Guangdong Zhu (NREL)
HelioCon Executive Director and Metrology & Standards Lead
Guangdong.Zhu@nrel.govGuangdong Zhu is the group manager and a senior researcher in the Thermal Energy Systems Group within the Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Center at NREL. The Thermal Energy Systems Group is focused on innovative research and development on concentrating solar power technologies and hybrid thermal energy systems. Guangdong joined NREL as a senior researcher in 2010. His work focuses on solar collector characterization, geothermal power plant modeling and analysis, and renewable energy hybridization. He is the associate editor of the ASME Journal of Energy Resources Technology since 2019. He has served as technical/general program chair for ASME Energy Sustainability international conference in 2017 - 2020. He won NREL’s President’s award and Outstanding New Partnership Award in 2016. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed journal/conference papers and given numerous invited presentations at various research institutes. Dr. Zhu obtained his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in 2006.
Margaret Gordon (Sandia NL)
HelioCon Co-Lead (On Assignment)
megord@sandia.govDr. Gordon completed her doctorate in inorganic chemistry with a focus on sol-gel chemistry of polar inorganic anions, crystallography, and density functional theory simulations at the Northwestern University in 2002. After her study of zeolites for gas separation membranes at Sandia National Laboratories as a post doctoral researcher, she joined the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories. Her research in photocatalysis, surface chemistry and composite materials resulted in numerous publications and several patents. From 2017 to 2021 she served as the Deputy Director for the DuraMAT Consortium which is focused on funding infrastructure, research capabilities, and longer-term research in durable materials for photovoltaic (PV) systems to lower the levelized cost of electricity. Since 2021, Margaret has managed the Concentrating Solar Technologies group of 30+ members at Sandia, and the National Solar Thermal Test Facility which is the only large-scale high-flux testing facility in North America.
Jeremy Sment (Sandia NL)
HelioCon Co-Lead (Acting)
jsment@sandia.govJeremy Sment is a mechanical engineer at Sandia National Labs. Jeremy focused on wind loading over heliostat fields and long-range flux mapping and calibration tools at the NSTTF for his graduate work through 2013. He rejoined the NSTTF in 2018 to support the Gen 3 particle pathway where he is focused on thermal energy storage and the handling of solid particles and commercial scale particle system integration focused on tower design and technoeconomic analysis. Jeremy joined the HelioCon effort in late 2021 and has conducted a series of interviews with industry experts to develop a high-level understanding of solar field deployments in the context of US energy market trends. He is currently performing studies on site-selection, field benefits and impacts on habitats, and heliostat foundation requirements. Jeremy holds a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering at UNM
Craig Turchi (NREL)
HelioCon Partnership Director
craig.turchi@nrel.govCraig Turchi is the group manager for the Thermal Energy Science and Technologies Research Group. As part of NREL's Thermal Systems team, Craig helps to develop and assess heat-transfer fluids, thermal-storage systems, and power conversion and integrated system concepts. Craig has contributed as task leader for the Concentrating Solar Power Program's Market Transformation activities, which includes technology-enabling issues such as solar resource assessment, cost estimation, land use, environmental impact, and grid integration and transmission. He originally joined NREL in 1990 working in the Solar Industrial Program on the detoxification of hazardous waste with solar ultraviolet light. Craig returned to NREL in 2008 after spending 10 years as a principal investigator and program leader with ADA Technologies, a technology development company in Littleton, Colorado. While at ADA, Craig served as a principal investigator for projects with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, Electric Power Research Institute, and several private companies.