SENTECH News

• May 4, 2010 -- SENTECH, Inc. Wins Government Contractor of the Year Award
  From Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum
  
  SENTECH, Inc., which provides energy technical services to U.S. government and private sector clients, was named Government Contractor of the Year in the $12 million to $25 million category from over 90 nominations received by the Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum (SECAF).
  
  SENTECH’s primary clients are the U.S. Department of Energy and its national laboratories, and serves clients in four states and the District of Columbia.  “I congratulate all the employees of SENTECH on this award,” said SENTECH Chairman John Chapel. “Through their hard work and dedication to serving our clients the company has been able to show extraordinary growth. We also want to thank SECAF for this recognition and honor."
  
  SENTECH was recognized for its outstanding track record of growth and commitment to serving government clients. “We have focused our efforts on clean energy since our inception,” said Jonathan Hurwitch, president and chief operating officer of SENTECH. “This award is recognition of our outstanding track record of growth and of being committed to serving our government clients. Thanks to the teamwork of our Board of Directors, senior management and staff, all who work diligently every day, we can take great pride in our efforts and in this achievement.”
  
  SECAF is a non-profit organization committed to building a healthy, prosperous and wholesome government contracting community. The organization enables the small and emerging government contractor to achieve maximum growth rates in a highly competitive marketplace by arming them with business resources, access to influencers and government agencies, advocacy opportunities and education.
• July 29, 2009 -- SENTECH Partners with Florida Solar Energy Center Team Winning $1.3 Million Award for New Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems
  
  US Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today the investment of up to $11.8 million – $5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – for five projects designed to advance the next stage of development of solar energy grid integration systems (SEGIS). The selections announced today are part of DOE’s continuing work to help assure the nation’s electrical grid reliability is maintained and improved as solar energy technologies reach cost competitiveness and increased levels of integration with the grid.
  
  The Florida Solar Energy Center will work with Satcon Technology Corporation (Boston, MA), SENTECH, Inc. (Bethesda, MD), SunEdison (Beltsville, MD), Cooper Power Systems EAS (Minneapolis, MN), Northern Plains Power Technologies (Brookings, SD) and Lakeland Electric Utilities (Lakeland, FL).  This project, with a cost share of up to $1.3 million, focuses on developing advanced inverters and controls to enable larger amounts of photovoltaic power to be connnected to US electric utilities.
  
  See full DOE article
  
• June 18, 2009 -- John Chapel Featured in LEAD Publication
  
  R. John Chapel, Jr. of CMA Capital Partners LLC is featured in the Spring/Summer 2009 edition of LEAD, the magazine of Drexel University's Lebow College of Business. In Beyond the Numbers: An M&A Pro Who Gets It (PDF 6.51MB), he reveals his formula for mergers and acquisitions success, even in today's tough economy.
  
  CMA Capital Partners LLC is a private equity firm that acquired a majority stake in SENTECH Inc. through its subsidiary, CMA Government Solutions, Inc. in May 2009.
  
  

• May 14, 2009 -- SENTECH Hawai'i Builds Consensus for Kaua'i Energy Sustainability Plan
  
  On May 14, SENTECH Hawai'i conducted an "All Stakeholders Meeting" to assist the county of Kaua'i in the development of a sustainable energy plan. This gathering follows 15 previous meetings held to gain stakeholder consensus regarding how to best eliminate the county's reliance on imported oil by 2030.
  
  During the meeting, SENTECH's Doug Hinrichs proposed three primary strategies to move toward energy independence: reduce energy demand, increase clean energy supply, and improve the efficiency of energy delivery. These strategies were applied to both transporation and electriciy pathways, and practical, implementable actions were presented as examples. A Kaua'i County representative said she was "astounded" by the level of agreement that the plan received.
  
  Next steps include drafting the plan for submission to the county by October 15, rolling out the plan to the community for comment on November 13, and then presenting the final plan sometime in January 2010.
• May 12, 2009 -- SENTECH Ownership Restructuring Announcement
  
  We are pleased to announce that CMA Capital Partners LLC – a private equity firm - has acquired a majority stake in SENTECH Inc. through its subsidiary CMA Government Solutions, Inc. SENTECH will remain an independent energy and environmental consulting firm, providing the highest quality services to our federal state and private sector clients. Rajat Sen will continue to be the Chief Executive Officer of SENTECH, while Jonathan Hurwitch will take on additional responsibilities in managing the day-to-day operations of the company as President and Chief Operating Officer.
  
