Hilton Dier Bio

I started out at Black River Design Architects as a technical assistant in 1988, and then went to work for Spruce Mountain Design in 1992, performing architectural and peripheral systems design for the 2.75 megawatt Winooski One hydroelectric project.

I co-founded the Vermont Electric Car Company, which operated till 1998, converting conventional vehicles to electric propulsion. During my time in the electric vehicle business, I also consulted as a mechanical designer.

I worked for several years as a designer and installer for Solar Works, a residential solar energy company before working in the Renewable Integration group at Northern Power Systems from 2000 to 2004. My projects at Northern Power included a 48 kilowatt photovoltaic system for the new Artists for Humanity Epicenter in Boston, a 25.9 kilowatt photovoltaic system for the Black Rock Forest research center in Cornwall, NY, and a feasibility study for a “carbon neutral” building for the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Sciences.

As a consultant, I have worked for private individuals and local architects, as well as larger institutions. These larger clients include the Boston Museum of Science, Cornell University, Smith Group Architects, and my former employers at Northern Power.

I have been a guest lecturer at the University of Vermont, Cornell, and Dartmouth, and I regularly teach renewable energy workshops at the Yestermorrow design/build school in Warren, Vermont.

I live in the solar-powered house I designed and built.