David F. Taggart

Current

• President and COO at Belectric, Inc. and Padcon, Inc.
• Chairman, External Advisory Board at Materials Engineering Department, Cal Poly, SLO

Past

• Sr. Director, Power Applications at OptiSolar, Inc.
• Managing Partner at Interleaf Composites Engineering
• Consultant: Product Development at PowerLight Corporation (now SunPower, Inc.)

• Vice President of Engineering and Technology, CTO, Co-Founder at Hypercar, Inc. (currently dba FiberForge)
• Director, Applications Engineering at CytecFiberite, Inc.
• Product Development Manager at Fiberite, Inc.
• Program Manager at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
• Director, LightSpeed Program at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
• Lead Design and Analysis Engineer at Alliant TechSystems (Hercules Aerospace)
• Research Associate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

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7 more...

Education

• Stanford University Graduate School of Business
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

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Recommended

19 people have recommended David F.

Connections

269 connections

Industry

Renewables & Environment

Websites

• My Company
• the LightSpeed Foundation

David F. Taggart’s Summary

Leader for systems-level product, process or technology development efforts with a twenty-three year track record of building and leading dynamic teams delivering breakthrough solutions to meet end objectives.

I am a disciplined, analytical, and creative hands-on leader who has efficiently led aerospace, marine, automotive, solar, and advanced materials development programs. This broad technology base has enabled me to bring diverse perspectives and innovation together to win new business, marshal resources and technologies, and deliver results that emphasize efficiency, cost, and performance.

I am driven to find production-capable, systems-level solutions to particularly challenging problems of broad societal and environmental significance. The objective may be a breakthrough reduction in cost or weight, a dramatic increase in efficiency, or simply a new capability that does not yet exist and for which there are no obvious answers.

By putting together a dynamic mix of people and culture, establishing a clear mission and foundation for productivity, and leading the team through a process that by design uncovers innovative options, we develop the best solution for the need while reducing risk and verifying performance to achieve market success.

David F. Taggart’s Specialties:

Managerial: product development, strategic planning, risk management, program management, team building/management, requirements definition, start-up operations, regulatory compliance, clean sheet solutions, operational procedures.

Technical: clean tech, renewable energy, solar power generation, systems engineering, structural design, advanced composite structures/materials, metallurgical engineering, testing and design qualification, aerodynamics, manufacturing processes, and prototyping.

David F. Taggart’s Experience

• President and COO

  Belectric, Inc. and Padcon, Inc.

  (Renewables & Environment industry)

  March 2009 — Present (5 months)

  Building upon the success and leadership of Beck Energy in Germany, Belectric, Inc. and Padcon, Inc. are transforming the way PV power plants are designed, installed, operated, and maintained through a focus on systems integration, streamlined design and installation processes, efficient application of resources, and mutually beneficial and trusting relationships with our development partners.
  
  We are committed to delivering turn-key, utility grade PV power plants at grid parity that deliver the long term performance and reliability needed by the utility industry. Our power systems work... simply!

• Chairman, External Advisory Board

  Materials Engineering Department, Cal Poly, SLO

  (Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Education Management industry)

  May 2002 — Present (7 years 3 months)

  I have had a long and fond relationship with the Materials Engineering Department at Cal Poly, where I graduated with a BS in 1985. I currently serve as Chairman of the External Advisory Board to assist the Materials Engineering department staff with reinventing their curriculum and departmental focus to integrate project-based learning, product design and development, leadership, and sustainable engineering principles into their department culture and teaching plans.

• Sr. Director, Power Applications

  OptiSolar, Inc.

  (Renewables & Environment industry)

  August 2006 — March 2009 (2 years 8 months)

  OptiSolar is a vertically-integrated power producer committed to affordable, clean, renewable energy from utility-scale solar farms.
  
  As part of the start-up team, I built and led a team of engineers developing solar power systems for very large scale thin-film PV farms that met challenging installed/operational cost targets. The Team employed standardization, simplification, high volume processes, and modularity to attack costs, in an environment conducive to innovation and rapid development. Unique attributes and extremely low BOS costs were key factors in OptiSolar winning the largest PV power contracts in the World; 270MW in Canada and 550MW with PG&E in California.
  
  The Power Applications Team is responsible for the definition, design, qualification, certification, and AHJ design approval of OptiSolar's diverse power applications, representing the Solar industry’s lowest cost solutions for system components, installation, operation, maintenance, and overall efficiency.