  SENTECH Chief Executive Officer Rajat Sen explains “Every effort has been made – and will continue to be made - to make the transition seamless to both clients and staff. The management structure and direction of the company remains the same. Our clients will continue to receive the service they have come to expect from our dedicated staff, who in turn will continue to work with the management they have known during their tenure at SENTECH. “
  
  SENTECH President and Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Hurwitch states “By including new investors in the company at this stage, we are poised to continue our growth throughout the next decade. CMA Solutions experience and expertise in growing government service companies will be of great value to us both immediately and over the long term.”
  
  The Principal at CMA Solutions, Mr. John Chapel is well known in the government contracting arena and is a veteran of managing companies that provide services to the federal sector. He and his partners bring to SENTECH their wealth of experience and access to resources including access to capital that will be critical to SENTECH as it continues its rapid growth in these exciting times as an energy and environmental consulting firm.
  
  Speaking on behalf of his partners and as SENTECH’s new Chairman of the Board, Mr. Chapel noted that “We are excited to be a part of SENTECH, a company with deep and rich reaches into the alternative energy field. We currently live in very volatile and exciting times and we believe that SENTECH will continue to play an active and important role in these changing times. We are excited about the superb, highly trained staff working for SENTECH and believe they have the skills and talents necessary to help SENTECH fulfill its role in helping DOE execute against its new and expanded mission statement.”
  
  For further information please contact SENTECH’s Operations Manager Ms. Carmela Carr at ccarr@sentech.org or 240-223-5574.
• May 2, 2009 -- Sentech Volunteers Participate in DC Cares Servathon
  
  A dozen SENTECH staffers gathered at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Bethesda to help prepare for the grounds for their annual Nature Fair.  Some of these volunteers helped post parking and banners around the neighborhood, but most helped mulch the trails that stretched across wooded areas (see photo below).  The tasks were completed in about three hours, and then volunteers from around the city met at the Washington Post building for food and drinks.
  
• April 21, 2009 -- U.S. Congressman Chris Van Hollen, representative of Maryland’s 8th District, visited SENTECH's Bethesda headquarters and met with SENTECH CEO and Executive Vice President, Jon Hurwitch; President, Rajat Sen; and other senior staff about the company's various clean energy projects including work in transportation, sustainable buildings, combined heat and power, and renewable energy. The Congressman has led and supported clean energy initiatives since his election in 2002. 
  
  
  
  During his visit, Van Holland discussed his recently-introduced National Home Energy Savings Revolving Fund Act — a measure that would allow local governments to offer no-interest loans to over one million households to make their homes more energy efficient. He also talked about his Green Bank Act of 2009 legislation, which would create an independent lending authority to provide a comprehensive range of financing support to qualified clean energy and energy efficiency projects within the territorial United States.
  
  Rep. Van Hollen serves as Assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and is Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  He serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He is the Co-Chairman of the bipartisan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, Co-Chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, and Vice Chairman of the Democratic Task Force on Budget and Tax Policy.
• April 15, 2009 -- Asa Foss, Program Director for Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, appeared on Washington Business Tonight, NewsChannel 8. Asa spoke about why homeowners should invest in energy efficiency upgrades and use tax credits to their advantage. He also discussed the growing need for Home Performance contractors (who perform energy audits and the associated work) across the country.
  
• March 31, 2009 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named the Maryland Energy Administration, a SENTECH client, as a 2009 Excellence in ENERGY STAR Promotion Award winner for its outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Maryland Energy Administration's accomplishments were recognized today at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
  
  EPA honored the Maryland Energy Administration, an ENERGY STAR partner since 1997, for their work in promoting Maryland's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. SENTECH administers the Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. SENTECH's Bill Zwack, Asa Foss, Glenn Dickey, and Hannah Wood attended the ceremony.
  
  
  Pictured above, left to right: (Back row) Peter Van Buren of TerraLogos Green Home Services; Walt Auburn of Maryland Energy Administration; Glenn Dickey, Asa Foss, and Bill Zwack of SENTECH, Inc. (Front row): Ely Jacobsohn of MEA, Hannah Wood of SENTECH, Inc.,and Bob Logston of Home Energy Loss Professionals
  
  
• March 24, 2009 -- In March 2009, the County of Kaua'i awarded the SENTECH Hawai'i Team a contract to conduct the Kaua'i Energy Sustainability Plan.  The plan will take one year to develop and will incorporate broad community input and in-depth energy analysis of both the electric and transportation sectors.  The final report will recommend specific steps that the County, with private industry, can achieve its energy sustainability goals over 20 years.
  
