Colorado Clean Energy Systems, LLC was created in November 1996 by me, Dave Congour. I started out my career in the USAF. I was stationed in Iran (during the Shah's reign). After returning stateside, I spent many years as a "professional student", attending U.of MD, Metropolitan State College in Denver, University of Colorado at Denver, and finally finishing up at U. of MD with a B.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. After graduation, I spent 17 years as an electrical engineer with the federal government. My career included five years in U.S. State Department, Foreign Service, travelling the world as a security systems engineer; and ten years in the U.S. Secret Service as a security systems engineer. During that time, I was project engineer for the White House Access Control System. I moved back to Colorado, and then spent two years with a federal hydropower administration in Montrose, CO. Yes, I have a lot of interesting stories! The book follows when I retire.
I always wanted to start my own business, and so took a night class in starting a small business. I already had a great deal of "hands-on" experience in engineering, building, mechanics, and plumbing; and had always been concerned about the wasteful nature of U.S. society. I rode my bike to work (18 miles R/T) every day year round while working my day job, partly to stay in shape, and partly because of my belief that we need to conserve energy as a nation. After 17 years of work in the federal government (and many interesting assignments!), I decided that the best fit for my skills and beliefs would be to enter the solar field. I've always held the conviction that we are ignoring the most reliable, safest, and inexpensive form of nuclear energy (the Sun!), and was (and still am) convinced that solar energy could provide most of our national energy needs. I always wanted to get into solar, but was discouraged when talking to people about the prospects for making a living in the field. I finally decided that, if it made sense to me, and I believed in it, than that's all that mattered! (this, by the way, is a lesson that I am trying to install in my children). Now, of course, with people waking up to the fact that we are indeed in troulble when it comes to energy issues, I feel vindicated in my beliefs.
When I decided to start Colorado Clean Energy Systems, I enrolled in several classes at Solar Energy International (http://www.solarenergy.org), and read every book I could find on the subject of solar thermal. Taking classes at Solar Energy International convinced me even more deeply that I was getting involved with a more dynamic and interesting segment of society! Since then, my specialty has evolved into designing and building "whole house" (domestic hot water and home heating combined) systems, mainly for new construction. I also started building my own tanks, since there were not many choices when I started out.
In my business, I strive to create the most reliable, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing systems possible. I also install high efficiency boiler backup and radiant (pex) floor heating, since boilers, when installed properly, can leverage the savings already available from the solar subsystem. As mentioned elsewhere in this webpage, the combination of solar heat, modulating/condensing boilers, and radiant floor heat are the perfect energy saving combination! I am excited about the prospect of cutting fuel usage significantly (for my customers and for the nation as a whole) with these technologies.
CCE holds the following certifications in radiant heating, and boiler system design:
- Radiant Panel Association Certified Hydronic Designer
- Radiant Panel Association Certified Hydronic Installer