The University of Texas at Austin

Sustainability and Carbon Reduction Enthusiast

Leading a 50 person team at the forefront of the energy landscape covering electrification, demand response, weatherization, and deepening the utility relationship with customers as partners in energy management.

- Working with City Council and other governing bodies to advance the ambitious climate goals set forth in City of Austin's Climate Equity Plan
- Developing technology adoption roadmaps for expansion and integration of grid edge and behind the meter green infrastructure to advance the energy transition and achieve rapid grid decarbonization.
- Principal Investigator on 4 DOE grants

Austin Energy

Director, Energy Efficiency Services

Developing a Resiliency as a Service program, designed to reduce the customer cost of
on-site back up generation by monetizing the asset outside of grid outages by
dispatching into the market at high cost intervals. This program entails extensive
coordination both inside Austin Energy (Energy Market Operations, Regulatory, and
Electric Services) and outside with customers, vendors, PUC/ERCOT, and the public.

Acting Program Manager, Resiliency Programs

Managed 20 person team, made up of IT and customer service work groups providing
support to Energy Efficiency Services. Although my time was short, I rolled out a new
CRM platform and integrated the hotline with the larger Austin Energy call center, creating better employee mobility and improving customer service.

Interim Manager, Energy Efficiency Services Austin Energy

Managing solar incentives and renewable energy subscription programs, which serve to help advance the penetration of renewables in customer-sited, low-income and utility-wide generation profiles. Develop and deploy programs to help meet and surpass goals set by Austin City Council and key environmental and industry stakeholders in the Austin area.

Environmental Program Manager - Customer Renewable Services

Working to develop a renewable portfolio plan to hit Austin's Zero Carbon Initiative by 2050. Engaging stakeholders across government, industry, and the public to strategize new and innovative solutions to the biggest challenges facing our generation.

Program Coordinator - Renewables 

Developing products that provide access to renewable energy, mobile finance, and last-mile sales, marketing, distribution and customer service.

OUR MISSION
To empower our customers with life-changing energy technology and inclusive financial services. We fulfill this mission by designing, delivering & financing quality products and relentlessly pursuing an exceptional customer experience. We think BIG, act and iterate with a strong, passionate team that loves what they do.

As the Hardware Product Development Manager of cutting edge new solar technology products for Africa, my chief responsibilities are: 
1) Seek out new battery and solar powered accessory technologies for our East Africa market - giving people access to solar powered technology with an eye on affordable sustainability.
2) Establish market requirements for the future of PAYG off-grid solar, and IoT products for the modern African home. 
3) Collaborate with hardware engineering team to design and develop solar powered batteries and accessories.
4) Orchestrate pilots and roll out plans across East Africa and develop product strategies for new markets
5) Coordinate customer feedback on existing products and field survey to determine future opportunities for growth and improvement of our product line up.

ENGIE Energy Access (Africa)

Hardware Product Development Manager

ALL Power Labs designs and sells gasifiers - a biomass to energy generator. I bring together my technical education with my outgoing nature to provide a top tier sales experience for our clients. This includes collaborating with our engineering department to develop products that advance our user's interests as well as providing clients with technical support both before and after their purchase.

ALL Power Labs

Director Of Sales And Business Development

1) Built out a mobile, multi-stage anaerobic biodigester, complete with an on-board generator. I was responsible for programming the automation, construction of the plumbing, data collection and analysis, and monitoring digester health through 2 seasons of testing.
•	Design/build plumbing, electrical and automation for a food waste to energy pilot plant
•	Design/build of generator and flare system for natural gas combustion for a CHP system
•	Design Arduino/EZPLC based PLC systems for low cost data collection and automation
2) Built test apparatuses for the development of engineered inoculum for use in low-water anaerobic digestion of cattle manure and food waste. My role included constructing test apparatuses for >70 different samples, monitoring, developing laboratory test plans, managing 2 students (to execute the lab testing), and collection and analysis of data.

