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AEE In The Press

Katz featured on the cover of the September 2007 issue of Inc. magazine, when AEE Solar was listed as one of America's 500 fastest-growing companies. The magazine's interview with Katz is available online.

An interview with Katz also appeared in the first edition of SolarPro magazine in October 2008. The August 2009 issue of Electronic Products & Solutions carried an article about solar training which was largely based on an interview with AEE's Training Director, Jess Spies. In the same year, Spies was appointed to the Board of Directors of the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.

A report on solar training which appeared in the March 2009 issue of Electronic Products & Solutions gave strong prominence to AEE. AEE specializes in everything renewable, and will assist customers in the design, installation, upgrading, and maintenance if solar, wind, and hydroelectric systems.

One of AEE's Largest Projects

One of AEE's most notable ventures was the development of a 1.5 MW solar field in Germany, which was one of Germany's ten largest P.V. projects and one of the 40 largest in all the world.

What AEE Does

AEE works with both commercial and residential partners. It sells to power users, equipment manufacturers, vehicle, marine and other kinds of dealer, installers, integrators, contractors, and resellers. Cheap solar panels are one of its foremost products. It is well-known for being able to located hard-to-find components which no other company stocks. AEE stands for Alternative Energy Engineering. Employees are either not connected to the electrical grid, or have grid-tied renewable energy sources in their homes.

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AEE Solar

The investment group, Mainstream Energy, owns 80 percent of the company. Mainstream Energy is one of the largest suppliers of solar-electric products and service in North America, through it's operating companies AEE Solar Inc. and REC Solar Inc.

Customer Recommendations

Adam Thurrell of Integrated Solar Applications praised AEE Solar's customer support, saying it was reliable, considerate, and expedient. Jamie L. Sherman, a renewable energy estimator for K.C. Larson Inc., described AEE Solar as a fantastic company. Again, he praised its customer service, saying it is better than that of others. He said AEE was always there with design help when it was required. He recommends the company wholeheartedly.

Kevin Moore, president of Midwest Wind and Solar LLC, said AEE was “BY FAR the best in the country!!” Terry Hufft, president of Top Hat Energy Inc., said AEE could always provide product support, and singled out representative Jason Austrus for praise, saying he continually goes above and beyond in his effort.

Training Provided By AEE

AEE Solar provides training in partnership with the non-profit organization, Solar Energy International, which is widely viewed as the leading solar training establishment in North America. SEI delivers a wide selection of highly popular training courses throughout the United States.

One example is a six-week, online course in how to design a solar P.V. system. The course is recognized by the Institute of Sustainable Power and fulfills one requirement for national photovoltaic certification.

The Future

AEE Solar had $75 million of sales in 2009, and hopes to sell half a billion dollars within a decade. It stocks around 8,000 products, and inventory control is a key issue.

AEE Solar Inc. was established by David Katz in 1979 and has its headquarters in Redway, Calif. Katz used to work for the Department of Defense, but founded AEE upon relocating to the coastal redwoods region of northern California where 40 acres could be purchased for between $300 and $400 an acre.

There, he constructed the first of his off the grid homes, and offered solar cells for sale to his neighbors.