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Draft:Dan Shugar

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  • Comment: Probably the best in-depth article about him is this which you haven't cited at all. Gheus (talk) 22:32, 3 March 2025 (UTC)
Dan Shugar
Born1964
EducationRensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering; Golden Gate University (MBA)
Occupation(s)Renewable energy entrepreneur and business executive
Years active1987 to present
TitleChief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Nextracker, Fremont, California
Websitenextracker.com

Dan Shugar (born 1964) is an American business executive and renewable energy pioneer. He is co-founder and CEO of Nextracker (Nasdaq: NXT), a Fremont, California-based manufacturer of intelligent solar trackers and software.[1]

Early Life & Education

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Shugar grew up in New Jersey. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He later received an MBA from Golden Gate University.[2][3]

Career

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Shugar began his career in the late 1980s at Pacific Gas and Electric Company. In the early 1990s, he became involved in solar energy policy when actor Robin Williams sought PG&E’s help in overcoming regulatory roadblocks that prevented him from powering his California ranch with solar energy. Drawing on PG&E’s technical work, Shugar helped demonstrate solar’s value to the grid, laying the groundwork for Williams to achieve his objective.[2]

In 1993, he worked at a predecessor to BP Solar, an early innovator in solar tracking technology. In 1996, Shugar joined Tom Dinwoodie, who had just invented a lightweight solar roof system, as co-founder of PowerLight Corporation[2]. At the time, the eight-person company operated from a one-car garage in the San Francisco Bay Area.[4]

Upon discovering that consumer energy needs exceeded the capacity of most rooftop solar installations, Shugar and Dinwoodie drew on existing intellectual property to commercialize single-axis solar trackers and received certification for their use in the U.S. and Europe. Other early innovations included a "solar inverter in a container" for use at solar power plants, an integrated residential solar roof system and carport solutions.[4][5][6]

In 2007, SunPower Corp. purchased PowerLight for $332 million.[7] Shugar was later named president of SunPower. Under Shugar's leadership, PowerLight and SunPower grew from less than $1 million to $830 million in annual revenues, with Shugar overseeing the completion of more than 500 commercial, industrial, and utility solar projects worldwide.[8]

In March 2009, Shugar took a sabbatical to support Sierra Club efforts to close over 100 coal plants. In 2010, he became CEO of Solaria, a solar panel startup.[7]

In 2013, while still at Solaria, Shugar co-founded Nextracker to develop a new generation of solar-tracking systems for utility-scale solar power plant use that can produce about 25% more energy than a similar, stationary panel.[2] The following year, Nextracker was spun off from Solaria, with Shugar as CEO.[4] Under his leadership, Nextracker pioneered solar tracking system innovations that increase energy yields, reduce costs, and expand their application.[2]

In 2016, Shugar orchestrated Nextracker’s acquisition of BrightBox Technologies, Inc., which develops predictive modeling software and machine-learning technologies.[9][10] This acquisition led to the development and 2017 launch of TrueCapture, an intelligent, self-adjusting tracker control system that continuously refines the tracking algorithm of individual solar arrays in response to existing site and weather conditions, delivering 2% to 6% energy gains.[9]

In 2017, Shugar testified on Section 201 tariffs before an United States International Trade Commission hearing in Washington, D.C.[11] After Covid upended global supply chains, he led efforts to reshore solar tracker manufacturing.[12][13] Twelve of Nextracker's 20 U.S. manufacturing lines have been added since 2022.[6] In December 2024, Nextracker shipped the first US-manufactured solar trackers with 100% domestic content.[14]

Shugar guided Nextracker to its debut on the Nasdaq Global Select Market in 2023.[15] As of March 31, 2024, Nextracker had shipped solar tracking systems for more than 100 gigawatts (GW) of capacity to 40 countries across six continents.[16][17]

Board service

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Shugar sits on the board of directors of:

Awards & Recognition

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2023 S&P Platts Global Energy Awards – Shugar received the Chief Trailblazer of the Year award for energy industry leadership and innovation.[18]

2023 Hoyt Clarke Hottel Award – Named for an MIT chemical engineering professor, this annual award from the American Solar Energy Society recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the energy sector.[19]

2023 Telly Awards – The Dinner with Dan video series received two Telly Awards for best video storytelling.[20]

Clean Energy for Biden Inaugural Ball – In January 2021, Shugar performed a Jim Hendri-style rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner at the Clean Energy for Biden Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C.[11]

Shugar holds several patents with his solar company colleagues, including one for a solar-powered golf cart.[2]

Shugar’s home in Pacifica, California, features rooftop solar tiles that generate power for both his home and electric vehicles.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Dan Shugar is just getting started". Renewable Energy World. 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Hanson, Louis (2016-10-21). "Tracking the sun, from utility planner to entrepreneur". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  3. ^ "Dan Shugar, NEXTracker Inc: Profile and Biography". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  4. ^ a b c Weirich, Tom (22 September 2022). We Took the Risk. Potomac, Maryland: New Degree Press. pp. 235–246. ISBN 9798885046398.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  5. ^ a b Williams, Emily (2023-06-07). "Dan Shugar". UNC Institute for the Environment. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  6. ^ a b "Come together and seize the moment: Nextracker CEO Dan Shugar has never been more excited about clean energy". Renewable Energy World. 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  7. ^ a b "Update: Solaria CEO Dan Shugar Responds". www.greentechmedia.com. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  8. ^ "Daniel Shugar | Climate One". www.climateone.org. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  9. ^ a b "039: Dan Shugar, CEO of NEXTracker, on scale, culture, and winning in business and life | SunCast Media". www.suncast.media. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  10. ^ Bushong, Steven (2016-08-30). "NEXTracker acquires BrightBox Technologies". Solar Power World. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  11. ^ a b "Dan Shugar: More Maestro than Midas". pv magazine USA. 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  12. ^ Studios, Latitude (2024-07-17). "The reshoring of American solar trackers". Latitude Media. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  13. ^ Shugar, Dan. "Domestic manufacturing is the key to American energy leadership". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  14. ^ robertsailo (2024-12-11). "Nextracker ships first US-manufactured solar trackers under IRA". Power Technology. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  15. ^ "Solar Tech firm Nextracker raises $638 million min in upsized US IPO". Reuters. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Nextracker Is the Market Leader in the Growing Solar-Tracking Industry". Morningstar, Inc. 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  17. ^ "NXT Stock: Solar Firm Nextracker Powers Up Growth After IPO". Investor's Business Daily. 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  18. ^ "SPC Global". 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  19. ^ "AWARDS AND FELLOWS | American Solar Energy Society". Retrieved 2025-01-14.
  20. ^ "Debunking solar myths: Solar is unreliable". pv magazine USA. 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
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