  To develop the plan, the SENTECH Hawai'i Team will analyze renewable and efficiency opportunities on the island; convene 10 stakeholder meetings to solicit early feedback on goals, barriers and solutions, and strategies; engage the Kaua'i community in 5 public meetings; analyze sustainable energy technology options; advise on financing and risk mitigation strategies for sustainable energy projects; consider enabling policy mechanisms such as decoupling and feed-in tariffs; and interface with the local cooperative utility. 
  
  The SENTECH Hawaii Team:
  
  
  • SENTECH Hawai'i, led by Doug Hinrichs with Marguerite Harden and Jill Sims. The local SENTECH office is located in downtown Honolulu (Oahu).
  • Kaua'i Planning & Action Alliance, led by Diane Zachary
  • Maurice Kaya, LLC, led by Maurice Kaya
  • Kaua'i Economic Development Board, whose Renewable Energy Committee will host the first Stakeholder Meeting
  For more information, see www.kauaienergysustainabilityplan.com.
  
• September 8, 2008 --  The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has awarded Sentech, Inc. a four-year Basic Ordering Agreement contract to provide energy-related analysis and technical assistance in its performance of research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) tasks for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).  To support NREL in this capacity, Sentech, Inc. has partnered with Directed Technologies, Inc. (DTI); Alliance Technical Services, Inc. (ATS); and Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. (E3). This team will draw upon its cross-cutting expertise in advanced energy technologies, engineering, technical analysis, partnership development, and communication and outreach to acccomplish all tasks specified by NREL under this agreement.

• October 22, 2008 -- Today the U.S. Department of Energy conducted a ceremony and luncheon at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C.for the 2008 Department of Energy Transformational Energy Action Management (TEAM) Awards. The TEAM Awards recognize exemplary DOE programs, facilities, and individuals who promote the goals of the TEAM Initiative and show superior leadership in effective, efficient energy management. The primary goal of the TEAM Initiative is to dramatically improve the energy efficiency and and increase the use of renewable energy within DOE facilities. SENTECH Assistant Vice President, Tyrone Foster, was one of the recipients of the Implementation and Executive Leadership Award as part of DOE’s Implementation Team.
• September 5, 2008 -- Today SENTECH received the signed paperwork completing the acquisition of plasma generation equipment and intellectual property related to research in the manufacture of low cost carbon fiber. This acquisition will enable the company to expand its experimental research activities to include carbon fiber processing and manufacturing for automobile applications. The plasma generation equipment was purchased from Atomspheric Glow Technologies (AGT), and Sentech's research will initially be performed in the facilities formerly occupied by AGT in Knoxville, TN.
  
  Today, the lowest cost carbon fibers are used in sporting goods and sell for about $15/lb. In very high volumes, these fibers can be manufactured for $8/lb to $10/lb; however, to be affordable for automobile production, the cost must be reduced to $4/lb to $5/lb. At least a significant portion of that cost reduction can be realized if the fiber precursor can be processed faster and with less energy. Prior research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) indicates that a combination of microwave and plasma processing can significantly accelerate the processing of precursor to finished fiber. SENTECH will work closely with ORNL to develop this technology.
  
• August 12, 2008 -- DOE to Invest up to $24 Million for Breakthrough Solar Energy Products, Sentech to Participate on Two Selected Industry Teams
  
  U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy John Mizroch announced today that DOE will invest up to $24 million in Fiscal Year 2008 and beyond—subject to the availability of funds—to develop solar energy products to significantly accelerate penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States. Twelve industry teams have been chosen to partner with DOE to advance integration of solar energy systems into electrical grid, and Sentech is participating on two of these selected teams.
  
  Sentech will work with General Electric (Niskayuna, N.Y.) in collaboration with candidate utilities including American Electric Power, Duke, and Hawaii Electric Company to develop product concepts for integrating solar PV generation with the electrical grid for commercial and residential use. The residential improvements will integrate energy storage, responsive loads, and utility demand side management and are expected to reduce homeowner energy bills and support utility needs to reduce peak loads. New and enhanced inverter and distribution system control concepts for both commercial- and utility-scale installations will be developed.
  