• Managing Partner

  Interleaf Composites Engineering

  (Public Company; 1-10 employees; LEAF; Computer Software industry)

  August 2003 — October 2006 (3 years 3 months)

  Interleaf Composites Engineering, LLC, (www.interleafcomposites.com) is a professional consultancy committed to immediate and sustainable improvements in the energy efficiency of mobile platforms via intelligent integration of advanced materials, systems engineering, and structural design. Clients are primarily start-up and early phase technology companies from the renewable energy sector including PowerLight, Inc. (now SunPower, Inc.) and OptiSolar, Inc., from the automotive sector including Tesla Motors and a series of start-ups, and from other industries including Poco Graphite and PetriTech.
  
  There has been a resurgence of interest in improving system efficiencies and ICE is particularly well placed to support these endeavors building upon patented technologies for volume production and structural integration of advanced composite structures, and past experience leading whole-vehicle, systems-level development programs.

• Consultant: Product Development

  PowerLight Corporation (now SunPower, Inc.)

  (Renewables & Environment industry)

  2003 — 2004 (1 year)

  Led development of new PV non-penetrating commercial rooftop product (T10) that achieved record low areal weight, without requiring roof penetrations to resist wind loads. This system has been installed on numerous commercial rooftops in US and Europe and is the subject of hundreds of mega-watts of long-term purchase contracts.
  
  Invented patented floating support system for commercial rooftop system to resist sliding due to wind loads, while allowing for thermal expansion and contraction of entire interlocked array, which was a key feature enabling the design of the T10 system.

• Vice President of Engineering and Technology, CTO, Co-Founder

  Hypercar, Inc. (currently dba FiberForge)

  (Automotive industry)

  January 1999 — December 2002 (4 years)

  Co-founded with Amory Lovins of Rocky Mountain Institute. Founding mission to compel the automobile industry to adopt a new way to design and produce automobiles that were desirable, efficient and clean. Employing vehicle architecture and design development processes from my aerospace and materials background, I was responsible for all product and technology development.
  
  Upon assembling and leading an international engineering team based near Oxford, England, the "Foundation Platform" technology was developed to enable production of automobiles meeting or exceeding today's size, comfort, quality, safety, and performance standards, but with zero emissions and superior economy. The key to achieving this level of performance was the application of an effective systems integration strategy in a Skunk Works style product development program, to integrate carbon composite structures, fully digital information management and vehicle control, and hybrid-electric propulsion.

• Director, Applications Engineering

  CytecFiberite, Inc.

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Aviation & Aerospace industry)

  January 1998 — January 1999 (1 year 1 month)

  Based on an unsolicited proposal I submitted to the new Cytec-based management, my primary responsibility was to create and grow a company-wide applications engineering capability to support the growth of the military and aerospace business via new applications of advanced materials.

• Product Development Manager

  Fiberite, Inc.

  (Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Defense & Space industry)

  February 1997 — January 1998 (1 year)

  Recruited by James Ashton and Jon DeVault, my primary responsibility was to leverage recently acquired materials technology into the production of large Naval surface ships thus establishing new markets for composite structures and our materials technologies. Success required a "high-producibility" material system and the ability to enroll companies in the adoption of novel design and manufacturing solutions for their structural applications. In addition to defining the organization and business plan of the new business group, I implemented an overall development and validation program that would identify key application requirements and generate the required information and substantiation to allow customers to rapidly transition to, and exploit, our new advanced materials in their products.

• Program Manager

  Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Aviation & Aerospace industry)

  1989 — 1997 (8 years)

  For over fifty years the Lockheed Skunk Works has been the nation's premier advanced aircraft development resource.
  1994-97: Program Manager for DARPA's $22M Integrated Airframe Technology for Affordability (IATA) program awarded from 200 entries.
  1996-1997: Structure Test Team Leader for the X-33 Program.
  1989-97: Program Manager for several techdev programs including:
  - the Integrated Inlet and Fuselage program for the Joint Strike Fighter (F35) which built Lockheed's first fiber-placed structure
  - the Advanced Edge program which developed and demonstrated a 16-foot flightworthy aerocuff low observable edge, a first for the industry.
  - the CFSV program responsible for integrating the concept development, design and analysis, and manufacturing aspects of an advanced composite low observable inlet structure for the Air Force's F-22 Raptor fighter.
  - Structural joint design and devleopment for DARPA's Tier III Darkstar program.

