WTEC Energy is leading the way in renewable energy by innovating for a cleaner and more sustainable tomorrow. Working as an engineering firm, manufacturer, supplier and installer in solar, wind, and other sustainable energy markets, this is a fully integrated energy supplier. WTEC is providing products and services to some of the world’s biggest energy projects.
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For the last twenty-five years, WTEC has developed a solid reputation with an extensive client list to match. The firm’s growth has been backed by a long-standing commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Committed solely to the energy market, WTEC has served the likes of General Electric, Swinerton, McCarthy and the majority of the major players in the renewable energy industry.
With an extensive suite of in-house capabilities, dedication to innovation and a clear direction for the future, WTEC’s potential is just beginning. Robert Singh, the current President of WTEC, provided us some insight into the company’s journey to the top, and the future of the sector as a whole.
When WTEC was created, the renewable energy industry itself was just taking off. The company started in wind power and built success by being one of the first specialized firms in this arena. As one of the first suppliers of cables and harnesses to large-scale wind farms across the continental US, the company quickly developed a sound reputation and a growing customer base.
The company became the primary vendor of cable and harnesses of General Electric’s wind energy turbines. Today, WTEC’s 300,000 square foot Milton, Florida manufacturing site is located conveniently close to the main GE facility in Pensacola, and it remains a key service provider for GE and major renewable energy projects throughout the world.
On the foundation of its considerable success in the wind power market, the firm decided to branch out in the mid-2000s. As the alternative energy sector faced rapid expansion at the time, demand for specialized services spiked. Since WTEC already had a tradition of working with major providers in the wind sector, new markets offered a strategic opportunity for growth. WTEC acquired the equipment and cultivated the necessary workforce qualifications and knowledge base to plan for new energy markets as they entered and appeared.
WTEC built on its existing skill set and started supplying packaging to substations, manufacturing a broader range of cables and eventually working to specifications on other industrial projects.
When the solar industry began leading the renewables market, the company was prepared and willing to dive in head first. With the company’s heritage in supplying cables for wind power installations, making the transition into solar was seamless and strategic.
Although WTEC started as a wind company, it is now widely recognized for its accomplishments in solar. As solar has quickly taken over as one of the leading alternative energy choices in recent years, WTEC has also grown on a global scale, with projects in Suriname, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Honduras, Guyana, Australia and many others.
WTEC’s vertically-integrated services are a significant point of difference for the firm. “We are a one-stop shop for customers.” The renewable energy sector is notoriously complex, and as such, projects rely on the smooth operation of every step in the process from engineering to construction and the incorporation of advanced technologies. From start to finish, WTEC is there, and ultimately this is what separates the company from the pack.
The benefits of vertical integration are extensive. Where many projects rely on multiple subcontractors, WTEC offers the promise of efficiency and centralized communication. Through cutting out the middle man, timelines are tightened, and project costs are kept to a minimum.
WTEC stands as part of a group of global energy companies including WTEC itself, Alternative Energy Development Corporation (AED) and Renewable Energy Resources Corporation (RERC). The three work together to provide a type of turn-key approach that has simplified renewable energy projects, eliminating inefficiency while reducing costs.
RERC provides engineering services, and WTEC operates as the original equipment manufacturer. AED designs, creates and provides advanced installation services across multiple aspects of solar and wind projects in addition to installing steel beams and components specially designed for solar sites. With its vertically-integrated services come quicker turnaround times and an easier adoption of new technology in energy harvesting.
With energy prices in constant flux, renewable companies have to consider not only cost control but changes in the industry. Innovation is an integral part of any renewable energy company’s success in staying ahead of developing trends and the ever-changing demands of the market, and this is where RERC’s engineering services shine.
“We have a strong name and are well-known in the industry for the work that we do and the quality we bring to the table. This is why we have been so successful.”
Although wind energy remains a substantial piece of the wider sustainable energy market, solar has taken over. As the country aims to reduce the national carbon footprint further and simultaneously move away from reliance on foreign fuel sources, the renewable energy sector promises only to expand in the upcoming years. Although growth is inevitable, the timeline of the sector’s development remains unclear.
With the renewal of the solar investment tax credit, one of the most crucial federal incentives for solar development, at least the short-term future of solar is sure. The President explained that, as progress continues, new challenges may arise. “The biggest thing that I see happening for solar in the future will be finding a more cost-effective storage of the energy. This is important, and I think this will be a focus.”
On the other side of the coin, with the initiation of the EPA Clean Power Plan this year (a large-scale federal initiative aimed at reducing the carbon footprint), demand for nearly every renewable energy source is set to increase and quickly.
“The EPA power plan will have a huge impact because facilities will be doing more to reduce their carbon emissions, and one of the easiest ways to do that is implementing renewables. We will be there to support this change.”
The company is committed to staying ahead of developments in the industry and achieves this via inward investment: increasing staff skills and bringing in new technologies. “Our employees are what make the business; they are what I am proudest of. They are committed to this company, and they have made us what we are. Ultimately, they are our future.”
WTEC promises to remain a pioneer in both solar and wind. With a success built on a foundation of strong client relationships, vertical integration and consistent innovation, it is clear that WTEC’s success story has only just begun. “For us, the future is exciting. We see a lot of opportunity for growth in the next three to five years,” said Mr. Singh.
