Nearly every building is a candidate for not just using, but producing some or all of the power it uses onsite. New technology, creative integration designs and products, and revolutionary financing approaches are fueling triple digit annual growth in the Solar PV industry, and the mainstreaming of onsite power production is underway. Learn the details of what is driving this exciting evolution of the Energy Industry.

Derrick Weisbrod is a founding member and Chief Operating Officer at Freiezo Wind Energy Solutions. Derrick has been interested in alternative energy and the general movement toward a greener earth as long as he can remember. Efforts include contributing in fundamental ways such as recycling aluminum cans, glass, metal, plastic, Styrofoam, motor oil, antifreeze, tires, cardboard, paper, computers, and other electronic equipment both at home and work. Additionally, Derrick annually plants 125 to 250 trees at his home to contribute to offsetting his carbon footprint. He has now planted over 1000 trees in the last 6 years. He is a member of the Missouri Forest Keepers Network. He also has a major passion for water clean up as well. You can routinely catch him picking up gravel bars and streams while he enjoys a day on the water as well as volunteering for several Missouri Stream Teams cleanups throughout the year. His most recent interests have turned to alternative energy generation with a focus on harvesting wind energy which in turn has targeted his focus toward the new wind energy business, Freiezo.

 

As executive director of the USGBC-STL, Emily Andrews has emerged as a leading advocate for cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings in St. Louis. Her primary responsibilities with USGBC-STL include providing outreach, education and advocacy for green building principles and practices throughout the region. With green building design continuing to grow in popularity, Andrews is focused on demonstrating the many benefits that can be derived from green building practices. During the five years Emily Andrews has been leading the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)-Missouri Gateway Chapter, St. Louis has gone from having only a handful of LEED certified buildings to more than 85 commercial and 65 residential projects in the metro area.

Education Coordinator at Missouri Botanical Garden EarthWays Center – Through her position at the EarthWays Center, Katy Mike connects people to their bio-region and urban community. She infuses the Missouri Botanical Garden’s sustainability education with innovative art and literacy programming, and she is specifically interested in recycling, new ways to reuse materials, and re-thinking our resources. Her current responsibilities include coordination of the outreach programs at the K-12 level, university consulting on sustainability, volunteer coordination, camp direction, and maintenance of the compost pile, amongst others.