AEE Solar - Power grids, Solar Panels and Control Systems

AEE Solar started selling panels in 1980. Founder David Katz a former DOD employee and an electrical engineer began the company after visiting a trade show in Las Vegas and purchasing 100 solar panels. He promptly sold this original lot of panels to his friends and neighbors who lived in remote areas of northern California and who did not have access to traditional energy resources. For a few thousand dollars, he provided stand alone energy grids for hundreds.

Katz sold the business to a German glass manufacturer. Several years later, he re-purchased the rights to his trade name AEE for $2500 from the manufacturer and began the next phase of his business.

Today, AEE Solar, a 28.2 million dollar wholesales company sells power grids, panels and control systems via distributors. Their 192-page is certainly among the best learning guides for renewable energy sources. Offering the obvious products and specifications, the catalog also supports the industry with white papers, operational and installation information for anyone interested in learning about renewable energy sources.

The company, located in Redway California, prides itself on providing sales training, but also hosts a complete installation program. Since solar energy can be used as a stand-alone or as a tie-in product, it must follow the NEC codes and often requires design build capabilities on the part of the installers. AEE fills that important role as well.

Solar energy systems, or PV systems, have become the preferred system for many government and industrial applications. Far from the original market it served, PV systems have become solutions for anywhere that standard power is impractical. Small portable systems have been used to serve oil and gas line drilling controls, telecommunications modules, outdoor lighting, traffic signals and even the medical field in remote applications helping to keep vaccines safe for the World Health Organization.

One man's adventure in personal renewable energy has brought the product to the mainstream and beyond.