A list of Dan Lepinski's contributions:
Advisor for the North Texas Renewable Energy Group executive committee and the North Texas Chapter of the Texas Solar Energy Society
The primary mission of the Texas Solar Energy Society is that of public education in solar energy and energy efficiency. Dan has been in active with this organization since September, 2001. Since joining TXSES and NTREG, his solar energy equipment has provided solar power for hundreds of events and activities, environmental, educational and more.
Re-start of NTREG
He became a member of the North Texas Renewable Energy Group in October, 2001. In 2003, Chuck Wright, founder of the NTREG Yahoo Conversation Group, asked him to join him as co-moderator of the Conversation Group. At that time, the Conversation Group had approximately 250 members. In August, 2006, NTREG ceased to exist as an organization. By summer, 2008, NTREG Yahoo Conversation Group participants were asking when NTREG was going to meet again. As co-moderator of the Group, he took the steps to restart NTREG. He conducted an on-line poll of Conversation Group members, seeking input on general locations of the participants, as well as a preferred day and time for possible meetings. This process took nearly six months to complete. The city of Irving was selected as the most central location, with Saturday morning as the preferred day and time. He located a suitable meeting facility, contacted the city and obtained the city’s permission for use of the facility. A meeting date of September, 2009 was selected. 27 people attended the NTREG re-start meeting. From September, 2009 through December, 2010, he arranged all meeting topics and presenters, sent out announcements, and made sure the NTREG website was kept current. During this period, the selected Irving meeting location became unavailable to NTREG, so a new site was located at the Mustang Park Recreation Center, also in Irving. After running the meetings completely for more than a year, elections were organized, candidates sought and voting was conducted for NTREG’s first Executive Committee since 2006. At that juncture, he turned over all meeting duties and responsibilities to the newly-elected Committee. He stayed on as Advisor to the new and subsequent Executive Committee members. This provides continuity spanning election periods, and a go-to resource for in-depth technical aspects of solar energy. In 2009, meetings averaged 17 attendees. By 2016, NTREG has grown to an average of 45 attendees, with a peak of 88 people at the December, 2015 meeting.
At the same time, NTREG’s DFW Solar Tour, as part of the American Solar Energy Society National Solar Home Tour, took off. In 2009, NTREG member Paul Westbrook hosted a list of the six homes on the Metroplex Tour on his personal website. By 2015, the list had grown to more than 50 homes and commercial sites, with donations from sponsors topping $10,000. According to Lucy Stolzenburg, Texas Solar Energy Society Executive Director, the North Texas Renewable Group is now the largest and most active Chapter of the Texas Solar Energy Society in the State of Texas.
Ben Barber Vocational Technical High School Solar Race Car Team Advisor - 2012-2015
The Solar Car Challenge Foundation is an incredible organization. Founded in 1993 in Dallas, it's grown to include high schools from around America and around the world. High school students design, build and race totally solar powered cars each year. The enthusiasm and excitement this creates in the students is impressive and contagious. Dan was Mentor/Advisor to the Ben Barber Career Technical Academy team in Mansfield, Texas from 2012 to 2015. In 2013, he accompanied the Solar Car Challenge teams as they raced from Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, to the Los Angeles Museum of Science in Los Angeles. He drove his own vehicle, with the “Solar Shuttle” in tow to provide solar electricity as needed along the race course. That year, 11 of the 15 teams suffered breakdowns of sufficient magnitude that had the Solar Shuttle and its electricity not have been available, they would have been put out of the race.
TCCD Curriculum Committee Member - 2007 - 2014
Tarrant County Community College Engineering Technology Curriculum Advisory Committee.
The TCCD Curriculum Advisory Committee reviews and recommends new courses and academic programs. It also reviews curricular revisions and supplements. The Committee recommends new curricula to the College District Governing Board, which gives final approval for courses. He was the only “solar” advisory member on the Committee.
Irving Independent School District, C3E Member / Advisor - Nimitz C3E Advisory Board (2011-2016)
The main purposes of a C3E Advisory Board is to strengthen Irving ISD's Signature Studies Programs by making recommendations for program improvement, and providing technical assistance to assure the most up-to-date curriculum content and appropriate applications of technology. Committee members representing business, industry, labor and general public bring a unique perspective to education and training programs.
Advisory boards are a vital link between CTE Programs and specific industry business. They assist in the following ways:
☼ Placing students at employment sites.
☼ Determining necessary entry-level skills, attitude and knowledge.
☼ Facilitating cooperation and communication between the program and the community.
☼ Evaluations and improvements.
☼ Studying number of workers needed by target occupation in the community.
☼ Helping recruit students into the program.
☼ Setting priorities, including participating in ongoing planning activities of the program.
In his capacity of C3E Advisory Board Member, he also served as a Science Fair judge for several years.
Solar Shuttle
The Solar Shuttle is a very upscale solar trailer that showcases two full-size, fully independent portable solar electric systems capable of powering a modest, energy-efficient home. Dan personally designed and built the Shuttle over a 14 month period from 2009 into early 2010. Since 2010, the Solar Shuttle equipment has continued the flawless record of reliability of the predecessor systems which began use in 2002. In all manner of service, whether educational, public event or emergency-use-related -- it has been 100 percent reliable!
The Solar Shuttle has been used extensively for providing free solar electricity to non-profit organizations and fund-raising events such as:
American Radio Relay League
American Red Cross
Bob Jones Nature Center, Southlake, TX
Botanical Research Institute of Texas
Boy Scouts of America
Downs Association of Texas
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Fort Worth Nature Center
Friends of Tandy Hills Prairie Fest, Fort Worth, TX
Habitat for Humanity
Lupus Foundation of America - Lone Star Chapter
State of Texas Solar Subject-Matter Expert - 2016.
Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association, Ft Worth, TX
Methodist Hospital Cancer Research Center, Plano, TX
Midwest Renewable Energy Association, Custer, WI
National Day of Prayer Foundation, Fort Worth, TX
Promise of Peace Garden, Dallas, TX
Pug Rescue of Texas
Salvation Army
Sierra Club
Solar Car Challenge Foundation
Texas Solar Energy Society
Trinity River Audubon Society
In competition with colleges, Universities, educational institutions, and others, Dan was vetted by the State of Texas Office of the Comptroller, State of Texas Energy Conservation Office (“SECO”) and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (“NCTCOG”). He was selected over all other candidates and contracted to conduct all 20 solar workshops held throughout Texas in 2016. The free workshops were open to lawmakers and elected officials from the State of Texas legislature, County Judges and Commissioners, Mayors and City Council members, Fire and Code Officials, Financiers from the public and private sectors, and Real Estate Professionals.
2016 is his 44th year involved in solar energy.