  In addition, Sentech will team with the Florida Solar Energy Center of the University of Central Florida (Orlando, Fla.) with SatCon, EnFlex, SunEdison, Northern Plains Power Technologies, Lakeland Electric Utilities, and additional utilities to develop new grid integration concepts for PV that incorporate optional battery storage, utility control, communication and monitoring functions, and building energy management systems. The Florida Solar Energy Center of the University of Central Florida will validate an anti-islanding strategy for PV inverters to allow PV generation to remain connected to the grid during some grid disturbances, while still meeting safety operation requirements. New inverter architectures with advanced controls will be introduced, bringing even more stability and security to the home. Link to full article
  
• July 31, 2008 -- SENTECH Supports DOE’s Water Power Technologies Program 
  
  With FY 2008 appropriations, the U.S. Department of Energy is developing a comprehensive Research, Development, Demonstration & Deployment (RDD&D) Plan for a wide range of advanced waterpower technologies. In addition to conventional hydropower technologies, these technologies include marine and hydrokinetic devices (which offer the potential to capture energy from waves, tides, ocean, and river currents), as well as marine thermal gradients (ocean thermal energy conversion - OTEC). A 2007 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) report stated that the estimated potential increase in generation capacity is conservatively at 23,000 MW by 2025 (this estimate does not include potential contributions from OTEC). These new technologies highlight the possibility for energy extraction from water without the need to build new dams or diversions. DOE will focus on research to improve the reliability and performance of these technologies while reducing cost. The Program's 2008 conventional hydropower priorities are the continued improvement in efficiency and environmental performance of turbines and dams.
  
  SENTECH staff is providing engineering, environmental, maritime, and policy analysis and strategic planning support to DOE’s Water Power Program.  We are actively engaged in the review and analysis of the potential performance parameters and associated impacts and use analysis associated with the deployment of these innovative technologies.  We are also developing a comprehensive marine technology assessment database that will be used by both government and businesses to monitor technology and project developments as the industry continues to grow. For more information, contact Mike Reed at 240-223-5509 or mreed@sentech.org.

• July 25, 2008 -- Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, a Maryland Energy Administration program administered by SENTECH, participated in Congressman Roscoe Bartlett’s Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow (SMART) Green Conference on July 18, 2008 in Frederick, Maryland.
  
  Several Maryland Home Performance contractors exhibited at the conference and explained the importance of energy improvements to homeowners. Glenn Dickey, Technical Services Director for Maryland Home Performance, gave a presentation as did Chandler von Schrader of the national program. Glenn Dickey is pictured with Congressman Bartlett. www.mdhomeperformance.org
• July 7, 2008 -- Sentech to Support DOE EERE for Another Five Years
  Sentech is part of the core team recently selected to assist the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs to provide technical, engineering, analytical, and management support to the Office of the Assistant Secretary and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Development. The team is led by Energy Works, LLC - a joint venture of New West Technologies and Energetics, Incorporated. Sentech and BCS, Inc. round out the core team that will provide the bulk of the effort. Also on the team are Booz Allen Hamilton, SAIC, Nexant, Energy and Security Group, Princeton Energy Resources International (PERI), Technology and Management Services, Sullivan International Group, and Antares, Inc. The contract was signed on June 25th and is for five years and $85 million, with a base period of two years and $32 million. For more information, contact the Sentech Contract Manager, Mr. Howard Lowitt, at hlowitt@sentech.org.
  
• May 8, 2008 -- SENTECH’s Sustainable Buildings Group administers Maryland’s version of the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) program, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR . Launched in November 2007, the Maryland program encourages homeowners to get energy improvements done by trained and certified contractors. 
  
  On April 30th, EPA, on behalf of Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, commenced an advertising campaign for the program. The spring campaign focuses on Montgomery County and Prince George’s County. Advertisements will be seen and heard through The Gazette, Metro stations and on WYPR 88.1 FM.
  
  If you are a Maryland homeowner and are interested in getting energy improvements on your home, please visit www.mdhomeperformance.org and click on "Find a Contractor." For more information, press clippings and events, please visit www.mdhomeperformance.org/Press.html. 

• May 3, 2008 -- Volunteers from Sentech participated in the Greater DC Cares Servathon on Saturday, May 3rd. The team helped with weeding, planting, and installing an underground watering system in an organic garden at Emery Elementary School in Washington, D.C. After the event, volunteers were treated to a well-deserved after party organized by Greater DC Cares. We are proud to serve our community and happy to support the environmental education program at Emery!
  
• April 21, 2008 -- Governor Linda Lingle and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) Kevin Kolevar announced the selection of a Hawaii project as part of a nationwide demonstration to modernize the country’s electricity grid system. The project team is led by the UH/Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and includes General Electric, Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Maui Electric Company, Columbus Electric Cooperative, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Sentech, and UPC Wind.
  
  This flagship project is one of nine being announced by OE today that will demonstrate the benefits of distributed generation and renewable electricity management on real-world electric grids. More information of the projects can be found at http://www.energy.gov/news/6170.htm.
  
