SolaBlock’s technology is the next direction in solar, allowing the entire building to be used for renewable energy production. Founded to address the need for wall-mounted solar where conventional solar modules are poorly suited, SolaBlock’s Vertical Solar Solutions (VSS) offer a transformative vision of the future.
Imagine affordable multi-family housing that offsets the need for retail power, providing peace of mind. Every hospital, school, parking garage, shopping complex, and highway wall could partly or fully cover their own costs.
Founded by renewable energy expert Patrick Quinlan and veteran mason Jason Laverty, SolaBlock addresses the need for vertical, masonry-backed solar.
Eric Planey joined SolaBlock as CEO in September 2021. He has 25+ years of international banking and economic development experience, with a focus on industrial, automotive, aerospace, and energy industries. Eric is a proud graduate of Bowling Green State University and the Thunderbird School of Global Management. In 2015 Eric completed NYU’s inaugural Energy Finance program in their School of Professional Studies. He is currently co-host of the Pirates of CleanTech podcast, and a board member of the City Parks Foundation in New York City.
Patrick Quinlan founded SolaBlock in 2012. He has been actively involved in renewable energy since 1982. He worked on solar at Southern California Edison and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He was also a Congressional fellow for the Ranking Member of the House of Science Committee, and a Technology Fellow supporting the Presidential Science Advisor at the Office of Technology Policy. Patrick currently has three projects in the Smithsonian.
Jason Laverty joined SolaBlock as co-founder in 2015, as a veteran R&D mason. He is a co-inventor of SolaBlock technology and a former instructor for both the International Masonry Institute and Job Corps. Jason is a member of Local Union No. 3 of the Boston International Union of Bricklayers, and is a recognized troubleshooting mason, involved in several large scale projects restoring historic buildings.
Lee Wipper joined SolaBlock in December 2021. She has two decades of experience in marketing and corporate communications and managing complex and multifunctional, global teams in both the corporate and volunteer worlds at entities like Pfizer, Delta Airlines, and the Oregon Community Foundation. Lee is a graduate of Portland State University and the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Chris Flemming joined SolaBlock as Financial Controls Consultant in January 2023. He is a Vice President, Portfolio Manager at Israel Discount Bank (IDB) with more than 12 years of successful experience as a finance professional in cash flow and asset-based lending. Chris is a graduate of the City University of New York: Baruch College and Fordham University Gabelli School of Business.
Shruti Nayar is a part-time consultant assisting with financial analysis, fundraising, and due diligence. Shruti has a BA in economics and environmental studies from the University of Rochester and has also completed an advanced diploma in energy finance at NYU. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Young Professionals in Energy, NYC, and is an education advisor for City Parks Foundation.
CFO of Allumia. Founder, Sif Capital Advisors. Innovation Advisor at NYSERDA. Former Co-Founder & CFO Spring Free EV, a financing company for mass adoption of EVs, and senior roles at Sparkfund, JP Morgan.
Chris is an electrical engineer with an emphasis on global safety and performance certification, primarily in renewable energy. Chris spent over 16 years at UL developing standards in the renewable energy sector prior to becoming a Renewable Energy Compliance and Regulatory Consultant.
He holds a BSEE from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
Rick has 30 years of solar and renewable energy experience and will be assisting us in refining our business and sales plans as we become operational.
Eran Harish is a global businessman with experience in fields such as renewable energy, digital health, agritech and cleantech. Eran has been operating in Israel for more than 25 years and possesses a wide network of business partners and colleagues both locally and internationally. Eran and SolaBlock see Israel as a fantastic market for SMUs given its dense population and sunny climate.
As a LEED architect, Candace has built apartment buildings, restaurants, and schools. She completed her architecture education at the University of Illinois - Chicago and practiced at Design 21 before starting her own firm, Architecture4. Returning from maternity leave, Candace founded Smart Stuff NYC to create engaging, sustainable experiences and spaces.
Rachel Soto-Garcia is an engineering intern for Solablock focusing on the updating and automation of blueprints in the company. Rachel is Occupational Safety and Health Administration certified and has also volunteered for the National Junior Tennis and Learning program. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York, where she will also be pursuing a master’s degree beginning this fall.
Abdullah Abid joined SolaBlock in July 2022 as an engineering intern. B.S in Mechanical Engineering. Graduate student in Mane’s Master Program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Former Manufacturing Quality Analyst for General Motors and Assistant Teacher for Robotics and Engineering.
