Amelia Amon

Solar products by designer Amelia Amon have been producing power and winning awards since the 1990s. Her clients include Ben & Jerry's, Solar One, Sunworks, NYSERDA, NYPA, the IBEW, Austin Energy, the Smithsonian National Museum of Design, the Institute for Policy Studies, NYU, and numerous science & environmental centers.

Amelia has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Assoc. (NESEA), the Fabric Alliance (for Lightweight Architecture), co-founder of O2/NY international network for ecologically-concerned designers, board of the NY Solar Industries Assoc. and Chair of the NY Chapter of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA).

Amy McDonough

Ms. Amy McDonough is a Project Developer for Borrego Solar. Amy primarily focuses on developing large-scale comprehensive solar power installations for commercial real estate developers and both private, and public, owners of brownfields and landfill sites. Her backgrounds in geology and environmental permitting enable her to better serve her clients as they navigate the complexities associated with developing larger commercial and government solar installations. Amy has successfully managed the application and permitting processes with regulatory agencies and local permitting authorities including the Army Corp of Engineers, state offices of environmental protection and energy, and local conservation commissions, zoning, and planning boards. Before joining Borrego Solar, Amy was an Environmental Scientist for Tighe & Bond, a consulting and engineering firm in New England, where she managed the engineering and permitting effort for the City of Easthampton landfill solar power installation; the first municipal landfill solar ground mount to be interconnected in MA. Amy is a LEED® Accredited Professional, and she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Miami University, and her Masters of Science in Geology from the University of Vermont.

Barry Brits

Barry joined Beacon Power, LLC in March 2012. Beacon Power manufactures flywheels used in utility scale energy storage applications. Beacon’s 100kW/25kWh flywheel has over 3 million operating hours including 200 flywheels operating in a 20MW frequency regulation application in New York. As the Chief Executive Officer he is responsible for the growth and operations of the company. Prior to joining Beacon Power Barry worked for the global independent power producer, International Power, plc for 14 years and spent the last 10 years as CFO of International Power America (“IPA”). IPA owned and operated 6,800MW of fossil and wind generation in ERCOT, ISO-NE, PJM, Puerto Rico and Canada. In addition to financial responsibility Barry was very involved in business operations and growth of the business through construction and acquisitions. Barry negotiated, closed and administered $2.6B of project finance loan facilities, oversaw integration of three major acquisitions, and ensured a solid platform for operating success as the company grew more than 10 times to revenue over $1 billion during his tenure as CFO. Prior to joining International Power Barry worked for Arthur Andersen and Rio Tinto, a global mining company. He is a Chartered Accountant (qualified in the United Kingdom) and has a degree in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Valerie Strauss

ACE NY

Valerie Strauss is the Interim Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, Inc. (ACE NY) where she was previously the Deputy Director. She manages the organization and engages in public policy activities to advance the adoption of clean energy options working closely with a variety of organizations including environmental groups, NYSERDA, the Public Service Commission, the New York Independent System Operator, and the State Legislature and Executive Chamber.

Prior to joining ACE NY she was a Senior Policy Analyst with the law firm of Young, Sommer, Ward, Ritzenberg, Baker and Moore in Albany, NY, where she was a NYS lobbyist on behalf of AWEA, in addition to working on behalf of the law firm's private sector clients. While at the law firm she helped create the Alliance for Clean Energy New York as an outgrowth of her coalition building work during adoption of New York’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). 


Ms. Strauss has many years of experience in environmental policy in the United States and Europe. She has worked on agricultural, water quality and energy issues for nonprofit organizations, government and private industry. Prior to moving to New York, she worked for environmental consulting firms and non-profit organizations in Washington, DC and Madrid, Spain.

Valerie has degrees in geography and urban planning from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of California at Los Angeles.

Rick Lewandowski

Rick Lewandowski, Executive Director, The Center for Evaluation of Clean Energy Technology (CECET), an Intertek company, is a senior market development professional with a proven track record of achievement during 30 years in renewable energy and distributed generation markets and technologies. His technology expertise includes photovoltaic, fuel cell, solar thermal and hybrid products as well as manufacturing. He has strong skills in team-building, communications and leadership, as well as implementing creative business models. He has successfully formed four companies; won numerous grants from the USDOE, DARPA, USDOD, NYSERDA and the Illinois Department of Conservation (IDOC); coordinated the development of a new marketing and financial products including trade finance and barter systems for international programs for the World Bank and United Nations Development Program (UNDP); successfully (and consistently) developed strategic marketing plans for new renewable energy products under contract for NYSERDA; provided market-oriented technology due-diligence for venture capital and larger consulting firms; and structured complex joint ventures and strategic relationships with stakeholders, multidisciplinary divisions and organizations.