The Future of Sustainable Building Technology

Green.org sat down with Eric Planey, the CEO of SolaBlock, to learn about the future of sustainable building technology.

SolaBlock is a small, growing manufacturer of solar-clad masonry located in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Their solar wall systems are conventional masonry materials, clad with solar photovoltaic technology, and address the need for building integrated photovoltaic power generation where conventional solar modules are poorly suited.

SolaBlock’s Solar Masonry Units (SMUs) combine premium solar technology with the familiarity of standard masonry bricks. 

Eric, thanks for being here. Tell us a little bit about you and your background:

I was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio – a town that was one of the largest steel producers in the world, and as Bruce Springsteen wrote about the steel mills “those smokestacks reached up like the arms of God into a beautiful sky of soot and clay.” I went to Bowling Green State University for my undergrad, worked at some local banks upon graduating. Then I went to Thunderbird in Phoenix for my Masters of International Management, but spent much of my time in Prague and Geneva researching Eastern Europe’s economies. I made my way to Wall St after, worked in New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, and London. It was the pollution in China that reminded me of my hometown, and it was then that I knew I had to contribute to the global cause of fighting man-made climate change.

I did economic development work in back in Youngstown fro 2009-2013, and loved it. But I returned to Wall Street in 2013, and in 2015 I enrolled in the first NYU School of Professional Studies Certificate of (Clean) Energy Finance program, and it was there that my journey into working in cleantech happened. In 2020, one of my professors from that program and I started a podcast called Pirates of Cleantech as a way to stay sane during the Covid lockdown, and we are now averaging 7,000 listeners/episode. Finally in 2021 I pulled the trigger, left banking to become CEO of SolaBlock, a solar and construction tech start up in Massachusetts and New York.

What is a fun fact about you?

I’m doing something I have zero skills at – I’m converting a 1989 Pontiac 6000 STE All-Wheel Drive into a full electric vehicle! I can’t wait until it’s finished!

Why do you think climate change and sustainability is such an important topic today?

The world has finally realized that climate volatility is slowly destroying the way we can co-exist with our planet. When the once-in-50-year hurricane is happening every three years, when California is becoming a dessert, when the melting polar ice caps may release viruses that were trapped in the ice for centuries, and when invasive algae incubated from fertilizer run-off into the Great Lakes, we have have to stop this – now.

What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?

For years clean tech was only focused on ‘The Green Trinity’ of Wind turbines, solar farms, and electric vehicles. Now the world is rightfully focused on the 4th initiative – green buildings. So ten years from now I expect Building Integrated PV to be permeating the landscape, and SolaBlock will have grown substantially to meet the challenge.

What can the average person do to make a difference?

First is to change your personal and family habits. Examples are using refillable water bottles, tearing out some of your grass lawn and planting more shrubs and trees, get an electric lawnmower (they are so awesome), buy a used or new hybrid or electric vehicle for your next ride, and teach and preach sustainability to others. Second, make sure your company you work for has an active and legitimate ESG practice. Third, make sure your personal investments are focusing on legitimate sustainability. And last, make sure your elected officials are pushing green agendas (Green isnt a red and blue thing)!

Eric, thank you for sharing your vision for sustainable building technology. Learn more about SolaBlock here.

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