Colorado State University

Research Assistant

Managing the production upstart of a salt mine and RO plant in Western Sahara.
•	Worked to commission equipment for salt harvesting and screening in Western Sahara
•	Oversaw QA/QC for compliance with client specifications
•	Responsible for overseeing start-up of operations
•	Worked with port logistics to ensure safe and timely transport of product to client

Project Manager/Mining Engineer

Lonquist & Co., LLC

•	Working with vendors and bar owner to develop wine list and flights
•	Responsible for sales, training and promotions

Uncorked Tasting Room

Head Bartender

Design and construction of pilot scale zero-waste wastewater treatment plant in Barranca, Peru.
• Managed a team of 10 people to support a community “toilet to tap” water treatment system and aquaculture project in Barranca, Peru
• Design and construction of wastewater treatment and fish aquaculture systems, including tank and auxiliary support, with integrated wastewater treatment and feed production using duckweed
• Ongoing work with writing grant proposals and white papers for projects globally

Agriquatics, LLC.

Design/Project Engineer

Mechanical Engineer – EIT – NASA OMEGA Project
• Team member of  NASA OMEGA (Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae) project –treating municipal wastewater with algae, to produce biomass for energy generation and clean water
• Team lead for photobioreactor system design (enclosures, mooring, hydraulics and electrical)
• Designed and constructed a wavemaker with variable wavelength capabilities to simulate ocean conditions  
Mechanical Engineer – EIT – FOG to Biodiesel Conversion Pilot Project
• Member of a design/implementation team for brown grease to biodiesel conversion pilot plant at Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Francisco, CA
• Reverse engineered, troubleshooted and operated a grease refinement pallet and oil to biodiesel conversion pallet over the course of 3 months in order to develop comprehensive operating procedures

URS Corporation

Project Engineer - EIT

Algae Systems, LLC Daphne, AL
• Design of a wave tank/wavemaker for testing fluid kinematics inside algae photobioreactors
• Consulting on algal health, plumbing and monitoring systems
Mechanical Engineering Department – Berberoglu Research Group – UT Austin
• Designed and machined an air tight chamber for testing the effectiveness of algae grown on biofilm for CO2 sequestration for use in air quality regulation on the space station
Biology Department – UTEX Laboratory – UT Austin
• Designed and constructed a test chamber for measuring the effects of algae in a closed system on waste streams from various industrial and municipal processes

Pearl Snap LLC.

Consulting Engineer

Designed, built and operated pollutant bioremediation plants, with a focus on the production of a beneficial use product such as fuel from algae or animal feed and pharmaceuticals from duckweed.
Design/Operating Engineer – Duckweed Cultivation and Processing Facility
• Designed and constructed a duckweed facility in a fallow rice paddy including ponds, nutrient monitoring, harvesters and dewatering systems
Design/Operating Engineer – Pyrolysis Reactors
• Designed, constructed and operated two pyrolysis reactors (fixed bed and fluidized bed) for use with biomass generated by algae and duckweed facilities 
Supervising Engineer -  Hornsby Bend Wastewater Bioremediation and Beneficial Use
• Operated and maintained Hornsby Bend pilot plant, including the management of six other employees
• Designed and constructed algae cultivation systems (CO2 capture/deliver, circulation, harvesting, dewatering, etc.)
• Designed, procured and built a waterwheel to circulate the photobioreactors 
• Designed and implemented data acquisition (DAQ) system to automate flue gas injection based on pH
• Installed electrical panels including 120V and 220V and hard wired pumps, compressors, etc. into the system
• Identified and wrote grants in the public and private sector for algal biofuel and CO2 sequestration

Sunrise Ridge Algae, Inc.

Supervising Engineer

Design Engineer – Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Project – ATL
• Worked on a team to design a system for recovery of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) from a pontoon boat
• Developed 3-D CAD models, FEA analysis and Matlab simulation
Systems Administrator - ESL
• Managed hardware and software on lab with 50 computers, including 4 closed rooms

Applied Research Laboratories, The University of Texas at Austin

Mechanical Project Engineer/Systems Administrator

Maintenance and Reliability
• Maintenance and reliability projects to ensure longevity and efficiency of rotating equipment
• Experience with industrial scale compressors, generators, blowers, pumps, turbines and centrifuges
• Planned and oversaw replacement of 8 traditional centrifugal pumps with mag-drive pumps

Sara Norris