compliance reviews and related consulting in solar PV at commercial and utility scales giving me a well-rounded experience and understanding of multiple renewable technologies.
What is the biggest challenge to getting a system like EchoSense® out to market and how are you overcoming it?
The biggest challenge is to maintain a balanced and complete overview of technical priorities across a multidisciplinary system (knowledge of the wind turbine and wind farm environment, bat biology and ecology, acoustics, mechanics and structure, electrical and noise considerations, controls, multi-subsystem integration, security, data management, and communication interfaces among others) – to recognize present needs and future market drivers that are most central at any given time to customers’ experience and our ongoing success. I help myself and the team to meet this challenge by listening externally and internally, looking in depth at elements of our customers’ experience from each season, consulting with on-team experts and others within and in the orbit of Natural Power, and drawing on those diverse perspectives to bring about a shared vision and plan for our technical path forward.
Provide a hidden talent or quirky fact about yourself.
I’ve been exploring expanding sections of river and landscape around a designated wild & scenic river system for over a decade with a group of families, friends & kids.
Rob has authored and co-authored multiple patents in areas of wind turbine control. He focuses on system integration, process and performance across hardware and software domains within the EchoSense® product.