Designing a Sustainable Future with Sun, Wind, and Water

Ginger Taurek
Jun 9
6 min read

For innovator Scott Sklar, renewable energy is about more than climate—it’s about human survival. From powering life-saving medical clinics to designing farms that grow crops under solar panels, his work blends creative design with practical solutions. In this interview, Sklar explains his vision for an "elegant" and accessible energy future for everyone.

Introduction

A building powered entirely by renewable energy, lights, appliances, and climate regulation systems running fully off-grid without fossil fuels might sound like a futuristic idea. For Professor Scott Sklar, it’s long been reality. His career began in the 1970s, a decade at the forefront of American energy policy and the rise of an environmental movement.

Scott Sklar has dedicated his career to advancing renewable energy innovation from his early advocacy work with renewable energy to his current roles as the Sustainable Energy Director of GWU's Environment & Energy Management Institute and the Director of George Washington Solar Institute. Heightened environmental awareness during the 1970s in the United States sparked his passion for sustainability, he said, with the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act reshaping the nation’s priorities. His work includes numerous notable projects, ranging from solar panel installations in Singapore to solar panel-based farms in Washington, D.C. These groundbreaking projects make Sklar’s principles clear: energy should be elegant, efficient, and accessible.

Today, he continues to inspire the next generation of sustainable innovators while actively promoting the integration of efficient energy, renewable sources, and creative design within his teaching.

Early Days and Motivations

Between the 1970s and early 80s, the United States saw a rise in environmental awareness and activism while facing multiple major energy crises. In both 1973 and 1979, geopolitical instability in the Middle East led to disruptions in Arab and Iranian oil exports. While working as a legislative aide to New York Senator Jacob K. Javits, Sklar recalled that he, along with most members of Congress at the time, lacked knowledge of the energy industry. Although Sklar acknowledged the challenge of tapping into the country’s renewable resource opportunities without access to modern technology, he was motivated by the obvious need for renewable energy, he said.

“No one’s going to interfere with your sunlight, your wind, your water, your heat... It was an inexhaustible supply,” Sklar said. “It couldn’t be controlled by anyone.”

For Sklar, this independence was a driving force. He realized that traditional energy industries, such as oil and gas, didn’t want to see these new technologies developed as they sought to keep their monopoly over the energy market. This pushback was just another motivator for Sklar to pursue renewable energy, develop clean power, and expand awareness.

The Potential of Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency isn’t just a technical approach but one that lays the groundwork for sustainable design, aesthetics, and innovation. However, before innovation can take place, Sklar emphasizes the importance of reassessing the energy we currently consume to prioritize efficiency and accessibility.

“I don’t want us to go 100% solar, I want us to go 100% maximum energy efficiency,” Sklar said. “It’s always less expensive to save energy than generate it from any source.”

In 1995, Sklar founded The Stella Group, Ltd, now a global business with the goal of “elegant integration,” which encapsulates the blending of energy efficiency, all renewable energy sources, and various forms of energy storage. Now, as a professor at the George Washington University's Sustainable Urban Planning Master of Professional Studies and Graduate School of Professional Studies, he teaches this philosophy in his courses, such as “Energy Resources” and “Renewable Energy & Critical Infrastructure.”

When asked specifically about solar power, Sklar explained that solar panels stand out among other forms of clean energy as they have no moving parts at all; they are elegant, still, and unique.

“Even in the desert we grow food,” he explained. “There is sunlight everywhere.”

It is ubiquitous in our society and presents itself as a static technology, as Sklar depicted. Solar panels can be integrated almost anywhere, from rooftops and roadways to parking lots and bus stop awnings, demonstrating their flexibility and potential for new design. This constant opportunity for innovation is why Sklar continues to fuel his passion for sustainability by continuing to teach and research the field.

