Sharp's US solar division appoints Ed Smeloff to management team

Sharp Electronics Corp. has hired Ed Smeloff as senior manager for project development to its solar systems division in the US. According to the Jan. 17 announcement, Smeloff will take over responsibility for the development of Sharp's commercial project business at Sharp's Huntington Beach, California office.

© Michael Hughes for photon-pictures.com Going private: San Francisco solar pioneer Ed Smeloff, who co-chaired the last Solar Power conference, has joined Sharp.

Smeloff was most recently assistant general manager for power policy and resource development at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, where he was responsible for the development of the city's 670 kW Moscone Convention Center solar project. In September, he co-chaired the Solar Power 2004 Conference and Exposition in San Francisco.

As executive director of the Pace Law School Energy Project in New York, Smeloff worked with state policymakers in New York and New Jersey to advance the development of renewable energy technologies. Both states now have renewable portfolio standards with solar carveouts. He also served as director of the California's Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), which pioneered the use of PV by municipal utilities.

William P. Hirshman
© PHOTON International, February 2005