The company, a subsidiary of Crowell’s father’s Maine-based building company, provides clients with alternative means of power.

“Our Wentworth engineering education gave us the ability to think on a different path and to evaluate other options before reaching a decision,” said Lorenz. “This is how we addressed setting up the business, client needs, and manufacturer selection.”

As this began as a cooperative education venture, the primary goal was learning. Other objectives included earning customer satisfaction, handling the responsibilities of being their own boss, and growing networking opportunities with distributors, suppliers, and subcontractors. The trio successfully researched, provided estimates, and installed client-specific designed systems in western Maine.

One of the many examples of innovative work conducted by the group came when they installed a pole mount system for a client. After reviewing the client’s electric bills and conducting an evaluation, they determined that, due to the amount of snow in the winter and the property’s being situated in a large field, a top-of-pole-mount photovoltaic system that could track the sun would be most effective. The students designed a system that matched the homeowner’s energy needs and taught themselves how to install a complete photovoltaic turnkey system. Now the homeowner gains credits on the utility bill during the winter, which helps pay for air-conditioning in the summer.

Although the green movement is taking the world by storm, it is not just the green theme that motivated Crowell, Lorenz, and Heinrich. They want people to look at their own energy usage and be more responsible, using only what they need.

“As people are building houses, they should design them to be as efficient as possible,” said Crowell. “That will save them money, and help cut down on their carbon footprint.”

Crowell, Lorenz, and Heinrich hope to further develop Sustainable Energy Solutions by expanding their business from energy use to efficient building design, persuading residential contractors to make homes more energy efficient, exploring different types of alternative energy, and reducing household dependencies on fossil fuels and foreign producers. The energy that these three recent graduates dedicated to their co-op is sure to power success in their future.