Leadership

Bill Novak, P.E., MSE, MBA

President & Chief Engineer

Great-grandson of the founder, with 34 years of experience, Mr. Novak is a Licensed Professional Engineer, S.P. in 13 states. Focused on continuous improvement and engineering resilient utility-scale solar and energy storage systems, he leads both the electrical and civil engineering teams as a sole proprietor and President of Tropenas Company, the engineering firm founded by his great-grandfather in 1920.

Typical projects include electrical and civil permit drawings for renewable energy systems, interconnection application designs, feasibility studies, permitting drawings, value engineering, construction design and interconnection substation design.

PV-specific specialties include protection coordination, SCADA/PLC and controls design, risk mitigation, utility interconnection coordination of renewables, PVsyst solar performance simulations, solar performance modeling based on the NREL temperature-corrected method, and O&M protocols for proactive maintenance.

Example solar PV and energy storage design, permit and feasibility projects

• 10 GWh AC-coupled battery storage feasibility and 345 kV interconnection design with Tesla Megapacks in NY
• 567 MW (90 projects) including solar and DC-coupled storage in NY
• 27 MW (25 kV interconnection) in Hazlehurst, GA
• 18 MW (25 kV interconnection) in Hebron, MD
• 12 MW (35 kV and 13.8 kV interconnections) for US Navy, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
• 7 MW (interconnection by others) for the US Navy, Parris Island, SC
• 4 MW (12 kV interconnections) in Lonoke and England, AR
• 2.7 MW (12 kV interconnection) in Somerville, TN
• 2.0 MW (12 kV interconnection) at Cannon US Air Force Base, NM
• 1.4 MW (12 kV interconnection) community solar project in Chattanooga, TN

Previously, Bill held engineering, management and corporate finance roles, including positions at Ford Motor Company and as Chief Engineer at Lightwave Solar (a commercial installer).

Bill earned both a Master's and a Bachelor's degree with Honors in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, specializing in Lean Manufacturing Engineering, with graduate-level courses in Solar Engineering. He also earned an MBA with Highest Distinction from the University of Michigan. Other credentials include IEEE Senior Membership, NABCEP PV Professional, and the US Army Corps of Engineers certificate in Construction Quality Management.

Licensed Professional Engineer, S.P. in DE, FL, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, NY, OH, TN, TX, UT, VA.

Jon Novak, E.I.T.

Director of Civil

With 23 years of experience, Jon Novak leads all aspects of land development, construction oversight and quality control within the renewable energy industry, including solar energy and energy storage. He specializes in civil design, survey applications and practice, local jurisdiction board approval, and project management. He leads the PV site-support engineering team and oversees large project design and implementation.

Jon's solar energy experience includes MW-scale and commercial installations, and civil solar development planning, approval and oversight. He also excels at project estimation and contract management.

Example civil, solar PV and energy storage design, permit and feasibility projects

• 10 GWh AC-coupled battery storage feasibility and 345 kV interconnection designs in NY
• 359 MW (67 projects) solar and DC-coupled storage in NY
• 12 MW (civil design) for US Navy, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
• 2.0 MW (site layout and PV) at Cannon US Air Force Base, NM
• 1,200-person training facility for the National Guard, TTB Kelley, Camp Edwards, MA
• 48 buildings, lighting and utilities for military training facility, MOUT Calero, Camp Edwards, MA

Jon held civil engineering, project engineering and construction management roles, including positions at Coneco Engineers and Coler & Colantonio, coordinating cross-functional site development, contract negotiations, stormwater management, and construction and land development oversight. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Professional associations, credentials and certifications

• Massachusetts Certified Soil Evaluator, SE 13166
• OSHA Hazardous Materials "40 Hour" Course Certification
• OSHA Construction Safety Training "10 Hour" Course
• Electrical Hazard Awareness Training
• American Society of Civil Engineers, Associate Member
• Boston Society of Civil Engineers & Surveyors, Member

Russ Novak, Sr.

Chairman of the Board, Engineering and Technology Advisory Group

Russ Novak leads the executive management team at Tropenas, covering technology advisory services for the energy, manufacturing and processing industries. An experienced executive, he pairs a strong energy industry background with in-depth experience in market analysis and research, strategic planning and collaborative consulting. This lets Tropenas combine input from clients' internal and external stakeholders to drive positive change in business and operating processes, improving fiscal performance.