Dynapower’s General Manager, Adam Knudsen recently spoke with Wes Ashworth on the Green Giants Podcast about Harnessing Innovation and the Future of Clean Energy. Be sure to catch the full episode here , and enjoy reading a few highlights below.
Wes Ashworth: Starting out, can you share a little bit about Dynapower’s core mission and also what drives your personal passion in the renewable energy sector?
Adam Knudsen: That’s easy in the sense that they’re intertwined. We have, for really the 60-plus years that Dynapower has been in existence, half of which I’ve been a participant as just one member of a very hardworking, talented group, always driven to try to solve the world’s most challenging power and energy problems. Over the course of many decades, those problems dynamically shift, right? Where we are currently is, we’re right in the middle of the clean energy soup. I’m thrilled to say in the middle, we’re not in the very infant stages and we certainly haven’t finished, right?
Some of the challenges we are addressing right now include battery energy storage and its connection to renewables. There’s massive growth in the connection of batteries with renewables in a lot of different ways. Over the last seven, eight, nine years, Dynapower has led the innovation of DC coupled storage. We have tons of DC to DC power electronics that help add batteries to either existing solar installations for optimization or brand-new installations that just happen to be DC coupled. Allowing the penetration of renewables through battery energy storage has been a cornerstone of ours since we founded our Clean Energy Group in 2007. It was a long time ago in the world of technology, right?
So, that’s a growing piece of our business. About four years ago, we expanded our clean energy business from battery energy storage and power electronics to a much broader-based solutions approach. We vertically scaled through the battery energy storage, providing batteries, controls, and much more. We went after very purpose hydrogen applications. Hydrogen applications are growing and will have a massive impact on the world. We’ve been working with Proton Energy out of Connecticut for a long time, and they were acquired by NEL, a current and future partner of ours. We’ve been doing hydrogen for a long time, and the evolution of that technology, cost outs, and incentives are really driving that space.
Adam Knudsen
General Manager, DynapowerWes Ashworth: I’d love for others to hear about Dynapower’s involvement in both renewable and defense sectors and how you balance the challenges and opportunities of these diverse applications.
Adam Knudsen: So, the first part is how we work within the defense segment. The second part is what’s going on in the world of energy in defense. Dynapower grew up providing power electronics for metal finishing applications, aerospace applications, battery energy storage, and battery forming back in the 70s. We’ve been around for a while. In the mid-90s, we were approached by defense contractors to build transformers that go on ships. We build magnetics mostly for our own use and sometimes for others. We build mil-spec transformers for the U.S. military, which set a new path for our business.
Our defense business is strong and growing significantly over the next five years. We’ve built a reputation within the defense segment, delivering on what we say, which leads to more opportunities. The U.S. military is one of the largest energy users in the world, with diverse energy needs from bases to forward operating theater energy packs. Understanding these challenges and supporting both the defense side and defense contractors is crucial. The defense segment and energy solutions connected to it will be an important part of our business for a long time.
Wes Ashworth: Reflecting on your extensive experience, what advice would you offer to professionals eager to make a substantial impact in the renewable energy sector? How can people get started and make an impact?
Adam Knudsen: To make an impact, you have to take that first step. There are millions of diverse jobs in the clean energy segment now. It’s not just research scientists; there are roles in billing, supply chain, quality, R&D, and commercial. Organizations are diversifying, with large oil and gas companies jumping into clean energy, creating more opportunities. Educational institutions are also evolving. You can have careers, make money, and drive financial performance in clean energy.
