Chris Van Horn, Employee Spotlight Interview

As part of TEN’s employee interview series, Chris Van Horn, CEM, Director, Federal Programs, shares his thoughts on the energy industry, renewable technologies, and a new outlook on life.

Chris, what aspect of energy efficiency are you most enthusiastic about?

I am primarily interested in reducing the impact of climate change and conserving natural resources (fossil fuels). My goal is to conserve resources and incorporate renewable energy conservation measures (ECMs) into each TEN project that I work on.

Which renewable ECMs do you find to be most effective?

Solar photovoltaic (PV) and geothermal heating and cooling have become standard renewable technologies in many federal projects. I’m mostly interested in what future technologies will be introduced in the market. For example, there are interesting utility-scale power technologies that can become available soon including deep well geothermal energy to power steam turbines. This entails using fracking drills to reach hot layers of the Earth’s crust, tapping into a virtually unlimited heat source. Another interesting technology is nuclear microreactors, which will soon start testing. I can envision microreactors being used to power military installations and customers with large campuses.

How long have you been in the ESCO industry?

I’ve worked in the building energy-efficiency market since 2005 and have been developing federal energy savings performance contracts since 2012. I have been with TEN for almost four years.

What makes TEN special?

The small business feel: everyone from the top down is willing to roll up their sleeves and help in any way. Senior management is always accessible and there is no feeling of corporate bureaucracy. Because of our entrepreneurial mindset, TEN is open to and able to quickly adapt to the market. For example, recent improvements to investment tax credits (ITCs), which are valued at nearly 40 percent of project costs, make solar PV more financially viable. In less than a year, TEN pivoted and started to develop solar projects and financing solutions to take advantage of the ITCs on behalf of our customers. We are also expanding our Energy as a Service solution with recent project wins.

On a personal note, I know that you had a medical emergency last year. How has this experience changed you?

Going through an unexpected medical emergency gives me a new appreciation for what is important in life. I am so grateful for the support and encouragement I received from my co-workers, manager, and senior leadership. Many companies say their employees are the most important part of the business, but TEN leadership demonstrates this through their actions. The support that my family and I received during my recovery was exceptional.

What is the most exciting part of your job at TEN?

I really enjoy meeting with customers at the onset of a project and learning about their energy goals and pain points. I like the process of brainstorming and conceptualizing ECMs in collaboration with our customers and building the financial model as part of the solution.