• Director, LightSpeed Program

  Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Education Management industry)

  June 1992 — February 1997 (4 years 9 months)

  Reporting to the President of the Skunk Works, I founded and performed as Director of the LightSpeed Program. Designed to provide a breakthrough in what is possible for a young person's future, the LightSpeed Workshops take place over a weekend and are geared for students going into the 7th-9th grades having an interest in math, science, or technology. Produced entirely by Skunk Works volunteers and supported by leading advanced technology companies, the LightSpeed Workshops expose young people to the magic of advanced technology in a way that inspires them to consider exciting possibilities for their futures. LightSpeed participants tour facilities housing the latest developments in advanced technology, participate on teams investigating rockets to invent engineering principles, meet guest speakers such as engineers, astronauts, and pilots, and engage in interactive inquiries designed to empower the students to take responsibility for their future and act on that which inspires them.

• Lead Design and Analysis Engineer

  Alliant TechSystems (Hercules Aerospace)

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Aviation & Aerospace industry)

  June 1987 — October 1989 (2 years 5 months)

  Reporting directly to the Manager of the Advanced Composite Structures Group, I performed as development lead on a variety of military and commercial programs in the Aerospace Composite Structures Company of ATK. Responsibilities included all aspects of design, analysis, and production of advanced composite structures. Specific responsibilities included the generation of customer requirements, materials specification, design, analysis, producibility, and manufacturing definition. Executed preliminary and detailed analyses to include geometry definition, loads definition, laminate design, and full-up FEA. Manufacturing and producibility was heavily emphasized during all phases of product development. Programs I supported included the DARPA Pegasus, the V-22 tilt rotor, an all composite electric van, C-130 components, and the SRAM missile.

• Research Associate

  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  (Educational Institution; 201-500 employees; Defense & Space industry)

  June 1985 — June 1987 (2 years 1 month)

  RPI is one of the nation's leading advanced materials research centers, and builds upon a 175-year history of education excellence. Reporting to Dr. Russell J. Diefendorf, the Materials Department Head and in support of contracted research, I was responsible for planning and conducting research to improve the properties of ceramic matrix composites (carbon/carbon) and their constitutive reinforcements. Various approaches were developed and demonstrated including the use of chemical vapor deposition and high temperature carbonization.

David F. Taggart’s Education

• Stanford University Graduate School of Business

  Finance and Accounting for the Non-Financial Executive 2009 — 2009

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  MS , Materials Engineering , 1985 — 1987

  RPI Research Assistantship and Full Tuition Scholarship
  American Ceramic Society Scholarship

• California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

  BS , Metallurgical Engineering , 1982 — 1985

  Dean's and President's Honor Lists
  American Society for Metals Scholarship

Additional Information

David F. Taggart’s Websites:

• My Company
• the LightSpeed Foundation

David F. Taggart’s Interests:

I am very interested in the application of advanced technology to solve pressing societal and environmental challenges, using the "magic" of advanced technology to inspire young people to consider "inventing" their future and empowering them to make that future real, the manipulation and application of advanced composites and materials in general, home design and construction (I have designed and built two homes myself and have been involved in residential construction since high school), carpentry, aerospace, cars, England, Scotland, soccer, flying, my family.

David F. Taggart’s Groups:

•    Rensselaer Alumni Association (RPI)
•    CleanTechies Around The World
•    CleanTech
•    BMW Group
•    Green & Sustainability Innovators & Innovation Network
•    TED
•    The Air Force Association
•    Composites Industry Forum
•    Cal Poly Alumni Association
•    Department of Defense
•    Skunk Works Alumni
•    Solar Energy Professionals - PV & Thermal
•    American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
•    Bright Green Talent
•    Sustainable Systems Engineering
•    LightSpeed Alumni
•    Global Renewable Energy Network (GReEN)
•    Cal Poly SLO - Materials Engineering
•    Cal Poly Materials Engineering External Advisory Board

David F. Taggart’s Honors:

2009 Graduate of Stanford Graduate School of Business FANFE Program
2007 Hypercar awarded "2007 Technology Pioneer", World Economic Forum
2006 Guest Lecturer "Breakthrough Product Development", Cal Poly, SLO
2005 World Technology Network's Finalist for Environment Award
2004 Taggart patents named by Newsweek as "one of 10 innovations that may change the way we live"
2004 Invited Lecturer "Engineering Sustainability into Design", Cal Poly, SLO
2003 World Technology Network's Environment Award for "extraordinary achievement on a global scale"
2002 Invited Lecturer "Efficient Product Development" IDEO
2002 Invited SAMPE keynote, "Expanding the Application of Advanced Materials"
2001 American Plastic Council exclusive: Advanced Materials in Automotive Structures
2001 DOT Volpe Invited Speaker: Enabling Technologies and Transportation Innovation
2000 Invited speaker to Astronaut Richard , Defense Science Board Task Force on Improving Fuel Efficiency of Warfighting Platforms

David F. Taggart’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch