Sandia's Jose Zayas named wind energy influencer. (Photo by Randy Montoya) Click on the thumbnail for a high-resolution image.
Sandia engineers Jose Zayas and Dale Berg were honored by Windpower Engineering magazine as two of the nation’s innovators and influencers in wind energy.
Zayas, senior manager of the Renewable Energy Technologies group at Sandia National Laboratories, was named an influencer on wind energy. The magazine also named Berg, principal member of the technical staff at Sandia, an innovator of wind energy technology.
Zayas sets priorities for Sandia’s Renewable Energy Technologies group at Sandia, and wind is an important part of that portfolio. With more than 14 years of experience in wind energy, Zayas seeks ways to expand and accelerate Sandia’s role in the innovation, development and use of all renewable energy technologies.
Zayas recently led development of advanced water power systems, focusing on the emerging clean energy portfolio of wave, current, tide and conventional hydro energy sources. He also leads a federal interagency research effort to overcome barriers to the continued deployment and acceptance of wind energy systems nationwide.
Zayas joined Sandia in 1996 as a senior member of the technical staff. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico, and a master’s degree in mechanical and aeronautical engineering from the University of California.
Sandia's Dale Berg, wind energy innovator. (Photo by Randy Montoya) Click on the thumbnail for a high-resolution image.
Berg has worked throughout his career on key innovations that make wind systems reliable and competitive sources of energy. In the early 1980s, he helped develop the first airfoils designed specifically for wind-turbine applications. Up to that time, blade airfoils were the same as those used on aircraft and sailplanes.
In the late 1980s, Berg contributed to the aerodynamic and structural design of the technologically innovative and variable-speed Sandia 34-meter Testbed Vertical Axis wind turbine.
More recently, Berg worked on turbine aerodynamics and the development of systems for aeroacoustics testing, analysis and data acquisition. Aeroacoustics testing pinpoints the sources of noise generated by turbine blades, with the aim of developing quieter blades.
Berg leads a multidisciplinary team of Sandia employees and contractors developing a turbine rotor that will reduce turbine damage due to frequent wind variations. The rotor integrates blade-mounted load and flow sensors, small, fast-response blade control surfaces and imbedded intelligent control systems, which are frequently referred to as “smart” rotors..
Berg has worked in wind energy at Sandia since 1981. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico and a doctorate in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology.
The special Influencers and Innovators section of Windpower Engineering is available online.
Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram laboratory operated and managed by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness.
Sandia media relations contact: Stephanie Holinka, slholin@sandia.gov (505) 284-9227