Colorado State University Names New Chief Operating Officer for Cenergy, Business Side of Clean Energy Supercluster

Note to Editors: A photo of Tim Reeser is available with the news release at http://www.newsinfo.colostate.edu/.

Tim Reeser, an entrepreneur and former technology company executive, has been named the chief operating officer of Cenergy, the business operations side of Colorado State University’s Clean Energy Supercluster.

Reeser, a CSU mechanical engineering alumnus, will be responsible for finding business opportunities for clean energy-related technological innovations developed through university research.

In March 2008, Colorado State created the Clean Energy Supercluster as an innovative model to rapidly move the university’s clean energy research into the global marketplace, creating new companies and jobs that enhance the state’s economy while improving lives throughout the world.

The model pairs Professor Bryan Willson, a university scientist who oversees research in clean energy, with Reeser, a businessman who understands market timing for new clean energy products. Willson is chief scientific officer for the Clean Energy Supercluster.

"Tim is a great addition to the team at Colorado State that is working to ensure that our most significant innovations are being commercialized when appropriate," said Bill Farland, vice president for Research. "The ultimate goal is to ensure those discoveries are getting out into the marketplace to the people who need them."

Reeser has a long history of entrepreneurship in Colorado. After working on the Natural Gas Vehicle Challenge and Hybrid Electric Vehicle Project in CSU’s Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory as a student, Reeser co-founded Engineering Computer Consultants, an engineering IT services organization that he grew to $7 million in revenue and led for 11 years prior to selling to 3t Systems. Reeser then served as a Partner at 3t Systems, a private technology consulting and software firm. He started and managed multiple practice groups at 3t, including the Managed Services, Advanced Infrastructure, and Hardware and Software sales practices. During his three-year tenure as partner, 3t grew from $15 million to $39 million in revenue.

After leaving 3t Systems, Reeser co-founded Lightning Hybrids, a Loveland- based hybrid car company startup, where he remains active on the board of directors.

"CSU has a lot of resources and credentials to contribute to the global clean energy community, from research facilities such as Maxwell Ranch and the Engines and Energy Conversion Lab, to a large group of relevant faculty with internationally recognized expertise," Reeser said. "I am excited by the opportunity to leverage these resources and the work of the faculty to quickly bring scalable solutions to the marketplace – both non-profit, like Envirofit, and for-profit like Solix and AVA Solar."

Reeser said Cenergy is already working on more than 20 projects that are ready or close to being ready for commercialization.

"We are committed to ensuring that these new technologies not only benefit the local community and world around us but also the students, staff and faculty of CSU through incremental new research work, grants, and industry partnerships," Reeser said.

Highlights of products being developed by Cenergy and the Clean Energy Supercluster:

– Lithium ion battery technology that dramatically reduces charge time and increases battery life.

– Large engine technologies, including laser-based spark ignition systems.

– Wind technologies, including small wind and vertical axis technology that could be tested and optimized at the planned CSU Maxwell Ranch wind farm.

– Multiple biofuels projects including new refining technologies, enhanced lipid yields and bi-product innovation, and new educational laboratory equipment and programs for K-12.

– Multiple photovoltaic inventions including new solar panel materials, fault detection and manufacturing techniques to reduce cost and complexity.

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