Creative Side of Renewable Energy + Benefits

The integration of creativity, aesthetics, and renewable energy is transforming modern architecture. Sklar’s work in Singapore — where he integrated printed solar panels into building facades to capture a more creative look — highlights this trend. A captivating factor, he added, was the ability to integrate renewable energy into the building form. It isn’t just an opportunity to manipulate photovoltaics but also solar daylighting, the use of windows or skylights to introduce natural light in place of artificial lighting. In his home office, a solar daylighting “bubble” provides full-spectrum light that dramatically changes interior spaces. The possibilities are endless, though, with possibilities ranging from giant domes to pentagons, he said.

Not only does solar daylighting provide the chance to improve aesthetics, but it also has measurable mental and physical benefits. Research shows that full-spectrum light can boost productivity, reduce sickness for students and workers, and even increase retail sales. Notably, in Japan, solar-heated water is promoted for its skin health benefits, reducing allergies, and improving overall well-being. Furthermore, the EU-funded TilePlus project, developed with support from German climate tech firm Autarq and involving participants in Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden, highlights how European architects are leading sustainable design. The project’s solar roofing shingles seamlessly replace traditional ones, offering both protection and efficiency as they generate electricity.

Transforming Access to Energy:

Sklar is passionate about more than just technology — he is driven by the human impact of renewable energy products. As a long-time advocate for sustainability, Sklar emphasizes the importance of inspiring the next generation of clean energy innovators, he said.

For example, lightweight, inflatable solar lights, designed by two South African students who later met with Professor Sklar in Washington, D.C., provide critical power to off-grid communities, revolutionizing how people access energy. These low-cost devices, which charge in sunlight for just an hour and provide several hours of illumination, have brought critical power to off-grid communities. Further, these devices reduce the need for kerosene, a game-changing improvement in limiting the need for crude oil products.

Sklar highlights how we take light for granted in industrialized areas and how these innovations can transform lives in remote regions. “We have over 8 billion people on this planet, a third of them have no electricity,” Sklar said.

Beyond casting light, this progress opens doors to applications like solar water pumping and clean cooking, showcasing how even ideas that start small can have profound impacts on people’s lives.

Medical Resilience:

Sklar’s work also extends into the public health sector, where energy access can make the difference between life and death. During an Ebola crisis in Africa, Sklar met with World Health Organization (WHO) representatives after presentations he gave to four African embassies in Washington, D.C., to address critical energy gaps in rural clinics. A lack of reliable power resulted in life-threatening challenges, he said, including surgeries performed under candlelight, spoiled vaccines in powerless refrigerators, and improperly disinfected medical equipment.

To address these shortages, Sklar collaborated with representatives from the WHO and the United Nations to advocate for solar and wind clinics. By understanding the needs of the medical providers and assessing the right technologies, his team helped deploy sustainable power systems such as solar and wind-powered clinics in affected areas during a real-time crisis, offering a blueprint for medical resilience in the future.

Agrivoltaics and Clean Farming

In partnership with Professor John Forrer at GWU, Sklar became involved in a Department of Energy (DOE) funded project on agrivoltaics, alongside the National New Bilingual Laboratory and the National Center for Appropriate Technology. This project aimed to address pushback against solar energy in rural areas, as solar installations often covered ground that would be used for farming or livestock.

Agrivoltaic farming, however, offered a solution, as it involves raising solar panels high enough for tractors and farmers to pass beneath them while simultaneously providing shade for crops to grow.

*Professor Scott Sklar in the field at the largest agrivoltaics project in Washington, D.C April 2023*

This system was installed at the convent on the Catholic University campus, which doubles as a community garden, and now bears the title of the largest solar installation within the city borders of Washington, D.C. The convent now serves as a model for urban clean energy, demonstrating how innovative design can redefine the relationship between agriculture and renewable energy generation.

Conclusion - Inspiration for The Next Gen of Innovators

Professor Sklar’s work continues to inspire the next generation of clean energy innovators. Through his teaching, collaboration with students, and global partnerships, he encourages young leaders to think creatively and challenge conventional approaches.

The Catalyst looks forward to hosting Professor Sklar on an upcoming podcast, where he will delve deeper into the groundbreaking projects that inspire and energize him.