• April 10, 2008 -- SENTECH receives ORNL Small Business of the Year Award
  
  SENTECH has received the 2007 Small Disadvantaged Business of the Year Award from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). A special recognition plaque was presented this morning at the 9th Annual ORNL Small Business Awards Ceremony where the Laboratory Director, Thom Mason, delivered the keynote address. SENTECH has provided a variety of technical support services to ORNL since 1993.
• March 28, 2008 -- Sentech Expands Service On New Contract with Department of Energy
  
  SENTECH continues to rapidly add staff and respond to client requests for its new contract to provide Engineering, Analysis, Planning, Systems Engineering, and Related Energy Services to the Office of the Assistant Secretary and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Business Administration, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) (Contract No. DE-AT01-07EE11182). "This is the largest contract in our company's history, and we want to maintain our product and service quality as we add staff to meet our client's needs," stated Jonathan Hurwitch, SENTECH's Executive Vice President and Project Manager for the new contract.
  
  The new contract is distinctive for SENTECH in that as a clean energy company, the company's core capabilities are focused on the technical content. On this project, that extensive technical knowledge is combined with business process expertise to help improve overall efficiency in the EERE organizaton. "We are in a unique position to bridge the information gaps between research and development project management and business management in order to help develop business processes that will be responsive to both groups' needs," stated Jo Blais, Deputy Project Manager. SENTECH anticipates significant benefits for EERE as information technology and business process efficiencies are designed and implemented.
  
  SENTECH - along with their partners Project Performance Corporation, SAIC, and Courtesy Associates - have been meeting with clients to discuss critcical performance issues and to determine their specific staffing needs to ensure continuity of services. To date, Sentech has hired seven new staff and anticipates 10-12 new hires by the end of May 2008.
  
  For more information, contact Jo Blais at jblais@sentech.org or Jon Hurwitch at jhurwitch@sentech.org.
• November 1, 2007 -- SENTECH is proud to announce that the company has become a Building Performance Institute Affiliate. Started in 1993, the Building Performance Institute (BPI) supports the development of a highly professional building performance industry through individual and organizational credentialing and a rigorous quality assurance program. SENTECH has met the stringent requirements necessary to becoming a BPI Affiliate to provide the highest-quality training and certification to contractors for a Maryland Energy Administration funded program called Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.
  
  The Maryland Home Performance program trains remodelers and trade contractors to BPI standards to perform whole-house energy audits using state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment. The trained and certified contractors will then recommend cost-effective comprehensive improvements that will yield the highest energy savings for the homeowner. For more information on the Building Performance Institute, please visit: www.bpi.org. For more information on Maryland Home Performance program, please visit www.mdhomeperformance.org or contact Asa Foss at afoss@sentech.org or (240) 223-5541.
• October 2, 2007 -- SENTECH Engineer, David Smith, is a co-inventor on a new patent awarded to Ford Motor Company. “Closed-Loop Power Control System for Hybrid Electric Vehicles," U.S. Patent 7,275,610 B2, describes a control system and control method for a hybrid electric vehicle powertrain having an engine, an electric motor and an electric generator with gearing for effecting split power distribution from separate power sources. Power delivery to vehicle traction wheels is coordinated to meet a driver's demand for power as much as possible without violating predefined maximum and minimum powertrain limits, including the limits of the battery subsystem. This technology is related to other work by Smith that was patented last year ("Control System for a Hybrid Electric Vehicle Powertrain," Ford Motor Company, U.S. Patent 7,117,964, October 10, 2006). For additional information, contact David Smith at dsmith@sentech.org.
• September 14, 2007 -- SENTECH is awarded contract with DOE Office of Energy Efficiency to provide services and support to the Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Business Administration. New employment opportunities are now available through SENTECH and partner companies SAIC, Project Performance Corporation, Ernst & Young, and Courtesy Associates.
• September 10, 2007 -- SENTECH signed a subcontract to conduct a study of the benefits, barriers, opportunities, and challenges of grid-connected, plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). SENTECH, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, General Electric Company, and Electric Power Research Institute will partner to establish potential value propositions that will lead to commercially viable PHEVs. Business scenarios will be developed based on economic advantages that either increase the consumer value of PHEVs or reduce the consumer cost of PHEVs. Phase 1 of the study is slated to extend from September 2007 though July 2008. For more information, see www.sentech.org/phev.
• September 2007 -- SENTECH is awarded a contract with the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to provide Technical, Programmatic, and Engineering Services and Support. ONR's mission is to foster, plan, facilitate and transition scientific research in recognition of its paramount importance to enable future naval power and the preservation of national security. SENTECH's partners include Intelligent Power & Energy Research Corporation, Vista Consultants, DJW Technology, and Mr. Thomas J. Gross, a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Naval Reserve (retired).