About Technikon
Technikon assists emerging technology providers, financiers, developers and governments in accelerating the commercialization of renewable energy technologies. During the past 15 years, it has helped to guide more than 35 ventures from technology evaluation through project development.
Among its services, Technikon can assist government and industry with independent testing and validation for renewable energy and renewable fuels technologies with respect to robustness, safety, energy efficiency, environmental effectiveness and other key performance specifications.
Through Renovitas, the company’s associated environmental consultancy, management provides comprehensive Environmental, Health and Safety Consulting Services in the areas of storm water general permit compliance, health and safety programs and plans, air permitting, and solid and hazardous waste management.
Technikon is associated with experts in renewable energy conversion technologies (power and fuels), municipal waste processing, mass and thermal modeling, and EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) management. Following are capsule biographies of the key management and associates, who are available to support your projects.
Bill Walden, CEO and President
Mr. Walden culminated a 15-year governmental career by acquiring over $75 million in funding to create the Casting Emission Reduction Program (CERP) test and validation lab for high temperature environmental and energy research with the three US auto companies. The goals of CERP were to reduce negative air and energy impacts from the metal casting industry. By 2008, these impacts had been reduced over 60% across the entire US $25 billion industry.
When the McClellan Air Base was closed in 2000, he and his partner, George Crandell, acquired the 60,000 square-foot Energy Application Validation & Development Laboratory, and formed Technikon in one of the largest operational privatizations in Air Force history. In 2008 the lab was converted for high temperature renewable energy conversion technology validation with a focus on waste-to-energy (WTE) or waste to liquid fuels.
George Crandell, Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Crandell has over 35 years of experience as an engineer and manager in the areas of energy, environmental and metal casting, with an emphasis in thermal processing and environmental measurement for the waste-to-energy and fuels technologies. He was responsible for management of the company’s Renewable Energy Testing Center (RETC), overseeing $30 million in federal and state contracts at this unique testing and validation facility.
Mr. Crandell was formerly the Operations Manager of the government’s Casting Emission Reduction Program (CERP), overseeing the program’s validation facility, where more than 180 products and processes were tested to validate their potential to reduce air emissions, energy usage and economic viability.
Prior to joining CERP, he spent 12 years with Chrysler as its Facilities Engineering Manager, and earlier as the Maintenance Superintendent of Chrysler’s foundry where he was responsible for plant engineering, energy programs and environmental compliance.
Jim Stewart, Vice-President – Business Development
Mr. Stewart has four times been voted as one of the “Top 100 People in the BioEconomy” in annual polls of Biofuels Digest. He has served for the past ten years as Chairman of the Board of California’s BioEnergy Producers Association. Active for the past twelve years in advanced biofuels project development, he co-founded and served as Vice President – Marketing & Public Affairs of New Planet Energy, which joint ventured with INEOS Bio to construct the world’s first biorefinery to co-produce ethanol and electricity from carbon-based wastes, a project that was supported by $125 million in USDOE and USDA grants and loan guarantees.
Mr. Stewart served for four years as a Strategic Advisor to Stern Brothers & Company, identifying and assessing potential bond financing clients in the areas of renewable fuels, chemicals and bioproducts. He was formerly Vice President-Corporate Relations and Assistant to the President of the Walt Disney Company.
Jodie Crandell, Compliance Director, Renovitas
Ms. Crandell, QISP, TOR, QEP, has over 30 years of experience in the environmental compliance field and manages Renovitas, the company’s associated environmental consultancy. Her team provides comprehensive Environmental, Health and Safety Consulting Services to wide variety of clients in the areas of storm water general permit compliance, health and safety programs and plans, air permitting, and solid and hazardous waste management. Additional she does the project management for Technikon on contracts and grants. She was the senior project manager for the Renewable Energy Testing Center (RETC) for U.S. Army contract and has considerable experience successfully running multiple multimillion-dollar federal and California contracts.
Key Associates
Larry Buckle – PE
Mr. Buckle has over 25 years of experience in municipal waste and water resource management, fiscal stewardship and project coordination. Mr. Buckle has extensive experience managing $100 million projects, and developing and implementing municipal master plans. His experience base includes consulting in the waste management arena, as a manager of large waste handling and landfill company, and as lead engineer for a fast-growing municipality. He has a successful track record forging partnerships and coalitions with various constituencies, including municipalities, governing boards, businesses, government agencies, non-profits, and labor.
Rod Sidwell – Ph.D.
Mr. Sidwell has over fifteen years in the areas of Thermal Engineering, Manufacturing, Teaching and R&D projects. His experience includes: a) Gasifier Pilot-plant development and operation, b) Manufacture and Installation of first/early commercial products, c) Fuel cell models, laboratory experiments, and intellectual property development, and d) College level technical teaching. Prior to his industrial activities with a variety of gasification technology companies he worked for Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory as a Materials Engineer and as a Nuclear Operations Engineer for EG&G Idaho.
Mike Koestler
Mr. Koestler has over 35 years of experience and expertise in executive management of multi-billion dollar projects with specific experience in large intricate construction projects particularly in the Power and Mining & Metals sectors.
Prior to starting his own company Mr. Koestler held the position of Special Projects Manager, Construction Manager, and Project Manager for Bechtel Corporation and most recently reporting directly to the President of Bechtel Construction. He spent 20 years in Bechtel’s power organization working on a variety of projects and power technologies including nuclear, repowering, cogeneration, biomass boilers and combustion turbines.