About Us
Advanced Solar Technologies, Inc. (AST)
has been founded in 2007 by Harald W. Kegelmann and Douglas "Scott" Davies, two individuals dedicated
to renewable technologies. At AST, we have a history of "firsts:" we installed the first free-standing
structure to support solar energy in Orlando, the largest residential system at that time, we
installed the first commercial PV system in the U.S. connected under a solar feed-in tariff, and
we installed the first residential system in Florida leasing roof space from a third party.
Mission
Provide cost-effective
renewable energy solutions with the highest technical expertise and the most professional
service.
Vision
Gainesville Solar Feed-in Tariff
The Solar
Feed-in Tariff (FIT) is the most successful vehicle for the broadbased deployment
of solar PV systems. The program was first introduced in Germany and is the reason
why about 50 percent of the world's solar PV installations take place in Germany.
Since December 2003, Harald Kegelmann has been promoting a German-style solar FIT in
Gainesville, by giving numerous presentations at City Commission meetings, meeting
individually with City Commissioners and managers at Gainesville Regional Utilities.
Subsequently, Ed Regan, Assistant General Manager for Strategic Planning, visited
Germany in June of 2008 to study the solar FIT program. On February 5, 2009, the
Gainesville City Commission signed an ordinance to implement the first solar FIT
in the US.
February 5, 2009: Signing of the Gainesville Solar Feed-in Tariff in the Gainesville City
Commission Auditorium. Scott Davies (4th from right) and Harald Kegelmann (6th from right)
were present at this historic event.
Management
Harald W. Kegelmann, CEO
Harald W. Kegelmann is a native
of Germany and came to the U.S. in 1986 on a scholarship to pursue graduate studies in Computer
Science at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. After completing his M.S. degree
and attending the Ph.D. program, Mr. Kegelmann was offered a faculty position in computer
science at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida.
Within two years of this opportunity, Mr. Kegelmann founded FDT, a successful Internet Company
with more than 4,000 customers and 23 employees in several cities around North Florida.
In 2003, Mr. Kegelmann turned his interests towards solar energy. For the next six years,
he lobbied the city commission of Gainesville and Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU),
the local municipal utility, to implement a German-style feed-in tariff, the most successful
funding program for solar energy. In 2010 alone it accounted for 7,400 MW of new solar PV
installations in Germany. Finally, on March 1, 2009, GRU became the first utility in the
United States to implement such a funding mechanism for solar energy.
Since February 2007, when Mr. Kegelmann co-founded Advanced Solar Technologies, Inc., he
designed, developed numerous residential and commercial PV systems in Florida, as well as
facilitated the largest roof installation in Florida (1.8 MW), the largest privately owned
ground mount PV system (2 MW), and a large utility-sized PV system (15 MW).
Matthew M. Malone, COO
Matthew M. Malone grew up around construction
with a father who was an architect designing skyscrapers in New York City. As a teenager
he always worked on construction sites, but then later began working in the field of Solar
Energy.
In 1995, Matthew received a military scholarship to attend Embry Riddle University in
Prescott, Arizona, where he began earning a degree in Science, Technology and Globalization.
During his time in college, he continued to develop his passion for construction by working
in a Sustainable Building Technologies Department, a program that developed lectures on
the most revolutionary renewable building methods and materials of that time. The program
worked closely with EV Solar, a local solar company, where Matthew later received a position
specializing in design and installation of fully integrated solar electric systems, solar
hot water systems, micro-wind turbines, and solar water pumps.
Upon graduation Matthew entered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a military officer,
fulfilling his scholarship requirements. Over his six-year military career he attained
the rank of Captain. While serving a one-year combat tour in Iraq he worked as the
Oil Ministry Representative for Northern Iraq, receiving the Bronze Star for his work
allocating and coordinating over $9 million in reconstruction projects. He and his
team were responsible for project management, budget allocation, payment obligations,
and the contracting of local Iraqi building companies. With the help of two great
translators, he mediated crucial negotiations between Iraqi municipality officials
and both U.S. and Iraqi governmental officials in Baghdad. Projects included the
reconstitution of key energy infrastructure, as well as, local community projects
such as schools, hospitals and sports facilities.
After returning from Iraq, he started his own consulting company, traveling
extensively throughout the world, working with such companies as Bosch, Brose,
and Siemens.
In 2010, he returned to his passion in renewable technologies, partnering with
Advanced Solar Technologies Inc., developing solar projects in the U.S., Germany
and other countries in Europe.
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